Commonwealth seeks to assign trade policy analysts to Lesotho, Tanzania

Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Ransford Smith held talks in London on 24 May 2007 with Tomaz Augusto Salomão, Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The Deputy Secretary-General briefed Mr Salomão on Commonwealth developments and technical assistance in the region, highlighting the main areas of capacity-building including trade, public sector reform and the promotion of democracy and health.

Mr Smith congratulated SADC for its contribution to development efforts in member states and added that it was important to build on achievements.

He noted that the Commonwealth was already supporting national capacity-building programmes in trade but would be pleased to assign trade policy analysts to Lesotho and Tanzania, if requested.

“SADC’s assistance in securing requests from Tanzania and Lesotho would be helpful,” he told Mr Salomão.

Mr Salomão thanked the Commonwealth for its support and asked for assistance in the post-election crisis that emerged in Lesotho earlier this year.

Noting that one of the biggest challenges faced by the region was poverty, he said: “We need peace, security and stability to address poverty for the sustainable development of our people.”

The Commonwealth Secretariat and SADC collaborate on promoting public-private partnerships, migration issues, support to Commonwealth African, Caribbean and Pacific member states on Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations with the European Union, policy advice for world trade negotiations, and making financial markets work for small and medium enterprises.

Other issues discussed included the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for co-operation signed by the Secretariat and SADC in 1997. SADC is to review the MOU and identify areas of priority.

The Deputy Secretary-General also briefed Mr Salomão about the 8th Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting to be held in Uganda in June 2007.

Of the 14 SADC member states, 10 are Commonwealth countries.

Secretariat Links:

• Economics and Trade

Related Websites:

• SADC