Reported by: The Agency Media.
Date: 13th May, 2025.
Lusaka, Zambia.
In a move aimed at enhancing regional cooperation on peace, security and the protection of displaced populations, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The agreement is expected to strengthen collaborative efforts in addressing the complex challenges of conflict, forced displacement and socio-economic reintegration in the region.
Speaking during the signing ceremony at the COMESA Secretariat in Lusaka, COMESA Secretary General, Her Excellency Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe, underscored the strategic importance of the partnership, highlighting that the MoU offers both institutions a framework to consolidate their efforts toward peacebuilding, security enhancement and the protection of vulnerable populations across the region.
“This agreement is more than a formality it is a platform that allows us to pool our capacities, jointly plan and implement initiatives and ensure that the rights and needs of forcibly displaced persons and affected communities are addressed in a sustainable and inclusive manner,” said Secretary General Kapwepwe.
She noted that COMESA’s extensive governance, peace and security programmes, which include conflict prevention, management, democracy promotion, post conflict reconstruction and addressing emerging threats such as violent extremism and transnational organized crime, provide natural entry points for collaboration with UNHCR.
Additionally, she emphasized that the partnership will enhance the region’s efforts to tackle the root causes of displacement while supporting reconstruction, socio economic inclusion and strengthening of national governance systems.
“Our joint work will contribute significantly to both regional and international peace efforts, ensuring that no one is left behind as we address conflict, forced migration, and their devastating impacts on communities,” she added.
The ceremony brought together senior officials from both COMESA and UNHCR, signaling a renewed commitment to deepening collaboration and leveraging each institution’s comparative advantages to respond to the growing challenges of displacement and insecurity across Eastern and Southern Africa.
The Agency.