By McGeorge Mbare
The United Nations Office on Drug and Crime and Southern Africa Development Community have launched a joint Regional Framework 2024 -2030 which is set to address social ills and promote security and development.
According to the SADC Secretariat some of objectives of the Regional Framework 2024/2030 includes, promoting people’s health through balanced drug control and promoting Southern Africa‘s resources and ecology from crime and corruption.
The framework focuses on the five key priority areas which are promoting people ‘s health through balanced drug control, securing the safety of people from organised crime terrorism, and violence, protecting Southern Africa’s resources and ecology from crime and corruption, safeguarding people, institutions and the economy from corruption and illicit financial flows and enhancing the ability of criminal justice systems to uphold the rule of law, ensure equal access to justice for all and protect victims of crime,” SADC Secretariat stated.
The frame work shows that the SADC region is trying to strengthen efforts to stop illicit drug trafficking as well as to ensure safety in the region.
In 2011, the UNODC and SADC signed an agreement on Cooperation on Crime Prevention and Drug Control which provide technical assistance in crime prevention and drug initiatives across the SADC region.