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Zambia has called on COMESA Ministers of Justice and Attorneys-General to work with the legal affairs division of the COMESA Secretariat to reflect on how best to accelerate the domestication of instruments that have been adopted in the past.
Minister of Justice, Mulambo Haimbe, noted with concern that challenges still remained with respect to their domestication at the member state level.
Haimbe made the call during the official opening of the 26th meeting of COMESA Ministers of Justice and Attorneys-General in Lusaka on Friday.
He said the legal and corporate affairs division would be undertaking country visits to engage in consultations with Member States to promote domestication of concluded COMESA legal instruments.
“As we deepen and widen the integration of the region, there will be need for the development of necessary community laws and policies by your assembly to support and validate the integration,” Haimbe said.
He further said that the recently held Joint Meeting of Ministers responsible for Immigration and Ministers of labour noted the need for COMESA to start addressing issues of social security and portability of skills.
Haimbe said this was in recognition of prior learning in the crossborder movement of skilled and semi-skilled labour when such personnel become established and take up residence in a foreign country of destination.
“This necessitates developing regional frameworks and policies that will facilitate rights of establishment and residence which is central to the COMESA Protocol on Free Movement,” he said.
Haimbe also applauded Zambia for being elected Chairperson of COMESA at the June 2023 Summit of Heads of State and government and wished the country a successful tenure as it leads and steers the Common Market to greater heights.
COMESA Secretary General, Chileshe Kapwepwe, said the COMESA Competition Commission which was a topic of discussion at the meeting had a critical role in ensuring that in trade activities, there was fairness and consumer protection.
“The COMESA regional Investments Agency’ role is equally essential in attracting investment into the region,” Kapwepwe said.
She said it was only through facilitating trade and investment that the region would attain the goal of regional integration and ensure prosperity for COMESA citizens.
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Judge President of the COMESA Court of Justice, Lombe Chibesakunda, said during this period the Court had continued to implement its Medium-Term Strategic Plan 2021-2025 with emphasis on enhancing dispensation of justice, improving operations, institutional and structural capacity.
“This was done through the 2023 work programme. However, certain planned activities could not be carried out due to several challenges faced by the Court, among them the lean organisational structure that is currently in place,” she said.
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