ISDS Case Map
SADC
Southern Africa Development Cooperation
Three regional trading blocs have created a draft agreement which paves the way for the setting up of a $624 billion free trade area.
While SADC heads of state and government meet in Windhoek this week, civil society organisations from the region are also holding a two-day meeting in Windhoek called 'The SADC People's Summit'.
The two-day SADC Summit ended in Windhoek on Tuesday with regional leaders reaffirming their commitment to deepening economic integration and speedy implementation of the bloc's programmes.
Speaking at a Civil Society gathering code named ‘The Southern African People’s Solidarity Network’ a trade and justice activist in the region, Dot Keet, said EPA has the potential to derail efforts to unite both SADC and Africa’s goals of integration.
Consolidation of the Free Trade Area and preparations towards a Customs Union remain SADC's priorities in order to deepen regional integration, SADC Executive Secretary Dr Tomaz Salomao said in remarks at the 30th anniversary jubilee summit of Heads of State and Government, in Windhoek, Namibia yesterday.
A meeting in Brussels in late July set a new--and ambitious--end-2010 deadline for conclusion of a full SADC EPA agreement. However, as only four countries have so far signed an interim EPA, conclusion of a full agreement still appears a distant goal.
Even though the implementation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) free trade area is yet to take place, there are notable areas of progress indicating that the activation of the free trade area is not far off.
A recent Southern African Development Community (SADC)-European Commission (EC) meeting on the future of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) governing trade between the two regions has been described constructive by a top South African trade negotiator.
Ahead of the August round of negotiations between the SADC EPA group and the EU, the Acting President of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Parliamentary Assembly says the region should be afforded more time to reach a final decision on a comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU.
Regional integration will be the major topic when the Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state summit that will coincide with the SADC 30th anniversary celebrations gets underway in Namibia on August 16-17.
