Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698931489730.pdf (South Africa)
Wednesday, 15 September 2021] No 126—2021] THIRD SESSION, SIXTH PARLIAMENT PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA _____________________ ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS _____________________ WEDNESDAY, 15 SEPTEMBER 2021 _____________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS National Assembly 1.

Referral to Committees of papers tabled .......................................................................... 2 TABLINGS National Assembly and National Council of Provinces 1.
Speaker and Chairperson .................................................................................................. 3 ANNOUNCEMENTS National Assembly The Speaker 1 1.
Referral to Committees of papers tabled (1) The following paper is referred to the Portfolio Committee on Communications for consideration: (a) Letter from the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies dated 08 September 2021, explaining the reasons for the delay in the submission of the Annual Report of the State Information Technology Agency for the year ended 31 March 2021.

TABLINGS National Assembly and National Council of Provinces 1.
The Speaker and the Chairperson DELEGATION REPORTS ADOPTED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY GROUP ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (PGIR) ON 27 AUGUST 2021.
(a) Report of the Virtual 142nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly and related meetings, 24 – 27 May 2021 2 REPORT OF THE VIRTUAL 142ND INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION ASSEMBLY AND RELATED MEETINGS Prepared by: The International Relations and Protocol Division 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY For the first time in history, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) held the 142nd Assembly in a virtual format from 24 to 27 May 2021 under the overall theme ‘Overcoming the pandemic today and building a better tomorrow: The role of parliaments.
This Assembly brought together over 1000 parliamentarians and experts from 135 countries.

Over 37 per cent of registered MPs were women and 26 per cent were young MPs, these percentages are testimony to the importance attached by the IPU to gender equality and youth participation.

Under the umbrella theme, parliamentarians identified what parliamentary strategies were necessary to save lives by speeding up the equitable distribution of vaccinations and to rebuild more sustainable and inclusive economies.
Member Parliaments adopted two resolutions to strengthen peace against threats of conflicts brought about by climate change (Of the 8 amendments that the South African Parliament submitted 7 were included in the resolution), as well as on mainstreaming digitalisation and the circular economy to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Of the 7 amendments that the South African Parliament submitted 5 were included in the resolution.
Both resolutions are designed to be blueprints for parliamentary action at the national level.

Member Parliaments also agreed to establish the IPU Cremer-Passy Prize – an annual award to an MP or group of MPs who make an outstanding contribution to the IPU’s mission as well as to a more united, fair, secure, sustainable, and equitable world.
• RECOMMENDATIONS The following recommendations emanating from the 142nd Assembly’s discussions are presented to the South African Parliament, particularly Presiding Officers for noting and action: o Note the creation of the IPU Cremer-Passy Prize: IPU Member Parliaments agreed to establish the IPU Cremer-Passy Prize – an annual award to an MP or group of MPs who make an outstanding contribution to the IPU’s mission as well as to a more united, fair, secure, sustainable and equitable world.
A jury made up of seven parliamentarians including former IPU Presidents and other prominent leaders representing the IPU Geopolitical Groups will select the winning parliamentarian(s).

The prize is named after the visionary parliamentarians who originally founded the IPU in 1889: William Randal Cremer from Great Britain and Frédéric Passy from France.
o Establishment of caucuses of young parliamentarians: During the Forum for Young MPs, it was recommended that one of the ways of furthering youth participation in the democratic process is through, amongst others, the establishment of caucuses of young MPs.

In this regard, the PGIR should exacerbate the process of establishing a caucus of young parliamentarians.

Page | 1 4 1.
Page | 1 4 1.

INTRODUCTION The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Executive Committee decided that, given the prevailing COVID- 19 pandemic and its impact, the 142nd IPU Assembly would be held virtually from 24 – 27 May 2021 under the overall theme ‘Overcoming the pandemic today and building a better tomorrow: The role of parliaments.

This Assembly brought together over 1000 parliamentarians and experts from 135 countries.
Over 37 per cent of registered MPs were women and 26 per cent were young MPs, these percentages are testimony to the importance attached by the IPU to gender equality and youth participation.

The South African Parliament’s national delegation to the IPU 142nd Assembly and related meetings was as follows: • Ms. T Modise, MP, Speaker of the National Assembly and Leader of the Delegation.

• Ms. S Lucas, MP, Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces.
• Mr. M Ntombela, MP, House Chairperson of International Relations (NA).

• Mr. D Bergman, MP.

• Mr. M Chetty, MP.

• Ms. T Msane, MP.

• Mr. T Malatji, MP.

• Mr.

I Ntsube, MP.

The delegation was supported by the following officials: Ms. N. Sonjica (Bilateral and Multilateral Manager) Ms. M. Monnakgotla (Content support), and Ms. J. Khuzwayo (logistical support).

2.
2.

DISCUSSION The 142nd Assembly was preceded by meetings of the Forum of Women Parliamentarians, the Forum of Young Parliamentarians, the Standing Committees, and the other subsidiary bodies of the Governing Council.

2.1.

THE 31ST SESSION OF THE FORUM OF WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS The 31st session of the Forum of Women Parliamentarians was held virtually on 10 and 12 May 2021.

It brought together 78 participants, including 57 delegates from 34 countries.
The Forum, amongst others, considered the following: 2.1.1 Contribution to the work of the 142nd Assembly from a gender perspective: (a) Gender-related impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and prioritising parliamentary action for gender-responsive recovery.
Reports were presented by: Ms. S. Kihika (Kenya) on parity in political participation; Ms. H. Al-Helaissi (Saudi Arabia) on women’s economic empowerment; Ms. S. Koutra-Koukouma (Cyprus) on violence against women and girls; and Ms. S. Sirivejchapun (Thailand) on gender-sensitive parliaments and gender-responsive legal reforms.
Amongst others, the participants for the equal participation of women in decision-making and the full inclusion of their needs and perspectives in a gender-responsive recovery post-COVID-19.
Building on an exchange of good practices, regarding the post-COVID-19 response, participants urged parliaments to prioritise parliamentary actions that: included women – of marginalised groups as well – in the design and implementation of pandemic relief and recovery economic policies; aimed at the adoption of measures to reintegrate women in the labour market and Page | 2 5 addressed the gender pay gap; ensured access to affordable childcare; promoted long-term investment in social protection systems for all women, including those in the informal sector; and ensured prevention of violence against women and girls and the provision of essential services to protect and support survivors.
(b) Mainstreaming gender equality in the draft resolution under consideration at the 143rd Assemblies Ms. J. Oduol (Kenya), co-Rapporteur of the Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights, introduced the theme of the next resolution entitled Legislation worldwide to combat online sexual child exploitation to be considered at the 143rd Assembly.
Following her presentation, participants expressed great concern about the growing phenomenon of online sexual child exploitation, further exacerbated by isolation and increased internet use during the COVID-19 pandemic.

