Safety and security are of utmost importance in today's interconnected world, where criminals exploit these connections to their advantage. 

These were the remarks made during a two-day meeting of the Informal Working Group, which focused on enhancing counter-terrorism efforts in Southern Africa.

The event, held in Namibia, gathered 50 delegates from Southern Africa, representing law enforcement, counter-terrorism, security, and civil aviation sectors.

This meeting, the third of its kind, is part of a broader initiative to strengthen regional cooperation through the use of Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record data. 

The group agreed on a rotational chair system and appointed thematic sub-working group chairs across four pillars, mainly legal, operational, transport industry engagement, and ICT and interoperability.

The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security, Lucia Witbooi, emphasised the importance of regional cooperation in counter-terrorism.

"This workshop is taking place at a time when the movement of people in the world has reached an unprecedented level, requiring nations to work together to manage the movement and to ensure that the rights of the travellers are observed. We should not forget that the management of migration is more complicated, especially in Southern Africa. Taking into account how modern-day borders were demarcated, it requires us to come up with robust policy frameworks to respond to this need."

UN Resident Coordinator Hopolang Phororo and Ana Beatriz Martins, representing the European Union, highlighted the global support for the initiative.

The meeting marks a significant step forward for Southern Africa's collective efforts to combat terrorism through enhanced data sharing and cooperation.