His Majesty King Mswati III has officially assumed the chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation,
reaffirming Eswatini’s role in advancing peace, security and stability across the region.
The King accepted the responsibility during the 46th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government, which concluded in Durban, South Africa, on Monday. 
The assumption of the chairmanship places Eswatini at the centre of regional efforts aimed at addressing political, security and defence matters affecting SADC Member States.
Ahead of the closing ceremony, His Majesty also signed an agreement amending Article 33 of the SADC Treaty.
The amendment seeks to strengthen the regional bloc’s frameworks for dealing with prolonged procedures relating to the payment of subscriptions by Member States.
The development comes as SADC continues to strengthen its institutional mechanisms and improve the implementation of regional programmes and commitments.
The summit placed significant emphasis on accelerating economic transformation across the region, with Member States identifying infrastructure development, industrialisation, agriculture, critical minerals, regional value chains and investment as key drivers of growth.
The summit also called for increased intra-SADC trade, particularly in agricultural products, as part of efforts to strengthen regional food systems and reduce dependence on imports from outside the region.
Youth empowerment also featured prominently in the Summit’s agenda, with SADC leaders calling for greater investment in skills development, entrepreneurship and employment creation to enable young people to contribute meaningfully to regional economic development.
The summit further highlighted the need to advance women’s participation in leadership and decision-making across the region.
Another key development was the approval of the SADC Tourism UNIVISA, which was welcomed as an important step towards facilitating seamless travel within the region.
The initiative is expected to support increased tourism, improve movement between Member States and contribute to economic growth by making the region more accessible to visitors.
On peace and security, SADC reaffirmed its commitment to supporting efforts to restore peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The regional bloc also encouraged dialogue and the restoration of constitutional normalcy in Madagascar, while commending Mozambique for its efforts to combat terrorism.
The summit further addressed emerging threats to regional resilience, including health emergencies and climate-related challenges.
SADC leaders strengthened regional preparedness against threats such as Ebola and Foot and Mouth Disease,
while also considering the potential impact of anticipated El Niño-induced climate shocks on communities, agriculture and regional economies. The 47th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government will be hosted by Zambia.