They agreed that the issue required the urgent involvement, at both the national and international levels, of all parliaments, governments, ICT companies but also parents and teachers, to ensure accountability in the physical and psychological protection of children.
It was underlined that parliaments must bring national laws on that matter in line with the Convention of the Rights of the Child and its Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography.

It was emphasized that investments must be made in the protection and education of children, including through age-appropriate sex education in schools to empower children to understand their rights, protect themselves, report online sexual exploitation and ask for help.
Participants agreed to share their first preliminary considerations with the co-Rapporteurs of the upcoming draft resolution.

2.1.2 Panel discussion: Generation Equality in and through parliaments The panel discussion titled Generation Equality in and through parliaments focused on the role of parliaments to achieve gender equality, with emphasis on the empowerment and leadership of youth and adolescent girls.
In the ensuing discussion, members of parliament shared information about what they did at the national level to promote women’s and girls’ organizing and leadership.

Participants explained how their parliaments engaged in repealing discriminatory laws and pushed for new legislation that guaranteed women’s rights and gender equality.

They discussed the steps they took to reach gender parity in politics and to ensure the presence of diverse groups of young women leaders in all areas of decision-making.
Strategies to achieve gender-responsive budgeting and the elimination of gender-based violence both in politics and in domestic life were also discussed.

2.1.3.

Elections to the Bureau of Women Parliamentarians The Forum elected Ms. L. Vasylenko (Ukraine) to fill the post of President and Ms. H. Ramzy Fayez (Bahrain) to the post of First Vice-President of the Bureau of Women Parliamentarians.
The position of Second Vice-President remained vacant and would be filled when the Bureau and Forum met again at the 143rd Assembly.

2.2.

THE FORUM OF YOUNG PARLIAMENTARIANS OF THE IPU Page | 3 6 The Forum of Young Parliamentarians convened on 13 and 17 May 2021.

The Forum was presided by the President of the Forum Mr. M. Bouva (Suriname).
In their introductory remarks, the IPU President and the IPU Secretary General reaffirmed that young people were a key part of any democracy and that it was their right to be included in political decision- making.
Recognizing youth leadership in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, they praised the role that young people were playing in supporting the elderly and other vulnerable groups and countering disinformation during the pandemic in addition to promoting democracy, climate action, and combatting racism and exclusion.

Participants discussed from a youth perspective the overall theme of the 142nd Assembly.
They unveiled initiatives and actions taken at the national level to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on youth in terms of legislation and policies on education, employment, health, and youth social services.
They shared best practices in furthering youth participation in the democratic process, such as the establishment of caucuses of young MPs and youth national councils, digitalisation initiatives to develop new opportunities for youth employment, lowering the age of eligibility to be elected to office, digitalisation of election processes, and advancing equality and equity in access to online education.
The Forum concluded with the launch of the fourth IPU report entitled Youth participation in national parliaments and the IPU campaign I Say Yes to Youth in Parliament aimed at increasing the number of young MPs.

Half the world’s population is under 30 and yet only 2.6 per cent of MPs globally represent this age group.

The IPU has identified the six ways to change this and can be accessed at https://www.ipu.org/i-say-yes.

2.3.
2.3.

MEETINGS OF THE STANDING COMMITTEES 2.3.1 Standing Committee on Peace and International Security The Committee met on 17 May 2021 and was chaired by Mr. J. Echaniz, MP (Spain), President of the Committee.

The Committee considered the following items: • To formally approve resolution: Parliamentary strategies to strengthen peace and security against threats and conflicts resulting from climate-related disasters and their consequences.
Among others encourages IPU Member Parliaments to be prepared for the challenges and to invest in prevention strategies.

It calls on IPU Members to recognize the need for strategies to respond to climate security risks, in terms of both prioritizing support for vulnerable and fragile regions in implementing the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda.

It was adopted through the silence procedure.


In the absence of the receipt of written objections from one-third or more of the Members within 15 days of the dispatch of the revised resolution, it was considered as adopted by the Standing Committees.

Of the 8 amendments that the South African Parliament submitted 7 were included in the resolution.
• Approve subject item for the 143rd Assembly: Rethinking and reframing the approach to peace processes to foster lasting peace co-rapporteurs: - Ms. C. Widegren (Sweden) - To be designated.

Page | 4 7 2.3.2 Standing Committee on Sustainable Development The Committee met on 18 May 2021 and was chaired by Ms. V. Tsisi (Zimbabwe), the Committee President.
The Committee considered the following items: • To formally approve the resolution ‘Mainstreaming digitalization and the circular economy to achieve the SDGs, particularly responsible consumption and production’.

The resolution was adopted through the silence procedure.

In the absence of the receipt of written objections from one-third or more of the Members within 15 days of the dispatch of the revised resolution, it was considered as adopted by the Standing Committees.
Of the 7 amendments that the South African Parliament submitted 5 were included in the resolution.

• Approve subject item for the 143rd Assembly: Leveraging Information and Communication Technology as an enabler for the education sector, including in times of pandemic co-rapporteurs: - Ms. H. Järvinen (Finland) - Mr. S. Patra (India).
2.3.3 Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights The Committee met on 18 May 2021 and was chaired by Mr. A.Y Desai (India), the Committee President to debate ‘Worldwide legislation to combat online sexual child exploitation in preparation for the resolution which will be adopted by the 143rd Assembly in November 2021.

Key issues from the debate: the growth of information technologies has created various avenues for the online sexual exploitation of children.
The online sexual exploitation of children is not a new phenomenon; in the past three decades the internet has been used as a tool to commercially exploit children anonymously with utter impunity.

