Considering the membership of regional member States in multiple Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the need for a coordinated approach to industrialization to tap on regional resources and value chains, there is need to review the industrialization policies and strategies in Southern Africa to identify common areas as well as divergent areas to assist member States in the process of domesticating regional commitments. The study will create a template of minimum standards and convergence on regional industrialization policies and strategies in Southern Africa with a view to assisting member-states especially with overlapping membership of the RECs in domesticating those strategies.  It is against this background that the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Southern Africa Office (UNECA-SA) is organizing an Ad-hoc Expert Group meeting (AEGM) under the theme: “Harmonization of Industrialization Strategies and Policies in Southern Africa”.

The AEGM will discuss industrialization policies in Southern Africa and will validate the findings of a study report on the theme and provide further insights to enrich the recommendations from the study. The overall objective of the AEGM is to provide a platform for regional and international stakeholders to discuss industrialization policies and strategies in Southern Africa focusing on an assessment of the alignment or lack thereof of SADC and COMESA frameworks. The review will provide guidance to member States on how they can navigate domestication in the face of the different regional frameworks and commitments.