Regional trade integration and the facilitation of movement of persons, goods and services within the region have topped the agenda of the two day Southern African Development Community
(SADC) heads of state and government meeting.

The SADC council of ministers has recommended that the current target of 30% female representation in the region's political and decision making structures be raised to 50%. This is in line with the African Union (AU) targets. This recommendation was made at the end of today's meeting.

Gender advocacy groups remain sceptical about the latest development, and have instead petitioned heads of state and government to upgrade the 1997 SADC gender and development declaration into a legal binding protocol. At present, only South Africa and Mozambique have achieved a target for affirming women in political and decision making structures.

Trade
The SADC council of ministers has agreed that much is still need to be done to improve intra-SADC trade. Diplomats meeting in Gaborone have stressed that acceleration of tariff reduction is key if the goals to achieve the establishment of regional Free Trade Area by 2008 were to be realised.

The meeting also stressed the need for member states to move with full speed to achieve and maintain macro-economic stability. This includes the restriction of inflation to low and stable levels, and the maintenance of prudent fiscal discipline. To achieve that, the council of minister's meeting has called for the establishment of macro-economic surveillance mechanism to monitor compliance.

The council of ministers meeting has also recommended that Madagascar be admitted as a full member of SADC. Botswana is due to assume chairmanship of the regional trading bloc.

Madagascar will be admitted to probationary membership during the summit. Rwanda has also applied to join.

17 August 2005