SADC - Harmonisation of Sectoral Policies

The mandate of the SADC Secretariat, as outlined in the SADC Treaty, is the development of strategic expertise and the harmonization of policies and strategies to accelerate regional integration and sustainable development in the region. Although SADC does not have any specific protocols on the harmonization of sectoral policies, its thematic areas of cooperation, through the directories, comprise components of policy harmonization in the respective protocols adopted by its member States. The thematic areas of cooperation and harmonization include, trade, industry, finance and investment; infrastructure and services; food, agriculture and natural resources; social and human development, and special programmes; information and communications; environment and sustainable development; as well as cross-cutting issues such as poverty and sustainable development; gender and development; science and technology; SADC statistics; SADC private sector, among many others.

SADC is also undertaking initiatives to harmonise policies taking into consideration the commitments under the Tripartite FTA arrangement in the area of policy harmonisation in air transport liberalization, aligned with the African Union Agenda and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. [1]