The Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies (ACAs) from Southern African Development Community (SADC) Member States recently gathered in Lusaka, Zambia, for a regional workshop. Co-organized by the Anti-Corruption Commission of Zambia and the SADC Secretariat, the event focused on the theme, “Strengthening Anti-Corruption Efforts in Disaster Risk Management and Correctional Services in the SADC Region.”
The workshop was rooted in the SADC Protocol against Corruption, a vital framework adopted by SADC Heads of State and Government in 2001 and enforced in July 2005. This protocol plays a crucial role in the region’s anti-corruption efforts, promoting the development and improvement of mechanisms to prevent, detect, punish, and eradicate corruption in both the public and private sectors.
Key objectives of the workshop included:
- Raising awareness among ACA leaders about emerging corruption trends in the region.
- Encouraging the exchange of information and best practices to combat corruption in disaster risk management and correctional services.
- Identifying priority actions in line with the Strategic Anti-Corruption Action Plan (2023-2027) to enhance anti-corruption efforts in these sectors.
- Strengthening the implementation of the SADC Strategic Anti-Corruption Action Plan (2023-2027).
This workshop marks another step in advancing regional collaboration to tackle corruption effectively.