The official opening of the meeting of the SADC justice ministers committee was held this Thursday, July 20, 2023 in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde, this meeting brought together the Ministers of Justice of SADC member countries, both face-to-face and by videoconference, as well as numerous delegations.
In his opening speech, Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde stressed the importance of these annual meetings to discuss common legal and judicial issues and ensure the implementation of community standards. Discussions at this meeting will include progress made in implementing the decisions taken at the previous committee meeting in Lilongwe, Malawi, as well as the development of draft legal instruments and the establishment of dispute resolution mechanisms among member states.
The Prime Minister also took this opportunity to denounce the Rwandan aggression towards the Democratic Republic of Congo. He underlined the disastrous consequences of this unjust war, causing massacres, rapes, looting and massive population displacements. He expressed gratitude to SADC for its support and called for strengthening dispute resolution mechanisms to ensure peace, security and regional cooperation.
During this meeting, Ministers will also consider draft legal instruments such as the Protocol on Employment and Labor as well as the Declaration on Accelerating the Implementation of AIDS Response Measures in the SADC Region by 2030. The outcomes of this meeting will be submitted to the SADC Assembly of Heads of State and Government for final endorsement and adoption.
It should be noted that the Democratic Republic of the Congo took over the current chairmanship of SADC at the 42nd summit of Heads of State in August 2022, and this is the first time in more than a decade that the meeting of the committee of ministers of justice has been held in the DRC. This meeting is therefore of great importance for the country and for the region as a whole.
In conclusion, the meeting of the SADC Justice Ministers Committee in Kinshasa is a key event that will allow member countries to discuss common legal and judicial issues and strengthen regional cooperation. In the face of the challenges posed by Rwandan aggression and the search for lasting peace, it is essential to strengthen mechanisms for resolving disputes and to promote greater integration in the justice sector