This is a full research exploring the role of SADC National Committees in SADC governance. It was carried out in 2009 by the authors for the Centre for Policy Studies and was funded by the National Endowment for Democracy. For the full article go to http://www.cps.org.za/cps%20pdf/RR122.pdf

2. Aim of research:
 Investigate SADC National Committees as
participatory platforms for SADC policy making:
1. Find out extent of SNC functionality
2. Find out extent of compliance with SNC
participatory requirements as spelt out in treaty
Significance:
 Very limited information on SNC performance
available
 Previous reports focus on capacity issues
 Examines stakeholder participation as requirement
for a functional SNC
 Point of departure of this study is in examining the
SNCs’ role as participatory platforms for SADC
policy process

3. Conceptualisation of Key Terms
 SNCs: as defined within the confines of the SADC
treaty 2001
 Public Participation: encompassing in terms of
mechanisms; consultative forums; stakeholder
membership, limited to civil society;
 Civil Society: Inclusive of stakeholders stipulated in
the SADC treaty provision for SNCs: NGOs, private
sector, business, trade organisations
 Functionality: administrative and operational
characteristics in terms of SADC framework
provisions for SNCs
 SNCs as participatory platforms: the issue is
examined from the wider question of SNC
functionality

4.  SADCC (1979) to SADC (1992)
 Treaty Amended 2001
 SADC restructuring in 2001
 From SADC Coordinating Units (SCU) to
SNCs

5. Stakeholder
participation
Specified State
Structure Financing
SNC Functionality
Secretariat Meetings

6. SADC NATIONAL COMMITTEES

7. Purpose: Exploratory study
Data gathering
28 respondents from 5 countries in SADC
Sample No
Government officials 8
NGOs 18
Parliamentarians/Poli 4
ticians
Total 30

8. Research Instrument
 Semi structured questions
 Designed to test extent of public participation
and the functional requirements of SNCs
Limitations:
 Sampling and data gathering
 The scale of study (time and budget)
 Respondents: Accessing identified respondents
and respondent bias.

9.  Participation in African regionalism
governance ( UNECA Charter for popular
participation -1990)
 Framework for participatory governance
in SADC (SADC Treaty; RSIDP)
 Significance of SADC ‘participatory’
national model.
 State of SNCs: (Metacomm report 2005;
SADC review of operations report 2001,
Isaksen, J 2002; and SADC capacity
Development Framework 2008)

10. Challenges of SNCs:
 The lack of qualified and experienced manpower
 The lack of material resources (offices, equipment, etc)
 The lack of clarity on the SNC linkages to SADC
secretariat on budgetary provision for programmes and
projects for implementation within RISDP context
 The lack of mechanism for integration of SNCs into
government systems and procedures
 The lack of full comprehension of function of SNCs in
SADC
 Lack of internalization and understanding of the roles of
SNCs by stakeholders
 The lack of technical capacity for SNC sub-committees.

11. Broader functional Specified Structure Secretariat Financing Meetings Public Participation
issues Arrangements
Malawi CH(MIN of Foreign Focal point(located at Not funded Ad hoc Not significant
Affairs), SC and TC(TIFI) SADC desk) dependent on
government funding
Zambia CH (Sec. to Cabinet); SC Focal point (Located at Not funded, dependent Ad hoc Not significant
(TIFI) on government
Mozambique CH (Min of Foreign Member institutions Inadequate( dependent Plenary(yearly); SC Significant participation
Affairs) carry the cost of on government monthly I&S: 4 Gov, 3 NGO, 3
Plenary (all Sub disseminating SNC CSO
committees + deliberation s to TIFI: 6 Govt 3 NGO 3
stakeholders) members (Focal point) CSO
Provincial SNCs FANR: 11 Govt, 11
NGO,
(more than 40
institutions rep)
South Africa “African Renaissance Located within the Government Once a month (Business through
Committee” IRC Department NEDLAC/DTI) Civil
Participation by all Society when needed
departments
Public Participation Civil society SNC awareness Membership of SNCs Government SNC Meetings
interaction with engagement with
SADC civil society
Malawi SADC-PF ; 2 groups 1 (on paper) Minimal & restricted None confirmed
to certain groups
Zambia SADC consultative none none none None confirmed
forums
Mozambique SADC CNGO, SADC-PF 2 groups 1 I group 1 group confirmed
Botswana SADC CNGO
South Africa SADC CNGO; SADC-PF, 1 none Little information None confirmed
other Regional NGO
frameworks

12.  Broader functional issues
Specified Structure
 No uniform model
 Lacking complete organizational structural
requirements
 Ad hoc meetings
Secretariat and coordination:
 Focal points not secretariats
 No coordination between committees and national
secretariat
 Weak coordination between national secretariat and
SADC
 Difficulty in integrating SNCs into government
institutional and operational structure

