Background
As part of its support to industrialization in Southern Africa, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Subregional office for Southern Africa (SRO-SA will organise two expert sessions during the SADC Industrialization week in Harare, Zimbabwe on July 29 to August 3, 2024. The two sessions will focus on establishment and management of special economic zones and on developing mineral value chains targeting green minerals development. The expert sessions will be a platform for sharing experiences on special economic zones, both national and cross border (trans-boundary) specifically in Southern Africa but also learning from other regions on the continent. Furthermore, the sessions will allow regional member States to explore and discuss emerging issues in the just energy transition leveraging the rich natural resource base for the minerals key for this transition. Overall, this support builds on ongoing technical assistance by ECA to member States in Southern Africa on industrialization and structural transformation.
- Unlocking Economic Growth: Strategic Development of Special Economic Zones in the SADC Region: Wednesday 31 July 2024, 14:00hrs- 16:00hrs, Rainbow Towers Hotel, Saphire Room.
The development of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) is one of the strategic tools being employed by regional member States towards supporting inclusive industrialization for job creation and poverty and inequality reduction. Although SEZs have diverse characteristics and have been called differently in diverse jurisdictions – export processing zones, industrial parks, free trade zones, etc their key defining elements include being a distinct and demarcated geographical area under a unique regulatory regime different from the rest of the economy, most often with specially configured customs and fiscal rules, foreign ownership rules, access to land and employment rules and the guaranteed availability of infrastructure support.
The session will focus on special economic zones as a tool to support industrial growth and development. Experiences from selected member States will be shared to provide insights into how countries can effectively anchor industrial development on this strategy. Deliberations will also explore the development of transboundary special economic zones as anchors of development.
- Mineral value chains and transformation in the SADC region: Opportunities from critical and strategic energy transition minerals: Thursday 1 August 2024, 08:30 - 10:30hrs, Rainbow Towers Hotel, Saphire Room
The deployment of renewable energy technologies requires sufficient, reliable and affordable supply of critical minerals and this invariably implies investment in the development of these resources in the various member States across the continent. The accelerated development of these critical and strategic mineral resources presents opportunities for economic transformation, the creation of green jobs, sustainable local, regional and global development and the spread of benefits to mining communities across generations. Transformation of these wasting assets through beneficiation and investment of the proceeds into other forms of capital is key for sustainability.
This session will discuss the opportunities from the critical energy transition minerals focusing on how regional member States can collectively leverage the exploitation of these resources for industrial growth and development. Panellists will explore how the regional approach to resources development could be best supported and how ongoing technological developments can be leveraged for competitiveness in the sector and the optimization of benefits to Africa including for small scale miners active in the sector. The experts will also discuss the necessary conditions for stimulating investment in critical minerals development and value addition.
For further information, please contact:
Mr. Oliver Maponga
Economic Affairs Officer
UNECA Southern Africa Office
P. O Box 30647
Lusaka, Zambia
Tel: +260 211 228502-5
Fax: +260 211 236949
Email: mapongao@un.org
Ms. Maria Ngarachu,
Economic Affairs Officer
UNECA Southern Africa Office
P. O Box 30647
Lusaka, Zambia
Tel: +260 211 228502-5
Fax: +260 211 236949
Email: maria.ngarachu@un.org
Media Contacts
Mr. Bedson Nyoni
Senior Information Management Officer
UNECA Southern Africa Office
P. O Box 30647
Lusaka, Zambia
Tel: +260 211 228502/5 Ext. 21307
Email: nyonib@un.org