By Moses Magadza in Johannesburg, South Africa

The curtain came down on the Joint Session of Standing Committees of the SADC Parliamentary Forum in Johannesburg on Thursday with a strong call for Member Parliaments to translate regional commitments into concrete national action.

Held under the theme, “Enhancing Parliamentary Advocacy for the Effective Domestication and Implementation of SADC Protocols for Democratic and Inclusive Governance,” the three-day meeting brought together parliamentarians, parliamentary staff, civil society representatives, researchers, cooperating partners and governance experts from across the SADC region.

It was supported by several cooperating partners, including International IDEA, GIZ, the European Union, Austrian partners and the Government of Sweden through the SADC PF Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, HIV and AIDS Governance Project.

Closing the meeting, newly elected Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Human and Social Development and Special Programmes (HSDSP), Angolan parliamentarian Honourable Luísa Damião, said the session had been “productive and important” and tackled issues that go to the heart of democratic governance, human dignity and social justice in the SADC region.

“We deliberated, debated and built together,” she said and noted that the discussions over the three days could not easily be compressed into a summary because of their breadth and significance.

The Joint Session examined a wide range of issues, including women’s participation in decision-making, political financing, violence against women in politics, youth participation in parliamentary processes, inclusive governance for persons with disabilities, partnerships between civil society and parliaments, and socioeconomic inequality.

Hon Damião said delegates had heard “necessary words” about the barriers facing women in politics.

“We heard leaders from across the region speak honestly about quotas, political financing and violence against women in politics. They were not comfortable words. They were necessary words,” she said.

She stressed that representation alone was insufficient without meaningful influence.

“Sitting in parliament is important, but it is what one does from that position that transforms lives,” she said.

A major highlight of the final day was the validation of the SADC Model Law on Prison Oversight and deliberations on the SADC PF Sexual Harassment Policy.

Hon Damião described the prison oversight model law as a reminder that parliamentary action must also reach “those whom society prefers to forget.”

On the Sexual Harassment Policy, she said the initiative confronted an issue that had remained hidden for far too long.

“Sexual harassment is not a marginal concern. It is a matter of human dignity, institutional integrity and democratic accountability,” she declared.

The Angolan legislator outlined three strategic priorities emerging from the deliberations.

First, she urged Member States to ensure that prison oversight remained firmly on national agendas and called on parliamentarians to champion the domestication of the Model Law into national legislation.

“No model law can achieve its purpose without the political will necessary to bring it to life,” she said.

Secondly, she called for the creation of safe, respectful and inclusive parliamentary environments supported by reliable reporting mechanisms and victim-centred responses.

Her third priority centred on implementation, saying the real test would come after delegates returned home.

“The true test lies in what follows in the work of your standing committees, in plenary debates and in the daily exercise of parliamentary oversight,” she said.

Hon Damião also stressed the growing importance of parliamentary diplomacy and rejected the notion that diplomacy belonged exclusively to ministries and chancelleries.