13.  Broader functional issues contd
Financial arrangements:
 Funding responsibility (at national level)
 Funding mechanisms (national budget)
 Availability of Funds (not
prioritised/competing needs)
Human Resources/Capacity Building:
Capacity building responsibilities
Poor staffing

14.  Public Participation
Gauging civil society knowledge of and
responsiveness to participation in SADC
 Avenues for participation:
 The SADC CNGO
 Independent Regional Civil Society Forums
such as the Southern African Poverty Network
 The SADC Parliamentary Forum and National
Parliaments
 Consultative Forums of various SADC Units such
as the gender desk and HIV/AIDS desk
 SADC National Committees

15. Awareness of the existence of SNCs in
civil society groups
 5 out of 18 NGOs interviewed had heard of
SNCs and 2 out of the 18 NGOs
interviewed belonged(Malawi (MEJN);
Mozambique OTM)
 Lack of information from government
 Funding for awareness programme
Membership:
Limited to government (Except in Mozambique
(tendency for more involvement in finance
and trade))

16. Possible contributing factors:
 Reactive SNCs: the ad hoc and issue
driven nature of SNC meetings
 Lack of funds to build awareness and
organise Civil Society participation
 The relationship between Civil Society
and government
 Lack of clear criteria and guidelines for
membership

17. Context:
1. The SADC structure and system,
2. the political dimensions of regional governance in Africa,
3. the economic realities of regional integration in Africa
4. global realities
SNCs exist but are not functional in most
countries(Mozambique only)
SNCs were not designed to be focal points
Lack of clarity on the support role of SADC in terms of
capacity building;
Lack of clarity on the structure, operations and
institutionalisation of SNCs in SADC (detailed guidelines
needed)

18. Political and institutional commitment from governments and
SADC put in context of
1. commitment of member states to national
implementation since the SADC restructuring and
centralisation process
2. Competing multilateral agreements
Overall SADC system:
1. Highly intergovernmental nature of regionalism in Africa
2. Lack of understanding of SADC calendar and workings
Funding within the context of SADC:
1. ICP partners (61%)
2. SADC membership contributions
3. Joint enterprises

19.  PARTICIPATION
1. Two levels and several entry points
identified for participation in SADC:
Regional
•SADC CNGO
•SADC Parliamentary Forum
•Consultative meetings of SADC units
•Independent Regional Civil Society Forums
National
•SADC National Committees
•National Parliaments

20. 1.1 Participation in SADC:
 fragmented, loosely organised and
structured framework
2. The role of Parliaments:
 contribution of regional parliaments through
legislation aimed at harmonising and co-
ordinating laws
 Parliaments or talk shops (supranational and
intergovernmental power pull?)
 national parliaments/parliamentary
committees activating SNCs through Acts of
Parliament

21. 3. Membership by civil society (understanding
civil society)
 Diverse civil society
 Access- hegemonic control
 Government viewed with suspicion(threat
element)
4. SADC and government create the space for
justifiable criteria for inclusion and exclusion
when considering participation
5. Given these findings: a case for SNCs as
semi-autonomous?

22.  Lessons:
 Mozambique:
 Integrating SNCs into the overall government agenda
1. SNC participation in Mozambican Integrated
Development planning
2. SNC domestication: successfully contribute to national
programs
 Suggestions:
1. Developing a regional framework for public participation
in SADC
 SADC full protocol on SNCS incorporating guidelines, work
procedures etc
 Establish a SADC standard (with perhaps minimum
requirements) for SNC structures

23.  Member states develop guidelines for
participation
2. Explore alternative funding options
3. Explore the question of semiautonomous
SNCs
4. Take advantage of regional parliamentary de
facto powers through national parliaments.
5.Build awareness and educate regional and
national civil society focused groups on the
structure, organization and operations of
SADC
6. NGOs can create their own spaces

24. 1. SNCs represent an innovative effort in African regionalism to
directly involve public in regional policy making
2. A functional SNC must also fulfil its participatory requirements.
3. SNCs have not been given priority in national and regional
governance
4. SNCs are seen to be government centric
5. Complementarity between government and civil soceity is a
prerequisite for enhanced integration and cooperation.
6. Is there a future for SNCs?

25. Views for future research:
 Gauge the effectiveness of SADC national
coordination and implementation since
SADC restructuring (scrapping of SCUs)
 Explore the possibilities of regional
parliaments as entry points for participation
in the continent (identify lessons from
regional Parliamentary Assemblies )
 Research and develop public (citizen and
civil society) friendly manual on how SADC
works(architecture of African regionalism,
SADC structures, programmes projects,
operations etc)

26.  Full report can be seen on line at
http://www.cps.org.za/cps%20pdf/RR12
2.pdf