SADC ADVANCES REGIONAL INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS ACROSS MEMBER STATES.

On the margins of the Indigenous Knowledge-Based (IK-Based) Technology Innovation Investment Summit taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa from June 02 to 04, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat convened an Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) Policy Hybrid Meeting aimed at advancing the development of a Regional IKS Policy and Strategy.

The meeting has brought together representatives from SADC Member States to review progress, share experiences and identify practical actions to strengthen Indigenous Knowledge Systems across the region.

Discussions are focused on developing a coordinated regional framework that promotes the preservation, protection, utilisation and commercialisation of indigenous knowledge as a driver of sustainable development, industrialisation, innovation and regional integration.

Opening the meeting, Acting Senior Programme Officer for Science, Technology and Innovation at the SADC Secretariat, Mr. Reaboka Morakabi, highlighted the strategic importance of indigenous knowledge to the region’s development agenda.

“Indigenous Knowledge Systems are a strategic asset for the region. As SADC pursues its vision of a prosperous, industrialised and integrated region, it is important that we leverage our indigenous knowledge and resources as drivers of innovation, value addition and sustainable development,” said Mr. Morakabi.

Key areas under consideration included the development of national IKS policies, advocacy and awareness, intellectual property protection and benefit-sharing mechanisms, commercialisation of indigenous knowledge-based innovations, integration of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies and the development of value chains for indigenous foods and products.

The meeting is also building on decisions of SADC Ministers responsible for Science, Technology and Innovation, who directed the Secretariat to support Member States in implementing approved IKS policy tools and to develop a regional IKS strategy and implementation plan.

Recognising the important role of Indigenous Knowledge Systems in agriculture, health, environmental management, biodiversity conservation, food security, climate resilience and cultural preservation, participants are working towards a shared regional vision that leverages indigenous knowledge as a strategic asset for socio-economic transformation and sustainable development in the SADC region.

Meanwhile Lesotho is actively integrating Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) with modern science to address environmental conservation, agriculture and youth participation. Key progress includes mapping traditional rangeland management, watershed protection and establishing policy frameworks through academia and the Ministry of Education.

Source: Lesotho News Agency [LENA]