13 Member states agree that where the results of monitoring and assessment are not satisfactory, the university concerned shall be given a period of two years to remedy the situation, failing which, the Member States shall withdraw the regional status and support. ARTICLE 8 CO-OPERATION IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 1 Member States affirm that for the mastery of science and technology, the Region requires first rate programmes of post-graduate education and training and both basic and applied research, for the development of the Region. 2 Member States acknowledge that the higher education systems are major performers of research and are critical for the development of human resources for research and development work, and therefore Member States emphasise that research effort in the Region shall be in line with national and regional needs. 3 Member States recognise that research, especially in science and technology is expensive and that not every country can enable its institutions to develop excellent research capacity in all fields, hence the need to allow access and to jointly develop and share research facilities. 4 Member States shall, within ten years from the date of entry into force of this Protocol, develop national Science and Technology Policies to guide the development of Science and technology, and on the basis of which a regional Science and Technology Policy shall be formulated. 5 Member States shall strengthen research capacities in their countries by allocating adequate resources to universities and research institutes to enable them to pursue socio-economic and technological research. (A) UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCH 1 Member States agree to urge universities to take the necessary steps to strengthen basic and applied research and consultancy work in order to assist the development effort of their countries and the Region, through post-graduate research programmes and those of university research institutes. 2 Member States agree to urge universities non-university research institutes to co-operate in the area of research and to forge links with industry/private sector and other relevant sectors, includ ing the SADC sectors, for the purpose of determining priority areas of research and conducting research for those sectors. 3 Member States agree to recommend to university research organs and non-university research institutes to allow access and to jointly develop and share research facilities including costly sophisticated scientific equipment and materials in order to maximise the use of scarce resources. 4 Member states agree to encourage and support the creation of professional associations of researchers in the Region through which researchers shall share ideas, views and experiences to enhance the quality and relevance of their research programmes. 15