Southern African Development Community 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 Madagascar 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 ofTanzania The Republic of Zambia The Republic of Zimbabwe NOTING that Member States recognise that the State must play an active role in the labour market; ACKNOWLEDGING the need to place decent employment and social security at the centre of macro-economic and sectoral policies at global, regional and national levels; CONSCIOUS of the different levels of development of labour markets, labour market regulation and social security in Member States of the Community and the need to achieve regional integration through harmonisation and co-ordination of labour and social security laws; MINDFUL of the Principles, Objectives and SADC Common Agenda as set out in Articles 4, 5 and 5A of the Treaty; NOTING Article 21 of the Treaty which enjoins Member States to cooperate in all areas necessary to foster regional development and integration on the basis of balance, equity and mutual benefit, including in employment and labour sectors, and with reference to among others social and human development, and social welfare; Protocol on Employment and Labour -3-