Online Reporter
Wallace Ruzvidzo-Herald Reporter
ZIMBABWE will host the Sadc meeting of ministers responsible for Transport, Information and Communication Technologies and Meteorology next week, the regional bloc has announced.
In a communiqué yesterday, Sadc said the meeting will be hosted through the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, the Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, and the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife from June 22 to 26 in Bulawayo.
South Africa’s Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy will preside over the meeting in her capacity as Chairperson of the Sadc Committee of Ministers for Transport, ICT, Information and Meteorology.
“This high-level engagement will bring together ministers and senior policymakers from Sadc member States to deliberate on strategic priorities aimed at strengthening regional infrastructure, enhancing connectivity and promoting sustainable development across the region,” reads the communiqué.
These engagements are designed to facilitate coordinated policy dialogue, strengthen regional cooperation and advance harmonised programmes in transport, communications, ICT, meteorology and information services.
The meeting will focus on key priorities, including enhancing regional transport corridors and infrastructure development, promoting digital transformation and ICT integration, strengthening climate resilience and meteorological services, and advancing innovation, including the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in infrastructure development.
SADC said the convening of the meeting reflects the regional bloc’s ongoing commitment to regional integration, achieved through coordinated infrastructure development and harmonised policy implementation among member States.
“The convening of this cluster meeting underscores SADC’s continued commitment to regional integration through coordinated infrastructure development and policy alignment among member States,” said the regional bloc.
The outcomes of the meeting are expected to contribute to improved efficiency in regional systems, enhanced trade facilitation and strengthened resilience to climate and economic challenges.
The cluster meeting of Ministers Responsible for Transport, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Information and Meteorology will be preceded by the joint meeting of Sadc Senior officials responsible for Transport, ICT, Information and Meteorology from June 22 to 24.
Thereafter, a High-Level Ministerial Roundtable Dialogue on liberalised skies and AI-enabled climate resilient infrastructure to accelerate regional integration and sustainable development in Sadc will be convened on June 25.
Meanwhile, the Sadc Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Coordination Centre (MCSCC) in Katembe has been inaugurated and handed over to Sadc by Mozambican President Daniel Chapo.
It was handed over to Sadc Executive Secretary Mr Elias Magosi at the 3rd Growing Blue (Crescendo Azul) Conference in Maputo, Mozambique.
The conference brought together policymakers, experts, development partners and private-sector stakeholders to explore how marine resources can drive economic growth, create jobs, strengthen food security and enhance climate resilience while protecting aquatic ecosystems.
