During the main sessions of UNGA80, H.E. Magosi joined Heads of State and Government in commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly. He also participated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Moment, a high-level dialogue that took stock of progress toward the 2030 Agenda. In his interventions, the Executive Secretary underscored SADC’s commitment to accelerating SDG implementation, particularly in areas that intersect with the region’s development blueprint, the SADC Vision 2050 and Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030.
On the sidelines of UNGA80, the Executive Secretary held a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings with global partners to advance the region’s priorities:
• Loss and Damage Fund (LDF): H.E. Magosi met with Mr. Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, Executive Director of the Fund, exploring mechanisms for SADC Member States to access climate finance. Discussions centred on support for disaster preparedness, resilience, and recovery, given the region’s vulnerability to recurrent droughts, floods, and cyclones.
• Fourth Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA IV): The Executive Secretary participated in the high-level mobilisation event alongside H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola and Chairperson of the African Union, and other African leaders, reinforcing SADC’s alignment with Agenda 2063 and the SADC Industrialisation Strategy.
• African Development Bank (AfDB): H.E. Magosi held a courtesy meeting with Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, President of the AfDB, who reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to supporting SADC’s infrastructure and resilience agenda, while congratulating the Executive Secretary on his reappointment for another term.
• United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA): H.E. Magosi met with Ms. Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, DPPA, to review political and peacebuilding priorities, including Lesotho’s reforms, SADC–EAC cooperation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and dialogue processes in Mozambique.
• Zimbabwe’s UNSC Candidature: H.E. Magosi joined Hon. Professor Dr. Amon Murwira, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Zimbabwe, and SADC Member State leaders at the official launch of Zimbabwe’s candidature for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (2027–2028).
• United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): H.E. Magosi held talks with Ms. Joyce Msuya, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, on strengthening cooperation in humanitarian response, disaster preparedness, and training for regional disaster response teams.
The Executive Secretary also held a high-level meeting with Mr. Alexandre Zouev, Acting Under-Secretary-General for the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT). The two sides reviewed progress following the signing of the SADC–UNOCT Memorandum of Understanding in 2024 and advanced discussions on the development of a costed joint action plan to operationalise the agreement.
H.E. Magosi drew attention to the strategic role of the SADC Regional Counter-Terrorism Centre in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, as a hub for regional coordination and intelligence-sharing. He emphasised the need for sustained technical and financial support to strengthen the Centre’s operations, particularly in the areas of intelligence management, human resources, and capacity-building.
Through these high-level engagements, the SADC Executive Secretary amplified the region’s collective priorities and secured renewed commitments from international partners. His participation at UNGA80 reaffirmed SADC’s determination to be a proactive contributor to the multilateral system while ensuring that Southern Africa’s unique challenges and aspirations are placed high on the global agenda.
