Lesotho's Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili on Monday officially launched the Strategic Indicative Plan for the Organ on Politics, Defense and Security ofSADC (SIPO).

Mosisili, who is also chairperson of the organ, launched the strategic plan at the annual summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in host country Mauritius.

SIPO, which emphasizes the need for the democratic consolidation of the region, will set the framework, work program and operational parameters for the functioning of the organ.

The plan is divided into four major sectors namely, political; defense; public security and state security.

Officials attended the summit said it is not a plan for SADC alone, but is southern Africa's contribution to strengthening peace, political stability and security of Africa and the world.

The SIPO operationalizes the SADC Protocol on Politics, Defenseand Security Cooperation.

The objectives of the Protocol are to promote political cooperation among member states, including development of democratic institutions and practices prevent, contain and resolve conflict; develop peacekeeping capacity of national defese forces and coordinate participation in international operations; enhance regional capacity for disaster management; develop common foreign policy approaches on issues of mutual concern and advance such policy collectively; and generally protect the people and safeguard the development of the region.

This is currently being rationalized with the cross-cutting areas of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP)to maximize the synergies of the two strategic plans.

The RISDP is the key policy framework for the operationalization of the SADC Common Agenda and the attainment ofdeeper and broader levels of economic integration and social development in the region.

SADC member states signed a Mutual Defense Pact in August 2003 to facilitate the interaction, joint operations, collective response within the capacities of each member state as well as building a strong foundation for one of the pillars of the defenseand security of the continent.

Formed in 1980, the SADC groups 13 countries representing about210 million people: Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritius, Lesotho, Namibia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,Tanzania, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Source: Xinhua