On November 4, 2025, His Excellency Mr. Elias Magosi, Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), engaged in a consultative meeting with Dr. Matthias Naab, Director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Service Centre for Africa (RSCA). The meeting took place at the SADC Secretariat Headquarters in Gaborone, Botswana.
The primary focus of this meeting was to foster enhanced collaboration between SADC and UNDP, aiming to advance sustainable development, regional integration, and bolster institutional capacity within the SADC region.
Dr. Naab oversees strategic engagement and programmatic partnerships at the UNDP Regional Service Centre, which supports 46 African countries by offering policy, technical, and programmatic advisory services. These efforts are geared towards promoting inclusive growth, good governance, peacebuilding, and resilience initiatives across the continent.
Welcoming Dr. Naab and his delegation, H.E. Mr. Magosi acknowledged the longstanding partnership between SADC and UNDP in addressing regional development challenges. He highlighted the importance of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that serves as a vital framework for structured cooperation.
“The MoU between SADC and UNDP is fundamental to our partnership,” stated H.E. Magosi. “It outlines a clear strategy for enhancing our collaboration in regional integration, governance, peace and security, and sustainable development in Southern Africa. Our goal is to leverage UNDP’s technical expertise to complement SADC’s regional programs and ensure inclusivity for all Member States.”
The Executive Secretary pointed out several key areas of cooperation, including governance, climate change adaptation, digital transformation, youth empowerment, and gender equality. He stressed the necessity for coordinated efforts from both organizations to achieve impactful results at both regional and national levels.
To streamline implementation, the SADC Secretariat will appoint focal points to work alongside their UNDP counterparts on these thematic initiatives. Dr. Matthias Naab reaffirmed UNDP’s dedication to supporting SADC in achieving its Vision 2050 and the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030.
“UNDP is a committed ally of SADC and its Member States,” remarked Dr. Naab. “Our collaboration is driven by a shared ambition for inclusive growth, resilience, and prosperity for the people of Southern Africa. We are eager to deepen our technical and programmatic support to ensure that regional initiatives yield tangible benefits for communities.”
Dr. Naab also expressed UNDP’s willingness to mobilize expertise from its regional networks to support SADC’s institutional priorities and expedite the implementation of initiatives outlined in the MoU. Both parties agreed to expedite the finalization of a Joint Action Plan to operationalize the MoU, detailing specific areas of cooperation, expected deliverables, and timelines. They committed to convening technical working sessions to monitor progress and enhance coordination moving forward.
In conclusion, H.E. Magosi expressed gratitude to UNDP for its enduring partnership and reiterated SADC’s commitment to strengthening collaboration for sustainable and inclusive development in the region.
