CHAPTER TWO PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTIVES ARTICLE 2 PRINCIPLES Member States agree to act in common in pursuit of the objectives of this Protocol which shall be implemented in accordance with the following principles a) recognition of the equality of all Member States; b) equitable participation, balance and mutual benefit in regional co-operation; c) maximising the effective utilisation of existing regional expertise, institutions and other resources for education and training in the Region, in order to ensure long term sustainability of the co-operative effort; d) reduction and eventual elimination of unnecessary and costly duplication of effort in pro vision of education and training and in particular, at tertiary and professional training lev els; e) establishment and promotion of regional Centres of Specialisation and Centres of Excellence as a major instrument for providing efficient and effective education and training and research in the Region; f) active involvement and participation of all key stakeholders in education and training at the level of Member States and regionally, including in institutions executing regional education and training programmes; g) guaranteeing academic freedom in institutions of learning and research as it is the sine qua non for high quality education, training and research and as it ensures freedom of enquiry, experimentation and critical and creative thinking; h) Member States shall take all steps possible to act together as a Community, in the gradual implementation of equivalence, harmonisation and standardisation of their education and training systems under this Protocol. However two or more Member States may progress at a differential rate than that achieved by any other Member States; 5