PREAMBLE We, the Heads of State or Government of: The Republic of Angola The Republic of Botswana The Democratic Republic of Congo The Kingdom of Lesotho The Republic of Malawi The Republic of Mauritius The Republic of Mozambique The Republic of Namibia The Republic of Seychelles The Republic of South Africa The Kingdom of Swaziland The United Republic of Tanzania The Republic of Zambia The Republic of Zimbabwe MINDFUL of Article 21 of the Treaty establishing the Southern African Development Community which enjoins Member States to cooperate in all areas necessary to foster regional development, integration and cooperation and Article 22 of the Treaty which mandates Member states to conclude Protocols as may be necessary in each area of cooperation; CONCERNED about the adverse and destabilising effects of corruption throughout the world on the culture, economic, social and political foundations of society; NOTING that corruption is a serious international problem which is presently the subject of concerted action in other parts of the world and one which countries in every stage of development should tackle as a matter of urgency; WELCOMING initiatives of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and collective regional efforts to combat corruption; TAKING cognizance of the Resolutions adopted by Ministers of Justice and Attorneys- General of the Southern African Development Community at the 3rd Regional Roundtable on Ethics and Governance held at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe in August, 2000 in which they agreed on initiatives to fight corruption in the Region; AWARE of the inter-relationships between corruption and other criminal activities; ACKNOWLEDGEING that corruption undermines good governance which includes the principles of accountability and transparency; RECOGNISING that demonstrable political will and leadership are essential ingredients to wage an effective war against the scourge of corruption; REAFFIRMING the need to eliminate the scourge of corruption through the adoption of effective preventative and deterrent measures and by strictly enforcing legislation against all types of corruption and fostering public support for these initiatives; BEARING IN MIND the responsibility of Member States to hold corrupt persons in the public and private sectors accountable and to take appropriate action against persons who commit acts of corruption in the performance of their functions and duties; CONVINCED of the need for a joint and concerted effort as well as the prompt adoption of a regional instrument to promote and facilitate cooperation in fighting corruption; HEREBY AGREE AS FOLLOWS ....