The world has witnessed offenses such as material sexually depicting children.

Addressing the online sexual exploitation of children requires a holistic approach and commitment from all stakeholders including parents, lawmakers, governments, regulators, the private sector, civil society, and children themselves.
And, the enactment of national laws that not only protect children and punish perpetrators but also calls for an adequate budget for the application of the law as well as for the training of law enforcement personnel.

Also, provide counselling, rehabilitation care, and compensation for victims and survivors.

Such legislation must also provide room for the protection of children from harmful online content.

3.

THE GOVERNING COUNCIL AND THE ASSEMBLY 3.1.


The Governing Council The Governing Council met on 24 and 25 May 2021 to amongst others, consider and approve the following: • Creation of an IPU Cremer-Passy Prize: IPU Member Parliaments agreed to establish the IPU Cremer-Passy Prize – an annual award to an MP or group of MPs who make an outstanding contribution to the IPU’s mission as well as to a more united, fair, secure, sustainable and equitable world.
A jury made up of seven parliamentarians including former IPU Presidents and other prominent leaders representing the IPU Geopolitical Groups will select the winning parliamentarian(s).
The prize is named after the visionary parliamentarians who originally founded the IPU in 1889: William Randal Cremer from Great Britain and Frédéric Passy from France • Future IPU Assemblies: the 143rd Assembly from 6 – 10 November in 2021 in Kigali (Rwanda) and the 144th Assembly from 20 – 24 March 2022 in Bali (Indonesia).

• The financial situation of the IPU: On 22 May 2021, the total amount of contributions outstanding from previous years was CHF 1,490,000 (as compared to CHF 972,000 in March 2020).
The Page | 5 8 Parliaments of Honduras and Papua New Guinea had their membership rights suspended for non- payment of arrears in 2019.

The payment of overdue contributions is a matter of increasing concern and Members are urged not to allow the situation of arrears to deteriorate further during 2021.
In particular, twelve Member Parliaments (Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Libya, Mali, Saint Lucia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Venezuela) and two Associate Members (WAEMU and ECOWAS) are all three or more years in arrears of payment of contributions and liable for loss of IPU membership rights in 2021.

The External Auditors, CAG India, concluded the audit of the IPU’s Financial Statements for 2020 with a positive audit opinion in all aspects.
• Universal membership: Several parliaments remain unaffiliated with the IPU, including founding members the US Congress and Liberia, as well as Brunei and around a dozen Small Island Developing States (SIDS – Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Kiribati, Nauru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and the Solomon Islands).

The IPU has been tapping into the benefits of the current virtual world to better channel its efforts to engage with these unaffiliated parliaments.
For instance, non-Member Parliaments have been invited to attend selected events to better familiarize themselves with the IPU.

In March, the Parliament of Solomon Islands participated in the Information Seminar on the structure and functioning of the IPU for English- speaking participants from Europe, Eurasia, Africa, the Arab Group, and the Asia-Pacific Group (over 50 participants in all).
The non-Member Parliaments from the Caribbean region have been invited to participate in the IPU Information Seminar for the Americas, to be held virtually in early June.

The Speakers of all unaffiliated parliaments have also been invited to attend the in-person segment of the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (Vienna, 6-8 September 2021).
With Liberia, there has been a steady stream of correspondence, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives led a delegation to the IPU Assembly in Doha in 2019.

Continued engagement, with support from the African Group, will be required to bring Liberia back to the global parliamentary community, after many years of political instability.
In terms of the US Congress, there is now a window of opportunity with the new Biden Administration and Congressional leadership re-embracing multilateralism and international cooperation.
Several initiatives have been undertaken in recent months, including Joint letters from the IPU President and Secretary General (January 2021) and the members of the IPU Executive Committee (March 2021) to the leadership of the US House of Representatives and US Senate, highlighting the many benefits of US membership in the IPU and multiple areas of mutual interest (democracy and human rights, combating climate change, recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Middle East peace process, etc.

3.2.
3.2.

The Assembly The Assembly was held on 26 and 27 May 2021 under the umbrella theme of Overcoming the pandemic today and building a better tomorrow: the role of parliaments.

During the debate on the theme, parliamentarians identified what parliamentary strategies were necessary to save lives by speeding up the equitable distribution of vaccinations and to rebuild more sustainable and inclusive economies.
IPU President, Mr. Duarte Pacheco, said: “We must seize the momentum created by this unique IPU Assembly to ensure parliaments contribute to rethinking the foundations of the pre-pandemic world and pave the way for a post-pandemic world that is equitable, green, and fair.
A reinvigoration of our global multilateral system is one way to do this, but we must also continue to build strong and democratic national parliaments that deliver for the people.” IPU Secretary-General, Mr. Martin Chungong, said: “Despite the lockdowns and restrictions on international travel over the past year, the IPU has remained open for business by finding new ways, including digital transformation, to continue providing a platform for parliamentarians from all over the world to interact, albeit virtually.
This virtual Assembly reasserts the IPU’s role as the premier global body for parliamentary dialogue.” Page | 6 9 Member Parliaments also adopted two resolutions to strengthen peace against threats of conflicts brought about by climate change, as well as on mainstreaming digitalization and the circular economy to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Both resolutions are designed to be blueprints for parliamentary action at the national level.

3.
3.

RECOMMENDATIONS The following recommendations emanating from the 142nd Assembly’s discussions are presented to the South African Parliament, particularly Presiding Officers for noting and action: • Note the creation of the IPU Cremer-Passy Prize: IPU Member Parliaments agreed to establish the IPU Cremer-Passy Prize – an annual award to an MP or group of MPs who make an outstanding contribution to the IPU’s mission as well as to a more united, fair, secure, sustainable and equitable world.
A jury made up of seven parliamentarians including former IPU Presidents and other prominent leaders representing the IPU Geopolitical Groups will select the winning parliamentarian(s).

The prize is named after the visionary parliamentarians who originally founded the IPU in 1889: William Randal Cremer from Great Britain and Frédéric Passy from France.
• Establishment of caucuses of young parliamentarians: During the Forum for Young MPs, it was recommended that one of the ways of furthering youth participation in the democratic process is through, amongst others, the establishment of caucuses of young MPs.

