SADC Resource Mobilisation Strategy 1 BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is guided by a common vision of development based on the regional economic agenda as defined in the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) and Strategic Indicative Plan for the Organ (SIPO). As a long-term development strategy for economic growth and development, the RISDP, in particular, needs to have its own financing mechanisms in order to mobilize funding for the regional economic integration agenda and regional political cooperation. In April 2006 at the SADC Consultative Conference held in Windhoek, Namibia, SADC and its International Cooperating Partners (ICPs) adopted the Windhoek Declaration on a New SADC-ICPs Partnership to guide cooperation between SADC and ICPs for achievement of the SADC socio-economic development agenda (as outlined in the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) and Strategic Indicative Plan for the Organ (SIPO) and the overarching objective of poverty eradication. The Windhoek Declaration is modelled on the basis of the Paris Declaration (2005) on Aid Effectiveness and underscores the commitments of ownership, alignment, harmonisation, managing for results and mutual accountability. As part of implementation of the Windhoek Declaration, it was agreed that a resource mobilization strategy for SADC would be developed outlining a coordinated approach to resource mobilization for implementation of SADC programmes. In August 2008, the SADC Council of Ministers also directed the Secretariat to explore sustainable alternative ways of mobilising resources for implementation of regional programmes so as to minimise the risk of heavily relying on the support from cooperating partners. In 2008, the SADC Secretariat undertook a study to develop a Resource Mobilisation Strategy for SADC Secretariat and to recommend an appropriate implementation plan for the strategy. The scope of the study included a review of the coordination of resource mobilisation at the SADC Secretariat, a benchmarking exercise at similar organisations like COMESA Secretariat, ECOWAS Secretariat and the African Union Commission (AUC). 6