South Africa accounts for about 80 percent of the economy of the 15-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) and about 20 percent of its population. However, the adoption by Tshwane of a legitimate leadership role within SADC should be based on its capacity to facilitate equitable and mutually beneficial cooperation, rather than an assumption of economic dominance. The Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR), Cape Town, South Africa, brought together about 30 mostly Southern African policymakers, civil society actors, and scholars to discuss, and provide concrete policy recommendations in support of, the foreign policy goals of Tshwane’s region-building efforts
within Southern Africa. The meeting focused on seven key themes relating to regional integration: the history of regionalism in Southern Africa; peace and security; the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and South Africa’s development finance institutions; democratic governance; South Africa’s sub-regional role; migration and food security; and the role of the European Union (EU) and China.