In this regard, the PGIR should exacerbate the process of establishing a caucus of young parliamentarians.
END Page | 7 10 (b) Virtual Meeting of the SADC-PF Standing Committee on Human and Social Development and Special Programmes (HSDSP), 31 May 2021 11 VIRTUAL MEETING OF THE SADC-PF STANDING COMMITTEE ON HUMAN AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT & SPECIAL PROGRAMMES (HSDSP) 31 May 2021 1 12 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The outcomes of the meeting require the following issues for noting/action by Parliament: • Noting and tabling of this report by the Parliamentary Group on International Relations (PGIR) 1.
INTRODUCTION Purpose of the meeting: To deliberate on committee business under the theme “Achieving Human and Social Development in the SADC Region during Covid-19 Recovery”.

Delegation Members: • Mr D. Moela, MP Delegation secretariat: • Dr N. Leibrandt-Loxton: Researcher, International Relations and Protocol Division (IRPD) 2.
MEETING OUTCOMES Following the adoption of its agenda and minutes of its previous meeting, the Committee dealt with the following two substantive items: 2.1 Consideration of key features and achievements of SRHR Project (2019-2022) in Year 2 The Committee received a presentation on the key features and achievements in human and social development made under the SRHR Project (2019-2022) in Year 2 which ended in March 2021.
The information that was presented will be shared with Sweden, the donor of the project.

The Committee heard that, despite the COVID-19 restrictions, the Forum has been able to implement all the main regional initiatives under the Project such as the holding meetings of the Committee of Clerks/Secretaries-General of Member Parliaments, the HSDSP, as well as performing a regional workshop on budget evaluation for SRHR Researchers and partners.
The pandemic still brought about challenges, however, including delayed country submissions of reports and data challenges.

Nevertheless, these were mitigated by civil society partners assisting with virtual engagements and countries increasingly embracing virtual reporting and collaboration measures.

Countries, like South Africa, who are not part of the Project will be invited to consider joining once the Plenary Assembly approves the Project’s extension for another 2 years.
2.2 Consideration of the Scorecard for the SADC Model Law on Child Marriage Following the establishment of the Regional Parliamentary Model Laws Oversight Committee of the Forum (RPMLOC) in 2019, the initial meetings of the RPMLOC resolved that there is a need to garner empirical data from Member States to assist the Committee to monitor the domestication of the SADC Model Laws in line with its statutory mandate under the Forum’s Constitution.
In this respect, there was a need to deconstruct the SADC Model Law on Child 2 13 Marriage and develop a monitoring tool that could be used to assist the Forum in capturing the requisite information in collaboration with Member Parliaments.
Accordingly, a Scorecard for the SADC Model Law on Child Marriage has been developed to monitor the compliance level of SADC Member States in view of assisting SADC MPs to identify the bottlenecks in domestication, and finding the appropriate means of redress by peer learning and experience sharing.
The Scorecard provides a list of straightforward questions obtained by deconstructing the SADC Model Law in relation to which Member Parliaments will report upon in collaboration with the relevant portfolio Ministries.

The Committee approved the Scorecard, which will now be submitted to the RPMLOC for consideration and eventual transmission to Member Parliaments via the Secretariat.

3.

CONCLUSION The Committee concluded its business and the Chairperson thanked all in attendance.
ENDS 3 14 (c) Virtual Executive Committee Meeting of the SADC-PF, 4 – June 2021 15 VIRTUAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE SADC-PF 4 – 5 June 2021 1 16 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The outcomes of the meeting require the following issues for noting/action by Parliament: • Speakers of Parliament were encouraged to continue lobbying their Heads of State and Government, Ministers of Foreign Affairs in support of the Forum’s transformation agenda before the end of June 2021, prior to the Meeting of SADC Officials, Council of Ministers and the subsequent SADC Summit scheduled for August 2021.
• The SADC-PF Executive Committee expressed its gratitude to South Africa for seconding media specialist to the Forum for 6 months.

• Noting that: o the arrangements for the virtual 49th Plenary Assembly to take place from 25 to 27 June 2021 is on track and will take place under the theme “Leveraging the AfCFTA for Post-Covid Economic Recovery in Southern Africa: The Role of SADC Parliamentary Forum and National Parliaments”.
the Secretary General of the Forum will liaise with national parliaments in interventions to enhanced media and social media coverage of the event.

o o due to time limitations and interpretation costs, no Members’ Motions will be able to be tabled.

Instead, following the Symposium and deliberations on the theme, the Plenary Assembly will focus on the adoption of committee reports.

1.
1.

INTRODUCTION Purpose of the meeting: To deliberate on various administrative matters concerning the Forum, including the following: • Consideration of the Report of the Committee of Clerks/Secretaries General to SADC Parliaments, as commissioned by the Joint Session of the HR and Finance Sub- Committee held on 12 May 2021 • Consideration of the President’s Report, President of SADC-PF Hon.

Speaker Christophe Mboso N’Kodia Pwanga • Update on the Transformation of the SADC-PF into a Parliament, Hon.
Speaker Advocate Jacob Francis Nzwidamilimo Mudenda.

• Consideration of the Report of the Finance Sub Committee Meeting held on 17 May 2021 by the Chairperson Hon.

Darren Bergman • Consideration of the Report of the Parliamentary Business -Sub Committee meeting held on 12 May 2021 by Hon.

Dr. Fiarovana Lovanirina Celéstin, Vice President of the SADC-PF Delegation Members: • Hon.
D. Bergman, MP and Treasurer of the SADC-PF Delegation secretariat: 2 17 • Dr N. Leibrandt-Loxton: Researcher, International Relations and Protocol Division (IRPD) 2.
MEETING OUTCOMES 2.1 Minutes and Matters Arising Following the adoption of its agenda and previous meeting’s minutes, the Committee dealt with the following substantive matters that arose: • The Assembly of the Union of the Comoros joining the Forum: The Secretary General reported that this matter will still need to be pursued through the new Speaker of the National Assembly of Seychelles.
The Committee agreed that, subject to available funding, a gender- balanced delegation (to be finalised) must be constituted to personally meet with the new Speaker of Seychelles.

• Mid-term Review of the Strategic Plan: The Secretary General reported that the review, while delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was in progress and that the Committee will receive an update soon.

