By Archford Chirimudombo
Harare, (New Ziana) Â – The growing impact of global conflicts, climate change, economic shocks and emerging security threats on regional stability has prompted the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) to call for a broader approach to peace and security, anchored on economic resilience, regional cooperation and democratic consolidation.
Addressing the 21st Meeting of COMESA Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Harare on Wednesday, COMESA Secretary-General Ms Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe said developments beyond the region’s borders could quickly translate into higher costs for businesses and households, underscoring the need for member states to strengthen their capacity to withstand external shocks.
She cited the conflict involving the United States and Iran and its wider regional implications as an example of how geopolitical tensions could disrupt economies far removed from the immediate conflict zone.
“Our region may not be a direct party to this conflict, but our economies are not insulated from its consequences,” she said.
Kapwepwe said disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz demonstrated how international crises could drive up fuel and fertilizer prices, freight charges, insurance premiums and exchange-rate pressures, with consequences for trade, production and economic stability.
She urged member states to reduce excessive dependence on single sources of energy and critical imports, strengthen intra-COMESA trade, improve transport and logistics corridors, and diversify their economies.
“These developments should compel us to strengthen our economic and strategic resilience and view resilience as an integral factor of holistic regional security and stability,” she said.
Her remarks placed economic cooperation at the centre of the bloc’s security agenda, as countries contend with interconnected threats that extend beyond conventional armed conflict.
Kapwepwe said economic shocks, climate change, migration, food and energy insecurity, organised crime, terrorism, cyber threats and geopolitical competition were increasingly converging to create a complex security environment requiring coordinated regional responses.
She warned that climate change was also aggravating existing vulnerabilities through recurrent droughts, floods, land degradation and water scarcity, threatening livelihoods, contributing to displacement and potentially deepening social and political tensions.
She said the COMESA Secretariat had recognized the link between climate change and security and was strengthening the development and implementation of climate security strategies across the region.
On migration, Kapwepwe called for a comprehensive regional approach that balances effective border management with the protection of migrants and efforts to combat human trafficking, smuggling and other forms of organized crime.
While acknowledging that migration could support development through labour mobility, trade and remittances, she said conflict, poverty and climate-related shocks could force people into dangerous journeys, exposing them to exploitation.
The response, she said, should go beyond treating migration solely as a border-control issue to include information-sharing and measures addressing its root causes.
Kapwepwe also urged member states to sustain efforts towards democratic consolidation by supporting credible, transparent, peaceful and inclusive electoral processes in line with national legal frameworks.
She identified electoral dispute resolution, political tolerance, the independence of electoral institutions, the participation of women and young people, responsible use of digital technologies and the prevention of election-related violence as priority areas.
The COMESA Secretariat, she said, appreciated member states that had invited the regional body to participate in their electoral processes.
Kapwepwe also presented the Secretariat’s progress on programme implementation, calling on ministers to provide guidance to ensure that the bloc’s initiatives respond effectively to the region’s evolving priorities.
She expressed hope that the meeting’s deliberations would strengthen COMESA and its member states’ capacity to anticipate crises, prevent conflict, manage emerging threats and build a more peaceful and resilient region.
New Ziana
