By Moses Magadza

WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA – The SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) will convene a statutory meeting of its Standing Committee on Human and Social Development and Special Programmes (HSDSP) in Gaborone, Botswana, from 27 to 29 March 2026.

The meeting is set to bring together over 30 Members of Parliament from 15 Member States to deliberate on the implementation of two regional instruments – the SADC Protocol on Education and Training (1997) and the SADC Protocol on Employment and Labour (2023).

SADC PF Secretary General Ms Boemo Sekgoma on Monday said the meeting, to be held under the theme “Leveraging SADC Protocols on Education and Employment to Build Resilient and Inclusive Human Capital for the Future,” will examine how education and employment policies can be better aligned to address pressing social and economic challenges across Southern Africa, particularly youth unemployment, gender inequality, and social vulnerability.

The gathering comes as the region grapples with persistent unemployment, skills mismatches, and widening social inequalities that threaten progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and the aspirations of regional integration.

The three-day meeting forms part of the HSDSP Committee’s oversight mandate to ensure that Member States effectively ratify, domesticate, finance, and implement regional protocols that underpin human development.

According to Mr Munashe Tofa, Programme Manager who also serves as Committee Secretary for the HSDSP Committee, the meeting will combine statutory deliberations with innovative public engagement mechanisms to strengthen parliamentary oversight.

He explained that the Committee will use the meeting to assess progress made by Member States in implementing the protocols while also listening directly to citizens and stakeholders on the ground.

“The Committee will deliberate on the education, labour and employment protocols as part of its oversight mandate to ensure that Member States effectively implement these instruments,” he said.

“We will hold public hearings to gather the views of citizens and other stakeholders about the effectiveness of these protocols.”

Tofa noted that a structured survey has already been disseminated to national parliaments to guide country submissions and ensure consistency in reporting on progress, challenges, and best practices.

The statutory meeting is expected to attract also,  representatives from the SADC Secretariat, civil society organizations, academia, trade unions, and employer associations.

Participation will be conducted in a hybrid format to broaden inclusion and ensure that a wide range of stakeholders can contribute to the deliberations.

The meeting will also provide Members of Parliament with an opportunity to pay a courtesy call on the Speaker of the Parliament of Botswana, a gesture aimed at acknowledging the leadership and political support extended to the work of the SADC Parliamentary Forum.

The meeting will set the stage for discussions and policy recommendations that will feed into the 59th Plenary Assembly of the SADC Parliamentary Forum scheduled to take place in Seychelles later this year.

At the centre of the discussions are two regional frameworks that define the region’s approach to education, employment, and social protection.

The SADC Protocol on Education and Training, adopted in 1997 and entering into force in 2000, provides a blueprint for cooperation and harmonisation of education systems across the region.

The SADC Protocol on Employment and Labour, which entered into force in 2025, seeks to modernise labour market policies and facilitate the movement and recognition of skills and qualifications across borders.

Together, the two protocols are widely regarded as complementary pillars of human capital development because they link education to employment by ensuring that learners acquire relevant skills and can transition into decent work, thereby reducing poverty and strengthening social stability.

However, gaps in implementation remain significant. Across the region, youth unemployment remains among the highest in the world, with many countries reporting rates exceeding 25 percent, while more than 85 percent of workers are employed in the informal economy, often without social protection.

Organisers of the meeting say these challenges have far-reaching social consequences, including increased vulnerability to gender-based violence, drug and substance abuse, child labour, and early marriages.

The meeting will, therefore, examine the protocols not only as economic instruments but also as essential pillars of social protection, public health, and human dignity.

The meeting will include public hearings designed to strengthen citizen participation in parliamentary oversight. These hearings will allow civil society organisations, academic experts, and representatives of vulnerable groups including youth, women, and elderly persons to present evidence and share lived experiences related to education and employment challenges.

The second day of the meeting will focus on education, examining issues such as learning poverty, access to technical and vocational education and training, and the alignment of skills development with labour market needs.

The third day will centre on employment and labour issues, including youth unemployment, social protection, labour migration, and the extension of labour rights to workers in the informal economy. The evidence gathered during the hearings will be used to develop practical recommendations for national parliaments on how to strengthen policy implementation and oversight.

Expectations are that the meeting will generate a comprehensive body of evidence and recommendations that will guide parliamentary action across the region.

Member of Parliament Hon Mope Khati from Lesotho chairs the HSDSP Committee with Zimbabwean lawmaker Hon. Lynette Karenyi as Vice Chairperson. Other Members include Hon. Luisa P. F. Damiao Santos (Angola); Hon. Mpho Morolong (Botswana); Hon. Clement Muboyayi Muya (DRC); Sen. Dr. Linda Nxumalo (Eswatini); Hon. Dr. Fiarovana Lovanirina Célestin (Madagascar); Hon. Jeronima Agostinho (Mozambique); Hon. Bonginkosi Madikizela (South Africa); and Hon. Julien Nyemba (Zambia).

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