• Secondment of a media specialist by South Africa: The Committee thanked South Africa for Mr Modise’s six months secondment.
2.2 Consideration of the President’s Report, President of SADC-PF Hon.
Speaker Christophe Mboso N’Kodia Pwanga The President’s Report focused on the following substantive matters for the Executive Committees’ noting and/or decision: • Prospect of Forum Activities taking place Physically: The Committee was requested to resolve that it might be more appropriate to continue holding all Forum meetings online over the next 6 months, in accordance with the approved rules for virtual meetings, until a reassessment of the Covid-19 situation is done.
• Transformation of the Forum into a Regional Parliament: The Committee heard of the most recent lobby initiative, conducted on 24 May 2021 with His Excellency, Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi.

The Lobby team managed to openly discuss the concerns of Malawi regarding the transformation agenda and were able to provide necessary clarifications.
The Committee also heard that the SADC Council has deferred the consideration of this item to August 2021, leaving more time to the Forum's Lobby mission to meet directly with Heads of States and other stakeholders and clarify any grey areas.

The Committee was therefore requested to note the above developments and to approve that further lobby missions are pursued until consensus is reached among Head of States across the SADC region on the benefits of transforming into a SADC Regional Parliament.
• Finalisation of Model Laws at the Forum’s Golden Jubilee: The Committee heard that the Forum, in collaboration with partners, is leading the development of the SADC Model Law on Public Financial Management (PFM), and the SADC Model Law on Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

Both Model Laws are closely intertwined with the Strategic Plan of the Forum (2019- 2023) and have linkages with Program Outcomes.

Both Model Laws are at the drafting stage of development which is being supervised by independent experts.
The Committee was requested to note these developments and resolve that both Model Laws be ready for adoption at the Golden Jubilee of the organisation at its 50th Plenary Assembly later in 2021.

3 18 • Translation of Model Laws: The Committee was asked to note that there is the requirement for translation of the Model Laws into the 3 working languages of the Forum, in accordance with Article 29 of the Forum's Constitution.
The Committee was therefore requested to consider attributing a budget for the translation of these documents.

• Capacity Development Activities of the Forum: The President reported that the Forum, with the support of partners, has to date held 82 capacity development programmes, covering a total of 1 624 participants from February 2020 to May 2021.
These included: o providing training (on-the-job training, workshops and seminars) for staff of the Forum o and SADC Parliaments; technical assistance and advice (e.g.

on improving stakeholder engagement with CSO’s, parliamentary committees, standard operating procedures, among others); and o development and dissemination of tools (guidelines, training materials, Model law- related interventions etc.).

The President’s Report was duly adopted.


2.3 Consideration of the Report of the Committee of Clerks/Secretaries General to SADC Parliaments, as commissioned by the Joint Session of the HR and Finance Sub- Committee held on 12 May 2021 The Acting Secretary to Parliament from South Africa, Ms P. Tyawa presented the Report to the Committee, focussing on its core 5 recommendations: • That the proposed structure be approved and be implemented in phases focusing on support to the core business of the Forum.
• That the proposed position of Accountant be renamed to Manager: Finance as a more appropriate title in line with the responsibilities of the role.

This role should be filled only once the core business support prioritised positions have been accommodated for.

• That due to the current financial constraints, consideration be given to increase the salary scale to the modest level of 70% of benchmarks and for this to be implemented in alignment with the implementation of the new structure and roles.
• That hybrid Plenary Assemblies become a permanent feature post-Covid as it will yield an annual savings of approximately (N$) 1.6 million.

• That consideration be given to increase the Mandatory Member Contributions by 5.6% with effect from 1 April 2022 to accommodate the budget shortfall, and that consideration be given to increasing contributions annually thereafter at least within the CPI range of the host country which is between 3 and 4%.
The Executive Committee reflected on these, and resolved that: • The Forum would need to work within the current budget; • That Members’ subscriptions should not be increased; and • That the Secretary General, in collaboration with the Treasurer and Clerks of national parliaments, should investigate ways for the Forum to increase its savings while meeting the 70% salary scale increase, without increasing subscriptions.

2.4 Update on the Transformation of the SADC-PF into a Parliament, Hon.
Speaker Advocate Jacob Francis Nzwidamilimo Mudenda 4 19 The Report on this item comprised the following: • The Committee heard of the most recent lobby missions with the President of the Republic of Malawi, Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, as well as the Prime Minister of Lesotho, Rt.Hon.

Moeketsi Majoro.

The President of Malawi committed to supporting the transformation agenda during the August 2021 SADC Summit.
• Presiding Officers of National Parliaments were encouraged to facilitate these meetings with their Heads of State and Government to contextualise the Transformation Agenda ahead of the Summit in August 2021 and clarify any grey areas that may be hindering the affirmative response to the Transformation Roadmap.
• Member Parliaments were encouraged to use the “The Strategic Lobby Document for the Transformation of the SADC-PF into a Regional Parliament” adopted by the 46th Plenary Assembly of the SADC-PF, held in Swakopmund, Namibia and “The Proposed SADC Parliament Model and the Transformation Roadmap” prepared by the Joint Task Force of the SADC Secretariat and SADC-PF Secretariat together with the Consultant in compliance with the decision of the 39th SADC Summit held in Tanzania in August 2019 in their lobbying efforts.
They were also reminded to ignore Stages 4 and 5 of the Model and Roadmap Document produced by the Joint Task Force and the Consultant as these are contrary to the strategic intent of the Transformation Agenda as envisaged by the Plenary Assembly.

• Member Parliaments are encouraged to arrange meetings with Heads of State and Government, Ministers of Foreign Affairs and their Permanent Secretaries as well as their Clerks of Parliaments under the Speakers’ auspices.
As indicated previously, these meetings should take place before the end of June 2021 prior to the Meeting of SADC Officials, Council of Ministers and the subsequent SADC Summit scheduled for August 2021.

2.5 Consideration of the Report of the Finance Sub Committee Meeting held on 17 May 2021 by the Chairperson Hon.
Darren Bergman The Report focused on the following substantive matters: • The Status of Member Parliaments’ Mandatory Contributions: The Executive Committee was requested to commend Member Parliaments for their dedication to the SADC-PF as evidenced by their payment of their mandatory contributions.

