Research Themes

Research Theme I: Democratic Development

Coordinator: Bertha Osei-Hwedie, Department of Political and Administrative Studies. Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Botswana

• Norms and standards of electoral processes
• Poverty alleviation and developmental democracy
• The role of civil society
• State capacity: Institutional variables in regional integration and policy effectiveness

Research Theme II: Politics, defence and security cooperation

Coordinator: Anthoni van Nieuwkerk, SADSEM, University of the Witwatersrand

• Promotion of regional coordination and cooperation on security and defence matters
  Objectives: To assess and evaluate the extent and nature of SADC security and defence co-operation and co-ordination and to make recommendations as to approaches, policy frameworks and institutional and training arrangements that might enhance such co-operation.
• Collective security, mutual defence and enforcement action
  Objectives: To assist SADC in the development of a policy framework for collective security and mutual defence, and to make proposals regarding the nature of enforcement action and under what circumstances it should take place.
• Development of peacekeeping capacity
  Objectives: To produce a comprehensive analysis and implementation plan for all aspects of peace support operations in SADC (with the exception of peace enforcement, dealt with above), through a series of targeted research projects.

Research Theme III: Regional trade and its relations with the international trade system

Coordinator: Arne Wiig, CMI

• Analysis of national trade policies
• Links between trade policy and poverty

Research Theme IV: Economic harmonisation, finance and investment

Coordinator: Oswald Mashindano, ESRF

• Macro-economic convergence in the SADC region
  Objectives: To review macro-economic convergence (MEC) literature and other empirical and policy studies in order to inform the policy makers and analysts on such policies and their effects in other regional organisations and countries; to determine and assess the current status of MEC, strategies for achieving or implementing the MEC programmes at the country level; and identify the variables earmarked for convergence in the region.
• SADC integration efforts and cross-border investments
• Financial integration for investment in the SADC region

Monitoring the Southern African Development Community (SADC)

Coordinator: Klaus Schade, NEPRU

• Objectives: to track the progress of restructuring, inter-country relationships and progress towards integration. Focus is on monitoring the creation of institutions, preparation of, and subscription to relevant treaties, memoranda of understanding, strategic documents, and implementation of these and obstacles. 

Monitoring the International Cooperating Partners (ICPs)

Coordinator: Elling Tjønneland, CMI

• Objectives: To provide SADC and FOPRISA partners with reports on the current thinking and policies of the major ICP’s, including the volume, determinants and direction of international assistance to SADC.
  Activities: The preparation of a report on ICPs, which provides updated information on (i) policies and current thinking about the future with a main focus on how regional support is allocated between SADC and other channels, (ii) aid to social and economic projects (“RISDP-related”) as well as the expanding aid to political and security projects (“SIPO-related”).

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