The National Assembly of Zambia is set to host the 56th Plenary Assembly Session of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), which begins today, 9th December 2024, in Livingstone.
The meeting, running under the theme “Leveraging Technology and Innovation for Smart, Inclusive and Responsive Parliaments in the SADC Region”, will focus on the modernisation of parliamentary processes through digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), in a bid to create democratic, inclusive and efficient governance systems in the region.
The Assembly which will be officiated by Her Honour the Vice President of Zambia, W.K Mutale Nalumango, is an initiative which underscores a commitment towards inclusivity, transparency and responsiveness, ensuring that the tripartite parliamentary roles of oversight, representation and legislation serve the evolving socio-economic needs of its citizenry in the 21st century.
The regional indaba thus aims to chart a pathway for leveraging digital technology in order to build smart, inclusive, democratic and responsive parliaments in the region.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum is a regional inter-parliamentary body composed of Members of Parliament from SADC Member State national parliaments, representing over 3,500 parliamentarians in the SADC Region. Established by the SADC Summit on September 8, 1997, the Forum consists of Presiding Officers, and a maximum of five representatives elected by the National Parliament of each Member State.
The aim of this Forum is to provide a platform to support and improve regional integration through parliamentary involvement and promote best practices in the role of parliaments in regional integration and cooperation. 

The specific objectives of the Parliamentary Forum address a wide range of issues, including, but not limited to, the following:
• Promotion of human rights, gender equality, good governance, democracy and transparency;
• Promotion of peace, security and stability;
• Hastening the pace of economic cooperation, development and integration on the basis of equity and mutual benefits.
• Facilitating networking with other inter-parliamentary organisations;
• Promoting the participation of non-governmental organisations, business and intellectual communities in SADC activities;
• Familiarising the peoples of SADC with the aims and objectives of SADC; and
• Informing SADC of the popular views on development and issues affecting the region.
• The SADC Parliamentary Forum does not have a reporting relationship to Summit and other SADC Institutions but works together with them on matters of common interest.