By Moses Magadza

The SADC Parliamentary Forum will convene its Standing Committee Sessions in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 19 to 22 May 2026 under the theme, “Enhancing Parliamentary Advocacy for the Effective Domestication and Implementation of SADC Protocols for Democratic and Inclusive Governance.”

The sessions are expected to bring together Members of Parliament from across the Southern African Development Community (SADC), alongside representatives of regional institutions, civil society organisations, youth structures, organisations representing persons with disabilities, development partners, and technical experts.

In an interview, SADC PF Secretary General Ms Boemo Sekgoma said the meeting comes at a time when the region is intensifying efforts to strengthen democratic governance, constitutionalism, human rights, and inclusive development in line with the 1992 SADC Treaty and regional instruments such as the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, the revised SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections, SADC Vision 2050, and the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020 – 2030.

She noted that despite progress made by Member States in aligning national laws and policies with regional commitments, challenges persist across the region, including weak electoral governance systems, limited access to justice, low participation of women, youth and persons with disabilities in governance processes, and declining public trust in institutions.

She said that, against this backdrop, the Standing Committee Sessions are expected to strengthen parliamentary advocacy for the domestication, implementation, and oversight of SADC protocols and model laws that promote democratic and inclusive governance.

“The sessions will also provide a platform for Parliamentarians to assess progress made by Member States, identify implementation gaps, and exchange experiences on advancing gender equality, youth participation, disability rights, constitutionalism, and human rights protections,” she said.

The SG stated that a major focus of the meeting will be fostering inclusive governance by strengthening dialogue and collaboration between Parliaments and key stakeholders, including civil society organisations, youth platforms, traditional leaders, faith-based organisations, and organisations of persons with disabilities.

Presentations and discussions during the sessions are expected to equip Parliamentarians and Standing Committees with practical tools to advocate for inclusive governance reforms, strengthen oversight of national implementation of regional commitments, and support the development of gender-responsive and rights-based laws and policies.

The meeting is also expected to generate clear parliamentary recommendations and action points on the domestication and implementation of key SADC protocols and model laws, particularly those relating to gender equality, electoral integrity, disability inclusion, youth participation, and human rights.

Among the anticipated outcomes are strengthened partnerships between Parliaments and civil society actors, increased political will to adopt inclusive approaches in legislation and budgeting processes, and the documentation of good practices that can inform national and regional governance reforms.

The sessions will further advance important institutional processes within the Forum, including the review and validation of the draft SADC Model Law on Prison Oversight and the development of the SADC PF Sexual Harassment Policy, both of which are expected to be prepared for submission to the SADC PF’s 59th Plenary Assembly that will take place in Seychelles later this year.

The programme will feature several thematic tracks covering policy dialogue, stakeholder engagement, institutional strengthening and legislative harmonisation through model laws.

Parliamentarians will deliberate on strategies for advancing women’s political participation and leadership in the SADC region. Discussions will focus on political party reforms, women’s parliamentary caucuses, bipartisan solidarity, institutional transformation, and the role of media in shaping public narratives around women leaders.

Presenters during the opening day include representatives from political parties, national women’s caucuses, UN Women, Gender Links, and SADC PF experts.

On 20 May, stakeholders will engage on disability-inclusive governance, youth participation in parliamentary processes, Parliament–civil society partnerships, and strategies for addressing socio-economic inequality through collaborative advocacy.

Organisations expected to contribute include the Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled, the Southern Africa Youth Forum, the Pan-African Parliament–Civil Society Forum, and Oxfam in Southern Africa.

The 21 May sessions will focus on strengthening institutional safeguards within Parliaments through discussions on the proposed SADC PF Sexual Harassment Policy, as well as the review and validation of the draft SADC Model Law on Prison Oversight, which seeks to enhance accountability, human rights protection, and parliamentary oversight of correctional systems across the region.

The Standing Committee Sessions are being convened with support from GIZ, International Partnerships Austria, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Union, and the Government of Sweden under the SADC PF SRHR, HIV and AIDS and Governance Project.

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