It was also urged to encourage Tanzania and DRC to settle their outstanding balances for the previous financial years as a matter of urgency in order to ensure a healthy cashflow.
• Contributions from donors: The Committee was requested to note the contributions from the donor community and its significant percentage of the total revenue of the SADC-PF.

The Committee was also advised to note the low utilization rate of these funds, especially since funds from donors or other co-operating partners are meant for specific programmes or expenditures and cannot be applied to activities that are not part of the agreement signed with the donor.
In this regard, any donor funds not utilised at the end of the financial year are treated as Restricted Funds and recognised as a liability rather than income.

This means that should the funds not be taken forward to be used in the next financial year the unutilised funds are to be paid back to the donor.

• Sale of property: The Executive committee was requested to approve the sale of the property, as was submitted to EXCO Members for consideration and approval by circulation on 18 May 2021.
5 20 • Procurement of a vehicle for the Secretary General: The Committee heard that this procurement is in process with quotations obtained from four suppliers to date.

A suitable vehicle, within the approved budget of N$1.5 million is yet to be selected.

The Finance Sub Committee resolved that the vehicle should be procured by 1 September 2021.
• Registration of Trust Fund: The Committee heard that the registration of the Trust Fund is being processed by ENSafrica who agreed to a discounted rate of NAD 17,000.00, plus VAT.

A separate fee of NAD 6,000.00, plus VAT, was also charged for the registration of the trust, as there is a considerable amount of administration to be dealt with in dealing with the Master of the High Court.
• Secondment of International Auditor: The Parliament of Mozambique has seconded Mr Hélio Nones da Costa Chipe as Internal Auditor for a period of two years, from 24th May 2021 to 23rd May 2023.

• Risk Management: The Committee was advised that the Forum’s Risk Management System is now being implemented and that several risks were rated as High at the time of development of the register.

The Report was duly adopted.


2.6 Consideration of the Report of the Parliamentary Business -Sub Committee meeting held on 12 May 2021, Hon.

Dr. Fiarovana Lovanirina Celéstin, Vice President of the SADC-PF This Report provided feedback on the arrangements of the virtual 49th Plenary Assembly.
The Executive Committee heard that all was on track for the Plenary Assembly to meet from 25 to 27 June 2021 under the theme “Leveraging the AfCFTA for Post-Covid Economic Recovery in Southern Africa: The Role of SADC Parliamentary Forum and National Parliaments”.

A Concept Note on the theme has been prepared and this theme was deemed relevant since the AfCFTA agreement had commenced in January 2021.
It was therefore, conceived as timely given that SADC Member States were focusing on economic recovery post-Covid.
Other substantive issues discussed emanating from this report: • The Committee emphasized the need for improved media and social media coverage of the Plenary Assembly, which should include build-up activities • The Secretary General was requested to engage national parliaments for lists of journalists to contact, as well as to determine a media budget • The Executive Committee agreed to the programme as presented, including that due to time • limitations and interpretation costs, no Members’ Motions will be able to be tabled.
In the interest of time, Members will be allowed to speak for 4 minutes, and Leaders of Delegation, if given the opportunity to make a statement in line with Rule 45, will be granted a maximum of 5.

The Report was duly adopted.
ENDS 6 21 (d) Report of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Virtual Meeting: Briefing for MP’s on United Nations (UN) Processes: The UN Commitment to the least developed countries – a reality check, 15 June 2021 22 REPORT OF THE INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION (IPU) VIRTUAL MEETING: BRIEFING FOR MPs ON UNITED NATIONS (UN) PROCESSES: THE UN COMMITMENT TO THE LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES – A REALITY CHECK 15 June 2021 Prepared by the International Relations and Protocol Division 23 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.
PURPOSE Over 60 participants attended the IPU virtual briefing for MPs on the United Nations commitment to the Least Developed Countries – a reality check on 15 June 2021.

The briefing was aimed at raising awareness of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) as part of the IPU commitment to contribute a parliamentary dimension to the preparatory process for the Doha Conference.

2.

SUMMARY OF DELIBERATIONS The LDC Group was created in 1971 and currently, there are 46 countries listed as LDCs.
Over the years, 10 year – programmes of action were adopted and the latest is the Istanbul Programme of Action (IPOA), which expired in 2020.

Under the Istanbul Programme, several countries have reached a threshold for graduation including Maldives, Equatorial Guinea, Samoa, Vanuatu, Angola, Bhutan, the Solomon Islands, and Sao Tome and Principe.

Bangladesh, Nepal, and the DRC within the five-year preparatory period.
The goal of moving out half of the countries under the Istanbul Programme of Action was not met but the plus side is that advancements were made in important areas including access to information and technology, sustainable energy, health, gender, and governance.

One of the reasons for the failure of Istanbul was its faulty follow-up mechanism – there was no systematic follow-up mechanism in place to monitor countries’ implementation of targets.
The UN is currently working on the multi-vulnerability index for small island states – the majority of them have high per capita income due to their respective sizes hence are not considered LDCs.

The per capita income alone cannot be the only leading factor for a country to be considered LDC.

There is a need for a multi-dimensional vulnerability index that looks at the overall vulnerabilities of a country to determine whether it is LDC or not.
Only about five of the donor countries are honouring their commitment to donate 0.7 per cent of their national income to the developing countries including LDCs.

The pandemic has added new challenges – there is an immediate health crisis and severe economic-social disruptions that need to be managed.

Climate change is also worsening the situation.

The new Programme of Action must ensure that the LDCs recover from the pandemic equitably and have access to vaccines.
Also, there is a lot of unfinished business – the eradication of extreme poverty, food security, etc., should stand out as the high priority of the new programme.

3.
3.

KEY ISSUE The following key issue is worth noting: • New Programme of Action for the LDCs: the new 10-year Programme of Action for the LDCs, will be adopted in Doha, Qatar, in January 2022, at the Heads of State and Government level at a critical time, falling within the last 10 years of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals across the LDCs.
The parliaments of LDCs are important in ensuring transparency and accountability when it comes to the design and the implementation of the new Programme.

2 24 1.

PURPOSE The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) invited the South African Parliament to attend the virtual briefing for MPs on United Nations (UN) processes: the UN commitment to the Least Developed Countries – a reality check on 15 June 2021 from 15:00 to 16:00.
The briefing was aimed at raising awareness of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) as part of the IPU commitment to contribute a parliamentary dimension to the preparatory process for the Doha Conference.

