THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY OVERVIEW

The Southern African Development Co-ordination Conference (SADCC), the forerunner of the Southern African Development Community, was formed in Lusaka Zambia in 1980 following the Lusaka Declaration - Southern Africa: Towards Economic Liberation by the nine founding member states. The Declaration and Treaty establishing the Community that replaced the Co-ordination Conference, was signed at the Summit of Heads of State or Government in 1992 in Namibia. SADC has 14 Member States namely Angola, Botswana, Democratic republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Each Member State has the responsibility to co-ordinate a sector or sectors on behalf of the others. New member states may be allowed to join by a unanimous decision by the SADC Summit and upon acceding to the SADC Treaty. SADC Headquarters is in Gaborone Botswana. The working language is English, French and Portuguese.

The Institutional Framework

Over the years, SADC has established institutions through which its business is conducted, from policy making to administration 

• Summit - It is made up of Heads of State or Government, the Summit is the ultimate policy-making institution of SADC. It is responsible for the overall policy direction and control of functions of the Community. Headed by a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman, who are elected for an agreed period, the Summit meets at least once a year. It is responsible for creating Commissions, and other institutions, as well as for the appointment of the Executive Secretary and Deputy Executive Secretary. 
  
  
• Council of Ministers - Ministers from each member state, usually but not only those responsible for their country's economic planning or finance, make up the Council. The Council is responsible for overseeing the functioning and development of SADC and ensuring that policies are properly implemented. The Council advises the Summit on policy matters and approves SADC policies, strategies and work programs. One of the major tasks of the Council is to decide upon sectoral areas of cooperation and the allocation of responsibility for carrying out these sectoral activities. The Council also meets once a year to review progress and operations of its subordinate institutions. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of Council are appointed by member states holding the Chairmanship and Vice-Chairmanship of SADC respectively. 
  
  
• Sectoral Committee and Commissions - SADC has established Commissions and Sector Coordinating Units to guide and coordinate regional policies and programmes in specific areas. The Sectors are allocated to individual member States to coordinate and provide leadership. Sectoral activities are supervised by Sectoral Committee of Ministers. The Minister representing the sector coordinating country chairs the Sectoral Committees of Ministers. Sectoral Commissions may be established as and when necessary, through a convention or other instruments approved by the Summit and ratified by member States. Commissions are regional institutions, supported by all member states whereas Sector Coordinating Units are part of national governments staffed mainly by civil servants of the sector coordinating country. Sectoral Committees and Commissions report to Council. 
  
  
• Standing Committee of Officials - Each member State is represented by a Permanent Secretary, or an official of equivalent rank. Like in the Council, the official usually comes from a ministry responsible for economic planning or finance. The Standing Committee acts as a technical advisory committee to the Council to whom it also reports. This group also meets at least once a year. Members of the Standing Committee have a dual responsibility as they are also National Contact Points. 
  
  
• National Contact Points -These are located in the Ministry responsible for SADC matters and act as a vital link between other agencies of government and SADC organs. The National Contact Points' responsibility also include regular consultation with and briefings of relevant government institutions, the enterprise community and media on matters relating to SADC. 
  
  
• Sectoral Contact Points - these are the grassroots level in the SADC organisational structure. All government ministries with line responsibilities for SADC sector(s) are SADC Sectoral Contact Points and work closely with with the respective Sector coordinating Units in the preparation of sectoral policies and strategies, and formulation of project proposals. Sectoral Contact Points attend and participate in sectoral meetings ,and assist Sector Coordinating Units in monitoring of projects. 
  
  
• Secretariat -As the principal executive institution of SADC, the Secretariat is responsible for the strategic planning and management of SADC programmes. Headed by the Executive Secretary, who is appointed by the Summit, the Secretariat is charged with the task of implementing decisions made by the Summit and the Council. The Secretariat organises and manages SADC meetings and is responsible for the financial and general administration of the Community. Diplomatic representation and promotion of SADC is also undertaken by the Secretariat. 
  
  
• Tribunal - A Tribunal shall be constituted to ensure adherence to , and proper interpretation of the provisions of the SADC Treaty and subsidiary instrument, and to adjudicate upon disputes referred to it. The composition, power, functions, procedures and other related matters governing the Tribunal will be prescribed in a Protocol to be adopted by the Summit. Decisions of the Tribunal shall be final and binding. Additional Institutions - Other Institutions may be established when necessary

The Budget

The SADC Budget for operational costs of running the Secretariat and Commissions is funded from contributions made by Member States in equal amounts agreed upon by Council. Council also determines from which other sources revenue can be sourced. Estimates of revenue and expenditure are prepared by the Executive Secretary who submits them to council for approval.

Budgets for sectoral projects are handled directly by project executing agencies, but it is the responsibility of project sponsors, Sector Co-ordinating Units and the Secretariat to mobilise and source funding for SADC projects. In addition, individual Member States provide funding and staff to their respective Sector Co-ordinating Units. SADC meetings are hosted, on rotation, by member States at their own expense, but Member States delegations meet their own cost of travel, accommodation and subsistence. 

THE SADC HEALTH SECTOR CO-ORDINATING UNIT (SADC - HSCU)

Coordinated by South Africa

SADC has increasingly recognized the need to adopt a holistic approach towards human development by including key issues of social development in its integration agenda. The SADC Health Sector was established to promote, coordinate and support the individual and collective effort of Member States to attain an acceptable standard of health for all the people of the region. The aims of the Health Sector are to reach the objective of "health for all" in the 21st Century in all Member States as adopted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), with priority being given to the delivery of primary health care, and to make health care accessible to everyone within the economic ability of each Member State. 

The objectives of the Sector are contained in the Sector's Policy Framework document and include the following:

To identify, promote, co-ordinate and support those activities that have the potential to improve the health of the people of SADC

• To co-ordinate regional efforts on disaster and epidemic preparedness, mapping, prevention and control of diseases such as malaria, measles, dysentery, polio, cholera, tuberculosis, HIV\AIDS\STDs, and to develop common strategies to address non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cancer, and
  
  
• To ensure effective utilization of human resources for health in the region, including harmonization of curricula for the training of health personnel, and the accreditation of health professionals trained in Member States. 

Protocol

The SADC Health Protocol was signed at the Summit of Heads of State in Maputo, Mozambique, in August 1999.

At the Council of Ministers meeting held in August 2000, in Namibia, Council noted that three Member States had ratified the Health Protocol. Once two thirds of member States have ratified the Health Protocol it will come into force. As at April 2001, seven member states had ratified the Protocol. 

SUBCOMMITTEES

SADC HIV Technical Subcommittee

At the Council of Ministers meeting held in Maputo, Mozambique, in August 1999, the HIV\AIDS Task Force was established with the following sectors: Culture, Information and sport, Employment and Labour, Health, Mining, Tourism and Transport, Communication and Meteorology. 

The Task Force Developed a SADC Strategic Framework on HIV\AIDS for 2000 - 2004, which was approved by the Council of Ministers at their meeting in Namibia, in August 2000. The Council also expanded the Task Force to include the economic sector (Trade and Industry; Finance and Investment and Food Agriculture & Natural Resources). The Council of Ministers further approved the conversion of the Task Force to the HIV\AIDS Sub-committee. 

Projects

The sector has embarked on the following projects so far Technical Support for assessing the capacity of the Health Sector Coordinating Unit and drawing up a Strategic Document, HIV\AIDS Strategic Framework 2000 - 2004. The HIV\AIDS Policy Analysis Work as well as the TB Advocacy Document Project are underway, and the Communication Strategy has been awarded to consultants.