By Moses Magadza

A two-day Annual Review Meeting of the Sweden-funded Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), HIV and AIDS Governance Project of the SADC Parliamentary Forum ended in Luanda, Angola on Tuesday.

The meeting closed with strong appreciation for progress made and urgent calls for domestic resource mobilisation to safeguard hard-won gains amid shifting global funding realities.

Hosted by the National Assembly of Angola, the meeting brought together Members of Parliament, parliamentary staff, development partners, UN agencies and civil society to assess implementation and chart the next phase of the regional initiative.

Opening the review, Angolan MP Hon. Pedro Sebastião described the Project as central to Parliament’s evolving role in democratic governance.

“This evaluation goes beyond the implementation of a mere activity plan,” he said and added, “It represents today a fundamental pillar in strengthening our role as Members of Parliament in the promotion of human rights, gender equality and good governance.”

Despite initial challenges, he noted, the initiative had made “invaluable contributions” from strengthening the technical capacity of MPs and staff to tightening the link between Parliament and communities through field visits and awareness campaigns.

On the legislative front, he highlighted the approval in principle of the Bill on the Comprehensive Response to HIV and AIDS as a milestone reflecting public consultations and inter-institutional dialogue.

He stressed that sexual and reproductive health, HIV and AIDS and good governance “are not isolated agendas; they are the foundations of human development and social justice.”

The Secretary-General of the National Assembly of Angola, Dr Pedro Agostinho de Neri, described the review as “a structuring moment in the implementation cycle,” enabling stakeholders to consolidate results, assess constraints and project the next steps based on evidence, dialogue and accountability.”

Since its launch in Angola in April 2024, the Project has been embedded within Parliament through the creation of internal and national technical working groups bringing together ministries, UN agencies and civil society.

“These actions have contributed to strengthening the institutional capacity of Parliament, bringing Members of Parliament closer to communities and promoting more informed and evidence-based legislative debate,” he said.

He stressed that the initiative “is not limited to carrying out activities, but it strengthens the legislative and oversight function of the National Assembly,” reaffirming that sexual and reproductive health and the fight against HIV and AIDS are “pillars of dignity, equity and social justice.”

Speaking at the same occasion, Ms Elisabeth Harleman of the Embassy of Sweden reaffirmed SRHR as a central pillar of its development cooperation and reiterated support to the SADC PF and its affiliate national parliaments.

She underscored Sweden’s prioritisation of SRHR, which she described as foundational to broader democratic and developmental goals.

“Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights remain at the heart of Sweden’s development cooperation and are a clear priority for the Swedish Government,” she said.

She added, “We view SRHR not only as a health issue, but as a foundation for gender equality, human rights, and sustainable development.”

Ms Harleman emphasised that strong SRHR governance improves lives and strengthens democratic participation.

“Strong SRHR governance improves lives, expands democratic participation, and drives long-term social and economic progress,” she noted.

She highlighted the continuing relevance of SRHR in the SADC region, particularly in addressing early and unintended pregnancies, child marriage, and unequal access to essential services.

These priorities, she said, are reinforced through regional instruments such as the SADC SRHR Strategy and Milestone Scorecard, which serve as key accountability and tracking tools.

“Sweden invests in SRHR because we believe every person should have the knowledge, services, and freedom to make decisions about their own body. This principle guides our support to SADC institutions and to national parliaments, including here in Angola,” she said.

She commended Angola’s progress in strengthening parliamentary oversight and governance in SRHR and HIV and AIDS and praised efforts to elevate marginalised voices within policymaking processes.

“Your efforts to bring forward the voices of women, youth, and people living with HIV reflect a genuine commitment to inclusive, evidence-based policymaking,” she said, adding that strengthened collaboration between Parliament, ministries, and civil society signals “a responsive and maturing governance system.”

Ms Harleman also applauded Angola’s participation in the recent SADC Meeting of Health Ministers, describing it as evidence of the country’s commitment to regional health cooperation and ensuring SRHR remains high on the regional agenda.

She added, “Sweden is proud to stand alongside Angola and the SADC Parliamentary Forum in advancing SRHR. Together, we are working toward a region where every individual, especially women, young people, and marginalised groups, can live healthy, empowered lives with full access to their rights.”

She sounded a warning about global funding trends.

“We see a much stronger pushback on gender equality and sexual reproductive health rights across the globe,” she said.

She called for doing “much more with less funding” through coordinating “with each other.”

She emphasised greater national ownership, noting that “there is much more responsibility now for the government to take a bigger responsibility to make sure that funding is coming through to health and sexual reproductive health rights from the government’s own resources.”

SADC PF Secretary General Ms Boemo Sekgoma urged cementing gains and spreading impacts. She said the Project had taken firm root in Angola.

“For us, we leave knowing that this Project has been cemented in Angola,” she said, recalling early targets to open Parliament to partners and extend outreach beyond Luanda.

“I am happy to note that this has happened and continues to happen,” she noted.

She welcomed plans to scale up efforts, including abolishing child marriage, engaging traditional leaders, strengthening health systems and scrutinising budgets to ensure government funding for priority interventions.

She stressed that oversight must be more than supervision. It must be “a reward to the system and a way of encouraging professionalism out there.”

Even amid funding uncertainty, she urged sustained collaboration.

“Indeed, money might have gone, but we still have you and the information that should be shared with the political leadership. We still have you influencing budgets, even in municipalities.”

-Moses Magadza is the Media and Communications Manager at the SADC Parliamentary Forum.