The SPA is a totality of Sectoral Programmes, with their policy objectives, strategies and projects designed to realise the overall goals and objectives of SADC. The SPA has evolved over time in line with the priorities and challenges facing the organisation.
The number of projects under the SPA now stands at 407 with an estimated cost of US$8.09 billion. Approximately 90 per cent of this amount is from external sources and close to 50 per cent has already been secured.
Under the SPA, several protocols have been developed and signed in the areas of Shared Water Course Systems, Energy, Combating Illicit Drug Trafficking, Transport, Communication and Meteorology, Trade, Education and Training, Mining, Immunities and Privileges, Health, Wildlife Conservation and Law Enforcement, Tribunal and Legal Affairs. Most of these have been ratified and are at various stages of implementation.
The Trade Protocol is critical for SADC's integration process and entered into force on the 25th of January, 2000 following its ratification by the required number of member States. The implementation of this protocol was launched on 1st September 2000.
In addition to these protocols, the Summit has signed a Declaration on Gender and Development. This declaration calls for the equal representation of women and men in the decision making of member states and SADC Structures at all levels, and the achievement of at least 30 per cent target of women in political and decision-making structures by the year 2005. In addition, a Declaration on Productivity which commits member States to increase productivity in order to meet global competetiveness challenges was signed in August 2000.
A lot has been achieved in SADC since its inception in April 1980 in Lusaka, Zambia. Some of the foremost achievements of SADC have been:
to demonstrate that regional co-operation is NOT only desirable but possible;
to inculcate a sense of regional belonging as well as a tradition of consultation among the people and governments of Southern Africa
to put in place a regional programme of action - the SADC Programme of Action - which covers cooperation in various economic sectors.
Under the SADC Programme of Action a number of infrastructural projects have been undertaken to rehabilitate roads, railway lines and harbours as well as the development through research of a number of seed various to cater for the different climatic conditions of the SADC Region.
These hard-earned achievements have provided a firm foundation without which any attempt at building a regional development community would have definitely failed.
The stage is now set for the implementation of the Report on the Restructuring of SADC Institutions and the first directorate, the Trade, Finance, Industry and Investment directorate is expected to start operations at the Secretariat by August 2001. The second one, the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources is expected to be established by December 2001. The others will be established during 2001.
The implementation of the Trade Protocol is on track and the region hopes to attain a free trade area by 2008.
The ultimate objective is to enable SADC to effectively address the developmental needs of the region and to position the region to meet the challenges of the dynamic, ever changing and complex globalisation process as well as to take advantage of the opportunities offered by globalisation.
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