The SADC ministers responsible for Youth, and ministers responsible for vulnerable children, met in June 2011 to discuss common ways that the SADC member countries can address the increasing problems and concerns of vulnerable children and youth in the SADC region. Problems include: diseases such as HIV and AIDS, malaria and TB; poverty; hunger and malnutrition; social and political conflicts; disability; teenage pregnancy; and unemployment amongst the youth.

The ministers recognised that these problems constitute a threat, not just to the children concerned, but to broader regional development objectives as well as the peace and security of the region. Therefore they agreed to “strengthen their regional efforts to collectively address these challenges as a matter of urgency”.

Ministers adopted common plans, notably the SADC Minimum Package of Services for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children and Youth and the SADC Regional Conceptual Framework for Psychosocial Support for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children and Youth. These two documents are currently in their final pre-publication edit phase and will be shortly released to the public. As soon as they become available we will share them with you.

In addition, the Ministers shared information about best practices in their own respective countries and approved various regional activities that will be implemented by all Member States during the period 2012-2014 and be coordinated by the SADC secretariat. The main priorities for the next two years are as follows:

• Developing a regional framework for child and youth participation, empowerment and leadership development, including volunteerism. The framework will also elaborate on youth employment and livelihoods issues, and participation in regional integration.
• Promoting and facilitating capacity building for Inter-sector collaboration for the development of OVC&Y.
• Facilitating networking, sharing of experiences and best practices on OVC&Y among Member States in the region and globally.
• Developing an M&E Framework and M&E Capacity Building Plan and following up on their implementation.
• Monitoring the implementation of the existing regional policies, strategies, guidelines and programmes on OVC&Y. This will include an evaluation of overall progress made in the implementation of the SADC Business Plan for OVC&Y for 2009-2015. (Information provided by Manasa Dzirikure, Technical Advisor, OVC and Youth, SADC secretariat)

The ministers also agreed to align their priorities for youth with the priorities for addressing challenges developed by the African Union which were developed with the input of SADC Member States.

There was agreement to set up the necessary structures required to implement their decisions and improve the lives of children and youth in the region. The Ministers aim to meet again in 2012 to follow up on progress on the implementation of their decisions.

WEB LINKS FOR THIS ARTICLE

Click here to view the SADC Press Release on the Joint Meeting of SADC Ministers