The UN is negotiating a new Programme of Action for the LDCs to be adopted in Doha, Qatar, in January 2022.

The briefing focused on the following questions: • Was the target of cutting by half the number of LDCs in just ten years overly ambitious?
• Is the slow progress in the LDCs due to adverse global conditions, or domestic policy choices?

The following UN representatives briefed MPs: • Dr.

Perks Ligoya: Permanent Representative of Malawi to the UN and Chair of the LDCs group in the UN General Assembly.

• Ms. Fekitamoeloa ‘Utoikamanu: USG and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States.
• Prof. Sakiko Fukuda-Parr: New School of Social Research, Member of the UN Committee for Development Policy.

Over 60 participants attended the briefing and the South African Parliament was represented by the following members: • Hon.

D. Direko, MP.

• Hon.

D. Bergman, MP.

• Hon.

R. Lesoma, MP.

• Hon.

A. Lotriet, MP.

• Hon.

D. Mangcu, MP.

2.


AN OVERVIEW OF THE PANELLISTS' KEY MESSAGES TO PARLIAMENTARIANS The following section provides a summary of the panellists’ key messages to parliamentarians: 2.1.

Dr.
Perks Ligoya: Permanent Representative of Malawi to the UN and Chair of the LDCs Group in the UN General Assembly, amongst others, noted that currently there are 46 countries listed as LDCs, and the criteria for a country to be in this category include the level of poverty measured against the gross national income, human assets and economic vulnerability to external shocks, etc., The LDC Group was created in 1971 and over the years, 10 year - programmes of action were adopted and the latest is the Istanbul Programme of Action (IPOA), which expired in 2020.
And, the UN General Assembly has agreed to convene the Fifth United Nations Conference on the LDCs in Doha, Qatar, in January 2022.

Also, noted that the role of parliamentarians is important in assisting the UN in moving countries out of the LDC group.

The idea was always to move out half of the countries under the Istanbul Programme of Action but that did not happen due to several reasons.
The parliaments of LDCs are important in ensuring transparency and accountability when it comes to the design and the implementation of the new 3 25 Programme of Action.

Most important to ensure the mainstreaming of the SDGs in their respective national Plan of Action as well as ensuring the effective use of available resources.
Furthermore, highlighted the following as priorities for the next Programme of Action for LDCs: (a) Concrete action and support measures at national, regional and global level to enable the LDCs to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic fully and expeditiously as well as access to the vaccine at the affordable costs; deal with public health issues and future shocks; (b) the pandemic has wiped out the previous gains, as a result, the LDCs are emerging frontier of extreme poverty and half of the extreme poor live in LDCs so a fresh start is needed to accelerate progress – new measures/tools and areas of support to translate promises into action; (c) climate change and natural disasters are taking a heavy toll on the livelihood of LDCs, if their coping capacity is not strengthened, the LDCs will continue to lose their SDGs gains.
Hence, the new Programme of Action must be resilient against future shocks; (d) the new programme must support digital infrastructure; (e) new graduate incentive package (trade tariffs-waive, etc.,.)

must be established to ensure development.

One of the reasons for the failure of Istanbul was its faulty follow-up mechanism – there was no systematic follow-up mechanism in place to monitor countries’ implementation.

There is a need for a state-of-the-art follow-up mechanism in the next Programme of Action.
2.2.

Ms. Fekitamoeloa ‘Utoikamanu: Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States, amongst others, noted that since the adoption of the Istanbul Programme, a number of the LDCs have reached a threshold for graduation including Maldives, Equatorial Guinea, Samoa, Vanuatu, Angola, Bhutan, the Solomon Islands, the Sao Tome, and Principe.
Bangladesh, Nepal, and the DRC within the five-year preparatory period.

The goal of move out half of the countries within the Istanbul Programme of Action was not met but the plus side is that advancements were made in important areas including access to information and technology, sustainable energy, health, gender, and governance.

Also, noted that progress is uneven among these countries and they have also failed to meet the Istanbul targets.
The pandemic has added new challenges – there is an immediate health crisis and severe economic- social disruptions that need to be managed.

Climate change is also worsening the situation.

The new Programme of Action must ensure that the LDCs recover from the pandemic equitably and have access to vaccines.

Also, there is a lot of unfinished business – the eradication of extreme poverty, food security, etc., should stand out as the high priority of the new programme.
Also, there is a need to step up support to newly graduated countries.

Also, parliaments of the LDCs were urged to participate in the upcoming Conference on the LDCs in Doha, Qatar, in January 2022.

2.3.

Prof. Sakiko Fukuda-Parr: New School of Social Research, Member of the UN Committee for Development Policy, amongst others, noted over the years half of the LDCs accelerated efforts to meet the graduation criteria.
Also, noted that LDCs' graduation criteria are mainly to garner political support, investment, and attention.

Also, noted that the analysis of the national voluntary reports for the SDGs in 2020 revealed 25 targets refer to the LDCs as a category but no one reported on them.

In this regard, it is important for the LDCs countries jointly with partners to leverage more support to these targets.
Also, the analysis of the impact of the pandemic revealed the structural factors in the economy that are sources of the continuing inequalities that leave the LDCs behind.

COVID has widened inequalities among people and countries.

4 26 3.

CONCLUSION There is a need for COVID –19 Stimulus Package (Marshall Plan) for LDCs to ensure that they emerge from the disruptions caused by the pandemic.
Also, the countries that do not need the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights allocations to assist in dealing with the global financial crisis brought about by the pandemic should be re-directed to the developing countries and the LDCs.

This re-direction of the SDRs will greatly alleviate the LDC's current situation.

Also, it was suggested that the developing countries including the LDCs’ debt to the international community (e.g.

IMF, World Bank, etc.,.)

must be completely eradicated post the pandemic.


Also, the UN is currently working on the multi-vulnerability index for small island states – the majority of them have high per capita income due to their respective sizes hence are not considered LDCs.

The per capita income alone cannot be the only leading factor for a country to be considered LDC.

