From the 6th to the 7th February 2023, Clerks & Secretary Generals of Parliaments from SADC Member States, Chairpersons of Standing Committees of SADC PF and other stakeholders gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa for a pre-testing session of principles and guidelines.
Seychelles was represented by Hon. Rosie Bistoquet, the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Human and Social Development and Special Programme; Hon. Regina Esparon, the Chairperson of the Regional Women Parliamentary Caucus; Mrs. Tania Isaac, Clerk to the National Assembly and Mr. Denis Joubert, Deputy CEO of the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Based on the evidence provided by the results of the Corruption Perception Index and other governance related surveys, SADC PF drafted eight Principles and Guidelines for parliamentarians to curb corruption and invigorate the promotion and protection of Human Rights in the SADC Region. These knowledge tools will be processed by the Technical Working Group of the Democracy and Human Rights Committee of SADC PF.
The pre-testing session was a time of validation by parliamentarians and presented all participants with the valuable opportunity for peer knowledge and experience sharing. The participation of Human Rights lawyers, activists and officers from Anti-Corruption Agencies across SADC enriched the debate and broadened the context of the issue of corruption in a bid to strengthen the levels of governance in the SADC region.
