26 Mar 2025

President Advocate Duma Boko has signed an agreement amending the Southern African Development Community (SADC) treaty, which paves way for the transformation of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) into a fully-fledged regional parliament. 

The change requires that a majority of SADC member states sign the agreement, and Botswana has now joined other member states that have already done so. The signing ceremony took place yesterday in Gaborone.

President Boko highlighted the role  SADC PF had played in promoting regional legislative collaboration, stressing its efforts in crafting and sharing model laws on various critical issues, including child marriages and elections. 

“It is important for all to appreciate the critical role that SADC PF has played over the years. Law making is complex and requires informed input from data and expert advice. Our national parliaments often face resource constraints that hinder meaningful engagement in the legislative process,” he said.

 Therefore, he said the SADC PF was expected to handle the bulk of the law drafting requirements. President Boko further acknowledged the forum’s past contributions in conducting research, establishing data, and proposing solutions to regional challenges. He expressed pride in Botswana’s decision to join its SADC counterparts in reinforcing the role of the SADC PF.

“The SADC PF should now proceed with their work, empowered by the understanding that the entire region has formally entrusted them with this role. They will be expected to inform and influence legislative reforms across all SADC member states,” he noted. 

He also credited his predecessors for laying the groundwork for Botswana’s signature on the SADC PF treaty, underscoring the continuity of intent regarding ‘this significant legislative advancement.’

“It is important to acknowledge those who have contributed to this matter before I took office. I am confident that the previous administration intended to sign the treaty, as evidenced by minutes from an October 2024 courtesy meeting with the SADC PF lobby and the former President,” he said.

The SADC PF was established in 1997 under Article 9(2) of the SADC treaty, functioning as an autonomous institution within the SADC framework. 

It is an inter-parliamentary body comprising 14 parliaments, representing over 3 500 parliamentarians across the SADC region.

The shift to SADC Parliament aims to achieve an enhanced legislative authority as the transformation is intended to create a more formalised and authoritative parliamentary body that can adopt legislation on regional issues thus improving legislative framework within the SADC region. ENDS