RECALLING the critical importance given to Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) by SADC's Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) and the need to strengthen the Region's ability to coordinate collaboration on STI; ACKNOWLEDGING that the ability of Member States to create, acquire, accumulate, diffuse and utilize scientific and technological know-how is a major determinant of our capacity for industrial development and growth and to compete successfully in the global knowledge economy and thus improve the quality of life within the Region; MINDFUL of the fact that the income disparities between poor and rich countries can largely be accounted for by the differences in the acquisition, accumulation, diffusion and utilization of STI; RECOGNISING the need for the establishment of a Science, Technology and Innovation Unit within the SADC structure, with requisite human, financial and technical resources, in order enable coordination and integration of science, technology and innovation matters across all programmes; FURTHER RECOGNISING the importance of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) protection in promoting the development and application of STI; IN ACCORDANCE with Article 22 of the Treaty, have agreed as follows: ARTICLE 1 DEFINITIONS 1. In this Protocol, terms and expressions defined in Article 1 of the Treaty shall bear the same meaning ascribed to them unless the context otherwise requires. 2. In this Protocol, unless the context otherwise requires: "ASTCPA" means Africa's Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action; "Centre of Excellence" means an institution which has demonstrated a high quality research and development capability in a specific STI f.eld. "Committee of Senior Officials" means the Committee of Permanent Secretaries or officers of equivalent rank responsible for science, technology and innovation: "Council" means the Council of Ministers of SADC established by Article 9 of the SADC Treaty; 3