Eswatini hosts the 25th session of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts for Southern Africa

The Kingdom of Eswatini is hosting the 25th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts (ICSOE) of Southern Africa under the theme: “Strategies and Policies for the Integration of Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Industrialization Process in Southern Africa ”.

Prime Minister, Mr. Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini officially opened the meeting by undescoring the importance of MSMEs in growing national and global economies. He noted that MSME not only promote industrial development but accelerate the achievement of wider socio-economic objectives. “Many large enterprises commence their life cycle as start-ups, before scaling up into market leaders,” he told the over 100 delegates.

UN Resident Coordinator for Eswatini Ms Nathalie Ndongo-Seh highlighted that the role of MSMEs in the national economy depends on the roles of governments, the private sector and the public at large in harnessing and optimizing the sector’s growth and development. “It is important and timely that this session focuses on the policies, strategies and other imperatives that should be put in place to foster the growth of the MSME sector,” she stated.

Executive Secretary of Southern African Development Community (SADC), Dr Stergomena Tax observed that "regional integration is threatened and there is need to redress this trend through MSMEs."

The meeting focusses on how small enterprises can be propped up, integrated and supported to anchor industrialization and address development aspirations in Southern Africa. Building on the observations and proposals of 24th ICE, this session will proffer recommendations on national and regional level strategies and attendant policies to elevate and strengthen the contribution of MSMEs to industrialization and socio-economic transformation in the region. 

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) also used the meeting  launch knowledge products, including the STEPS profile for Eswatini, the Economic Report on Africa and the Report on Assessing Regional Integration in Africa.

The ICSOE is a United Nations (UN) General Assembly policy sub-organ of the ECA Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development established to provide a forum for engaging member States’ senior officials and experts on policy and programme-related matters in each of the five (5) sub regions of Africa – North, Central, West, East and South. The ICSOE meets annually to provide guidance and to endorse the formulation and implementation of the programme of work in line with the priorities of each sub region.