𝗦𝗔𝗗𝗖 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗜𝗭 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘂𝗺

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) through the Strengthening National-Regional Linkages in SADC (SNRL) programme, a capacity building programme that is funded by the Government of Germany and implemented by GIZ, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning of the Kingdom of Lesotho is holding a regional integration learning and exchange symposium in Maseru, Lesotho. 

The two-day Symposium which runs from 3-4 July 2023 under the theme, “𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘾𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝘼𝘿𝘾 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙀𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙎𝘼𝘿𝘾’’ is aimed at facilitating exchange of knowledge and understanding of the SADC regional integration architecture and processes undertaken by national coordination structures in the SADC region.

In her opening remarks, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning who is also the SADC National Contact Point for Lesotho, Ms. Nthoateng Lebona stressed the need to build national and regional capabilities for coordination and communication to deepen regional integration for accelerated and broad-based economic development. 

Ms. Lebona highlighted the need for information sharing among different actors, noting that regional integration and cooperation offers enormous opportunities for enlarging markets, which can be served through cooperation arrangements in different Member States.

Acting Director of Industrial Development and Trade at the SADC Secretariat, Mr. Calicious Tutalife, also in his welcome remarks, said that the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030 places high emphasis on the importance of enhancing support towards SADC National Committees and National Contact Points to ensure that they are adequately capacitated to perform their coordination, monitoring, and communication roles in the implementation of the regional integration agenda at the national level. 

“Facilitating strong relationships, peer learning and exchanges amongst national coordination structures across the Member States has the potential to contribute towards the establishment and full operationalisation of SADC National Committees and related structures in ways that promote the realisation of the aspirations provided for under the SADC Treaty, SADC Vision 2050 and the RISDP 2020-2030", said Mr Tutalife. 

The Symposium has drawn participants from the SADC National Contact Points, National Media Coordinators from across SADC Member States, National Civil Society representatives, Regional Non-State Actors, Media and Communications Experts, Lesotho National Cluster Sub-Committee members and the officials of the Lesotho Ministry of Finance and Development Planning , which is hosting the Symposium.

The symposium will culminate into the launch of Lesotho SADC Success Stories, on 5th July, 2023 to be presided over by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning of the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho, Honourable Dr. Retselisitsoe Matlanyane. The Success Stories publication documents Lesotho’s milestones and the benefits derived from the SADC regional integration projects and programmes.