Event Details

  • Start Date 06/06/2023
  • Start Time 08:00
  • End Date 06/06/2023
  • End Time 18:00
  • Location Mulungushi International Conference Centre

Event Description.

The 18th Meeting of the COMESA Minsters of Foreign Affairs will be held on 6th June 2023 in Lusaka. The main agenda items include consideration of the report of the 18th Meeting of the Committee on Peace and Security and election of members to the COMESA Committee of Elders.

The Report of the Committee on Peace and Security will therefore form the main background document for the Meeting of the Ministers.  The Ministers will be called to make Decisions based on the recommendations of the Committee.

The 18th Meeting of the Committee on Peace and Security will be held on 31st May – 1st June 2023.  The Report of the 18th Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs will be received by the 22nd Summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, who will be invited to endorse the Decisions of the Ministerial Meeting in a closed session.

Key issues for the Ministers consideration

  • Peace and Security in the COMESA region: Update on the status of Member States facing conflict and instability.
  • Negative Forces in The Great Lakes Region: Activities of the negative forces that operate in the eastern DRC including efforts that have been made to neutralize them.
  • Emerging Security Challenges: Covering terrorism, Climate Change, and any other emerging issues.  The focus in this year’s meeting will mostly cover climate change issues especially given some of the challenges that have faced our region in the recent past.  These include the Cyclone that affected the Southern Africa region this year and the severe drought that affected the Horn of Africa.
  • Elections in the COMESA Region: Elections held since the last meeting.

Progress Reports on activities of the Secretariat 

The report will provide the status of implementation of COMESA Programmes on Governance Peace and security including:

  1. Progress in the operationalisation of the COMESA early warning
  2. Programmes on Conflict Prevention and Management
  3. Programmes on Security
  4. Trading for Peace
  5. Implementation of the African Peace and Security Architecture and
  6. Adoption of the Mediation Strategy
  7. Election of COMESA Committee of Elders.

Progress report on the operationalisation of the COMESA Conflict Early Warning System:  The report focuses on the progress made towards enhancing the COMESA Conflict Early Warning System (COMWARN) particularly on its use by Member States and COMESA’s efforts towards its continuous improvement.

The programmes on conflict prevention and management include the work being done to enhance the role of youth in the silencing the guns agenda.  The report will also cover the work that we have started to do on mainstreaming children affected in armed conflict in our programmes.

The programmes in Security cover the work being done to support countries to tighten the Anti-Money Laundering Regimes.  The Ministers will also receive reports on COMESA efforts to support counterterrorism in member states.  The programmes are now extended to Southern African Countries following the threats of terrorism from Mozambique.

Progress report on the Trading for Peace Programme which uses trade as a mechanism for peace and security.  The programme is implemented at the Great Lakes Region at targeting small scale cross border traders between the DR Congo and its eastern neighbours.

A report of COMESA implementation of the Africa Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) – Support Programme. COMESA is one of the seven RECs, which together with the AU implement a joint programme funded by the European Union.  The programme is at the fourth and last phase, and hence the presentation of the report.

Adoption of the Mediation Strategy for COMESA, which follows adoption by Government.

The election of the COMESA Committee of Elders.