The 29th The Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts (ICSOE) is being convened by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Sub Regional Office for Southern Africa (SRO-SA) and hosted by the Government of Botswana in Gaborone from 8th November 2023 to 9th November 2023 under the theme: Accelerating Implementation of the AFCFTA for Inclusive Development in Southern Africa: Building on the RECs’ FTAs, and Harnessing Technology and Innovation for Private Sector and Value Chains Development.
This follows the successful 28th Session hosted by the Government of Mozambique in Maputo from 26th to 27th of October 2022 under the theme: Greening Industrialization in Southern Africa through digitalization, infrastructure development and regional integration: leveraging AfCFTA implementation.
The 29th ICSOE will be preceded by three Ad-hoc Expert Group meetings (AEGMs) on the 6th and 7th November 2023 under various themes related to the ICSOE theme. In this regard, the three AEGMs’ themes will be on “Status of poverty and inequality in Southern Africa”, “Leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for poverty and inequality reduction in Southern Africa”, and “Regional Integration in Southern Africa – Accelerating the implementation of the AfCFTA in Southern Africa building on the acquis of the RECs FTA”
The ICSOE is a UN statutory annual meeting which brings together experts from Southern Africa and the continent to discuss current and pressing issues affecting socio-economic development in the region. Past ICSOE meetings have attracted high-level participation from a wide pool of stakeholders from member States, private sector, academia, international and regional development partners, civil society and the United Nations system.
Both the ICSOE and AEGMs, provide a forum for exchanging ideas and sharing lessons from a diverse pool of expertise and experiences through round-tables, presentations and open discussions.
Further information and queries on the meeting and other related matters should be addressed to:
For Media inquiries:
Lavender C. Degre
Communication Officer
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
Sub Regional Office for Southern Africa
2392 Longolongo Road
P.O. Box 30647, Lusaka, ZAMBIA
Tel: +260 211 228502/5 Ext. 21307
Fax: +260 211 236949
DL: +260 211 376607
Email: lavender.degre@un.org
Meeting and other related matters
Mr. Mundia Hangubo
Programme Management Assistant
Subregional Initiatives Section
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
Sub regional Office for Southern Africa
P.O. Box 30647,
Lusaka, Zambia
Tel: (260) 211 228 502-5
Fax: (260) 211 236 949
E-mail: mundia.hangubo@un.org
Mr. Mzwanele Mfunwa
Economic Affairs Officer
Subregional Initiatives Section
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
Sub regional Office for Southern Africa
P O Box 30647,
Lusaka, Zambia
Tel: (260) 211 228 502-5
Fax : (260) 211 236 949
E-mail: mfunwa@un.org
