For a soundbite of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Thoko Didiza, please click the following link: https://iono.fm/e/1625745
Durban, Thursday, 4 December 2025 – The 58th Plenary Assembly of the SADC Parliamentary Forum concluded today with a powerful mandate to act on an urgent agenda for climate resilience, governance reform and regional integration.
Hosted in eThekwini from 30 November to 4 December 2025, the Assembly focused on the theme, “The Impact of Climate Change on Women and Youth in the SADC Region and the Role of Parliaments.”
Delegates declared that women and youth bear the heaviest burden of the climate crisis, including confronting the devastating realities of droughts, cyclones and floods. In response, the Assembly resolved to champion gender-responsive and youth-centred legislation to ensure that climate action protects the most vulnerable.
Speaking on the last day of the five-day event, Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Thoko Didiza, said: “The unity displayed by the SADC region at the Assembly demonstrates our collective resolve to defend democracy, promote peace and ensure that the voices of our people are heard in global decision-making platforms.”
The resolutions commit SADC parliaments to intensified scrutiny of climate finance and the integration of climate resilience into core policies on agriculture, water and energy. The strong push to harmonise regional climate laws will align national efforts with the SADC Vision 2050, the AU Agenda 2063 and global COP30 outcomes.
The Assembly also endorsed the work of the Regional Women’s Parliamentary Caucus to combat digital and gender-based violence, while also moving to safeguard health systems and sexual and reproductive health rights from climate impacts. It further empowered the SADC-PF Youth Caucus by endorsing a Youth Development Scorecard that will cement youth leadership in climate and governance.
On matters of governance, the Assembly resolved to advance the SADC Energy Protocol to unlock investment in renewable energy and to strengthen Election Observation Missions to counter modern threats such as disinformation. It championed the domestication of key SADC Model Laws and called for the urgent ratification of protocols on gender, labour and the movement of persons to drive economic integration. Another significant move was the call to elevate the SADC Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) Strategy into a legally binding Protocol.
Welcoming the outcomes of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly held in June, the Plenary reaffirmed SADC’s global voice. It also applauded South Africa’s leadership and Durban’s role as a hub of Pan-African solidarity. The Forum urged member states to accelerate ratification to transform it into a fully-fledged SADC Parliament by August 2026. The National Assembly of Seychelles was confirmed as the host of the 59th Plenary Assembly in 2026.
The 58th Plenary Assembly has set a decisive course, and SADC parliaments are now more unified and bold in their demands for climate justice, democratic integrity and a more resilient, equitable and integrated Southern Africa.
*The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum is a regional inter-parliamentary body composed of Members of Parliament from SADC Member State national parliaments, representing over 3500 parliamentarians in the SADC region.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
Enquiries: Moloto Mothapo, Parliament Spokesperson
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