PREAMBLE In recent years, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as a region has undergone major changes. These include the restructuring of SADC Institutions, a process that has seen the streamlining of institutional structures responsible for implementing and coordinating the SADC Common Agenda; the development of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) and the Strategic Indicative Plan for the Organ (SIPO). During the same period important changes have also taken place in the international and global agendas impacting on the SADC region. These include the adoption in 2000 by Heads of State at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly of the Millennium Declaration, and the acceptance of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as a monitoring framework for progress on key development indicators, as well as the September 2005 World Summit Outcome as adopted by the Heads of State at the Summit. The Monterrey Consensus (March 2002), called on (i) developing countries to strengthen their commitment to policies and institutions that can stimulate growth, reduce poverty and achieve the MDGs; and (ii) developed countries to provide more and better aid as well as improved trade and debt policies. Together with the subsequent Rome Declaration on Harmonization of Donor Practices for Effective Aid Delivery (February 2003), the Marrakech Memorandum on Managing for Results (February 2004) and the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (March 2005), these international agreements have highlighted the issue of aid effectiveness as it is affected by ownership, alignment, harmonisation and managing for results. These major changes at both the regional and international level call for a paradigm shift in the cooperation between SADC and the International Cooperating Partners (ICPs), both which desire a stronger and more effective partnership. This declaration puts in place a New SADC/ICP Partnership for the implementation of the SADC Common Agenda as outlined in the RISDP and SIPO. The declaration outlines the overall objective, the commitments by SADC and ICPs and the structure for effective dialogue under the new partnership, as well as the key areas of cooperation between SADC and ICPs. This declaration has been adopted by SADC and ICPs at the Consultative Conference held in Windhoek, Namibia on 27 April 2006. The declaration will guide cooperation between SADC and ICPs.