Abstract

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) region currently faces several challenges threatening its peace and security architecture. Most, if not all, of these challenges are interconnected and they include climate change, food shortages, intra-state warfare, health pandemics, governance issues, growing population pressures, and socio-economic inequalities. The afore-mentioned challenges further constitute a major obstacle to the political, socio-economic, technological, environmental and gender development in the region. To this end, this policy paper draws upon reports, statements, other policy and scholarly papers to analyse peace and human security threats bedevilling the SADC region. According to evidence from these sources, this paper argues that SADC lacks the culture and ability to address issues affecting the region’s peace and human security. As such, the paper advises that SADC should build a comprehensive peace and security infrastructure that would serve as a platform for collaboration among governments, civil society organisations, the media, and the general public in all member states.