The President of Republic, President Danny Faure, attended the official opening of the first-ever SADC Parliamentary Forum - Women’s Parliament Conference, held at Eden Bleu Hotel this morning. It was officially launched by the Vice-President of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, Honourable Monica Mutsvangwa.

The conference is taking place from the 5 to 6 July 2017 in the margins of the 41st Plenary Assembly Session of the Parliamentary Forum being held under the theme "Harnessing Demographic Dividends in SADC through Investment in Youth”. It is being hosted by the Seychelles National Assembly in collaboration with the staff from the SADC secretariat. It aims to bring together SADC female members of parliament and their counterparts from other parts of the world, to critically discuss and sustain the engagement of parliaments in the implementation of Resolution 60/2 of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW).

This resolution focuses on women, the girl-child, and HIV and AIDS that claims countless lives. Thus, Resolution 60/2 of UNCSW calls on governments, international partners, and civil society to give full attention to the high levels of new HIV infections among young women and adolescent girls, and their root causes.

The keynote address at the ceremony was given by the Speaker of the Seychelles National Assembly, Honourable Patrick Pillay. Those who attended included the former President of Namibia, Mr Hifikepunye Pohamba, former President of South Africa, Mr Kgalema Petrus Motlanthe, former Deputy-President of Uganda, Dr Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe, Chairperson of the SADC PF regional women’s focus, Dr Jessie Kabwira, Senior Parliamentary Advisor at UNDP, Mr Charles Chauvel, and a young politician from Zambia, Ms Buumba Malambo.

Also present at this auspicious ceremony was Designated Minister Mrs Macsuzy Mondon, Leader of the Opposition Hon Wavel Ramkalawan, Leader of Government Business Hon Charles Decommarmond, members of the Seychelles Cabinet of Ministers, and SADC Member States, Speakers of the SADC National Parliaments, Judge of the High Court of Botswana, Secretary General for the SADC PF, Dr Esau Chiviya, heads and representatives of the United Nations, representatives of the Civil Society Organisations, and other partners.