There is a need for a multi-dimensional vulnerability index that looks at the overall vulnerabilities of a country to determine whether it is LDC.
Only about five of the donor countries are honouring their commitment to donate 0.7 per cent of their national income to the developing countries.

In response to South Africa’s question: the UN Capital Development Fund UNCDP assesses the graduation of countries and the graduation is based on whether the country meets the three criteria - gross national income, human assets, and economic vulnerability to external shocks.

The assessment is done for 3 years.


There is a Graduation Task Force that offers support to the graduating countries in a form of a transitional strategy and post-transitional strategy.

4.
4.

KEY ISSUE The following key issue is worth noting: • New Programme of Action for the LDCs: the new 10-year programme of action for the LDCs will be adopted in Doha, Qatar, in January 2022, at the Heads of State and Government level at a critical time, falling within the last 10 years of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals across the LDCs.
The parliaments of LDCs are important in ensuring transparency and accountability when it comes to the design and the implementation of the new Programme of Action.
_________________________________________________________________________ END 5 27 (e) Virtual Meeting of the SADC-PF Regional Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (RWPC), 17 June 2021 28 VIRTUAL MEETING OF THE SADC-PF REGIONAL WOMEN’S PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS (RWPC) 17 June 2021 1 29 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The outcomes of the meeting require the following issues for noting/action by Parliament: • Noting and tabling of this report by the Parliamentary Group on International Relations (PGIR) 1.
INTRODUCTION Purpose of the meeting: To deliberate on the theme “Post-Covid in the SADC Region: Meeting women’s Needs in a Context of Multiplied Challenges”.

The meeting focused on the ways that MPs can work with their local governments to help mitigate the challenges faced by women before, during and post COVID-19.

Delegation Members: • Ms N.K.

Bilankulu, MP Delegation secretariat: • Dr N. Leibrandt-Loxton: Researcher, International Relations and Protocol Division (IRPD) 2.
MEETING OUTCOMES The specific objectives of the Zoom meeting were to: • analyse the many ways in which GBV has been exacerbated in the context of the COVID-19 Pandemic; • explore ways in which women’s and girls’ rights have been violated and could be promoted positively for the period post-COVID-19; • engage with the RWPC in promoting women’s and girls’ rights to freedom from discrimination and access to civil liberties and equal labour rights in the face of COVID-19; and • promote continuous peer learning among MPs (sharing information, experiences and challenges, relating to and amidst the present context of COVID-19).
To this end, the meeting received presentations and deliberated on the following: 2.1 Presentation of Country GBV Data since March 2020 Selected countries were requested to present their data, including Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Members noted the various country experiences, including the rise in GBV incidences during lockdown periods and the need for concrete data.
2.2 Impact of COVID-19 on Gender Equality and Women's empowerment in East and Southern Africa The RWPC received a presentation on a study conducted by UN Women and UNFPA on Gender considerations in the context of GBV in East and Southern Africa (ESA).

The study aimed to outline the opportunities and constraints for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in the post-COVID-19 recovery phase and identify the key gaps and challenges in current policies and 2 30 programmes in the ESA region.
Accordingly, the presentation highlighted the following in terms of the highlighted areas: • Governance: o There is very limited policy measures interventions aimed specifically at women o More investment is needed in the production and use of gender data and statistics to understand the impact of the pandemic on women and men better and to monitor the implementation of recovery plans.
o More women are needed in leadership positions in government and the private sector to ensure that planning and resource allocation is inclusive of the specific needs of women and girls.
• Socio-economic considerations: o Countries need to build on maximizing gains made during the pandemic to transition to the digital economy by increasing efforts to expand coverage and inclusion, particularly of women o Countries need to continue strengthening access of women and youth to education and vocational training to reduce their vulnerability for future similar crises • Time-use: o Subsidised child-care is one of the mechanisms that can ease women’s transition into o the labour market It remains important to continue to recognize, reduce and redistribute the unpaid domestic and care activities that primarily fall upon women.
o The pandemic has shown that when circumstances dictate, men in the East and Southern Africa region do pitch in to assist with unpaid domestic and care work.

It is important that through advocacy efforts this momentum be maintained to increasingly make it socially acceptable • Education: o Use gender and inclusion lens for education analysis.
Work to actively remove gender bias and discrimination within and across education systems need to continue and the leadership of girls and women and their role as agents of change during the post- COVID-19 recovery phase should be recognized and prioritized.

o Countries should prioritise activities that will bring all girls back to school through targeted measures for the poorest and most marginalised girls.
• Health and Health care services: o There is a need for greater cooperation between the global north and south to ensure a more equitable distribution of available vaccines.

Governments need to prioritize front-line health care workers and educators, the majority of which are women, to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Increase maternal and child health resources to rectify some of the damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the region, which might set back advances made so far by as much as three years.
o • Gender-based violence: o There is a need to increase communication around the available services and use of technology to support reporting mechanisms for victims and survivors of GBV.
o Continued advocacy work is needed around GBV prevention and services; 3 31 o Countries must learn from and build on lessons learnt regarding the use of technology and support mechanisms for victims and survivors of GBV during the post-COVID-19 recovery phase 2.3 The COVID-19 Vaccine: Political Accountability Ensures Safety and Access The presentation was delivered by Prof Sheila Tlou, Co-Chairperson of both Nursing Now and the Global HIV Prevention Coalition.
It focused on the need for everyone to have access to the COVID-19 vaccines, free of charge.

She also focused on the need for the mandatory sharing of all COVID-19-related technology, as well as the scale-up of manufacturing so that any vaccine could be made available worldwide.

Prof Tlou emphasised that the world needed to reach a global agreement that ensures universal access to vaccines regardless of the ability to pay.
Some of her key recommendations included: • Community Education to prevent vaccine hesitancy and increase uptake • Countries need to fulfil their commitments related to Primary Health Care • All barriers to equal access to health care and medicines need to be removed • Countries must have contingency plans on domestic financing for future crises • Corruption needs to be addressed • A SADC fund needs to be established where all member states contribute to support those countries with the capacity to produce vaccines for the region 3.
CONCLUSION The meeting concluded with Members’ appreciation of the role of the RWPC in inputting into SADC-PF policy proposals.

ENDS 4 32 (f) Report and Financial Statements of the Public Protector South Africa for 2020-21, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements and Performance Information for 2020-21.

33