SADC Strategic Retreat: Making the case for risk-informed development

Last week, from 29th August-2nd September 2022, a Strategic Prioritisation Retreat was held by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and chaired by its Executive Secretary H.E. Mr Elias M. Magosi. The overall objective of the event was to enable the identification and implementation of the key priorities in the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030. Alongside other GIZ projects in the SADC region, the Global Initiative on Disaster Risk Management (GIDRM) was invited to the high-level deliberations to provide key inputs for mainstreaming and strengthening risk-informed development (RID) along the five RISDP key strategic priorities:

  1. Peace, Security and Good Governance
  2. Industrial Development and Market Integration
  3. Infrastructure Development in Support of Regional Integration
  4. Social and Human Capital Development and,
  5. Cross-Cutting Issues: Gender, Youth, Environment and Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management

The GIDRM strengthens the SADC Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Unit as a competent service provider for the inclusion of gender-responsive and RID-based approaches in development activities. Additionally, RID interventions are mainstreamed along priority regional sectors in cooperation with other GIZ projects. In cooperation with the SADC Disaster Risk Reduction Unit, the GIDRM contributes to the following RISDP key objectives:

  • Enhancing gender equality as well as women’s empowerment and development, and elimination of gender-based violence
  • Strengthening climate change adaptation and mitigation
  • Improving disaster risk management in support of regional resilience
  • Enhancing visibility and awareness of SADC, its activities, and impact in all Member States and globally
  • Enhancing conflict prevention, management, and resolution systems, with early warning systems that are capable of tracking and monitoring political, security, and socioeconomic threats
  • Strengthening political cooperation, democracy, good governance, rule of law, human rights, and human security
  • Quality, interconnected, integrated, and seamless infrastructure and networks
  • Increasing access to affordable infrastructure and services
  • Enhancing living conditions of the people through the promotion of sustainable cities in the region

During the SADC retreat, several working groups consisting of different SADC Directorates, Units and partners, came together to review current and potential new projects. The aim was to fully grasp the RISDP’s objectives and outcomes, gain an understanding and overview of other SADC Units’ work, break silos within the SADC and ensure that projects directly contribute to the RISDP and regional integration. GIDRM and the DRR Unit showcased the relevance of RID at organizational level and SADC’s core mandate towards its Member States on sustained regional integration.

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