The SADC Organ for Defence, Politics and Security

The document discusses the paradigm shift within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regarding the link between stability and economic development. It highlights that member states, including some of the world's poorest nations, recognize that investment and growth require peace and democracy. This recognition has led to the creation of the Organ for Defence, Politics and Security to focus on conflict mediation, preventive diplomacy, and peacekeeping, signaling a move away from absolute sovereignty toward legitimate scrutiny of internal affairs.

• SADC officials acknowledge that economic investment and development are dependent on the presence of stability.
• There is a paradigm shift in Southern Africa where national sovereignty is no longer absolute, and governments accept that their internal governance is subject to legitimate scrutiny.
• The Organ for Defence, Politics and Security was established to integrate conflict mediation, preventive diplomacy, and peacekeeping into SADC's development perspective.

APA

Cilliers, J. (n.d.). The SADC Organ for Defence, Politics and Security. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/papers/the-sadc-organ-for-defence-politics-and-security

Chicago

Cilliers, Jakkie. The SADC Organ for Defence, Politics and Security. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/papers/the-sadc-organ-for-defence-politics-and-security.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cilliers |first1=Jakkie |title=The SADC Organ for Defence, Politics and Security |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/papers/the-sadc-organ-for-defence-politics-and-security |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cilliersndsadc, author = {Cilliers, Jakkie}, title = {{The SADC Organ for Defence, Politics and Security}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/papers/the-sadc-organ-for-defence-politics-and-security}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }