The South African Council for the Architectural Profession has honoured its commitment to position the South African architectural profession within the global community. This was achieved with the signing last week of a Memorandum of Understanding between SACAP and the Architects’ Council of Europe.

The MOU commits the organisations to work towards an agreement that will facilitate sharing of knowledge and skills; engaging in critical dialogue on critical issues facing the sustainability of the profession; establishing international standards, norms and benchmarks and promotion of excellence in architecture, to name a few areas of mutual interest. It promotes consistent professional qualifications criteria and national syllabi based on international standards, such as the UNESCO/UIA Charter for Architectural Profession and the Canberra Accord, as well as international dialogue on issues facing practice.

According to SACAP President Yashaen Luckan, who signed the MOU with ACE President Luciano Lazzari on 22 April 2016 at the ACE General Assembly in Berlin, the recent rapid changes in global climates, societies and economies has placed the architectural profession in a position of self-reflection, self-critique and new opportunities. Such challenges require broad participation, intense collaboration and a better world view in order to develop meaningful responses. SACAP was established in late 2000 and fulfils the function of controlling the standards of education at tertiary institutions, through visiting boards, for the purposes of professional registration. It protects public interest by identifying the type of architectural work each category of registered person is capable and competent to perform and administrates a Code of Conduct.
The Architects Council of Europe is non-profit organisation that represents the architectural profession at the European level. Its membership consists of regulatory and professional representative bodies throughout Europe. Through them, the ACE represents the interests of architects.

Speaking from Berlin, SACAP President Luckan said, “SACAP’s mission is to transform, grow, develop and regulate the architectural profession through collaborative engagement in the pursuit of excellence. This MOU recognises our shared goals.

“We are convinced that the cooperation described in it will help to consolidate and reinforce actions and efforts towards addressing mutual concerns and interests pertaining to architecture, architectural education, research, professional standards and regulation, professional mobility, environmental issues, professional development and practice and political influence - among others.”

ACE President Lazzari says, "The signing of the MOU between ACE and SACAP marks an important milestone on the road to international collaboration of our profession, bringing new impetus to our common cause for enhancing the value of architecture, for the betterment of all. It is particularly significant because it brings a new and thoughtful alliance between architects of two continents, based on a future that is both challenging and promising.”