On 22 October 2024, the Steering Committee of the Eastern and Southern Africa Commission on Drugs (ESACD) convened in Johannesburg to review the activities undertaken during 2024 and plan for the year ahead. The meeting focused on assessing progress and setting the stage for impactful initiatives in 2025, aligning with the Commission’s strategic objectives to address drug-related challenges in the region.
Following the Steering Committee meeting, members met with ESACD Chair, former President of South Africa Kgalema Motlanthe. He expressed gratitude to the Committee for their tireless efforts over the past two years and acknowledged the European Union for its generous support and partnership. President Motlanthe underscored the Commission’s vital role at both regional and international levels, bringing together diverse stakeholders to foster open dialogue on transnational organised crime and drug-related issues.
Louis Dey, of the EU’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI), commended the Commission’s work, particularly highlighting the successful meeting on cannabis regulation held in Maputo earlier in the year. This meeting, the first of its kind in the region, provided a platform for countries to exchange experiences and best practices in cannabis regulation, setting a precedent for future policy discussions.
President Motlanthe reaffirmed his commitment to collaborating with a broad range of stakeholders, including other regional commissions such as the West Africa Commission on Drugs. He informed the Committee that the ESACD’s strategic action plan, to be finalised next month, will guide future programming. The action plan and accompanying report are set to be launched in Nairobi in 2025, marking a significant milestone for the Commission. President Motlanthe reiterated the ESACD’s readiness to continue engaging with current and former heads of state and reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to its partnership with the EU in advancing drug policy reform and combating transnational organised crime in the region.
