The President of Botswana, His Excellency, Lieutenant General Dr. Seretse Khama Ian Khama on 24th July, 2017 signed five SADC legal instruments. The signing ceremony took place at the Office of the President in Gaborone, Botswana and was witnessed by the SADC Executive Secretary, Her Excellency Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax, the SADC National Contact Point, Dr. T. Nyamadzabo and other Government and SADC officials. The signed instruments are as follows:
Agreement amending Annex 1 to the Protocol on Finance and Investment: The amendment addresses concerns with regard to some of the provisions which were seen to have unintended consequences on SADC Member States with the aim of balancing investor protection, and development policy space for State Parties.
Annex 13 of the Protocol on Finance and Investment on Cooperation in Financial Matters, which establishes a legal framework for co-operation and co-ordination between Central Banks in collaboration with relevant financial markets regulators on financial markets in SADC Member States in order to develop strategies to strengthen and deepen financial markets in the region, ensure a coordinated approach to financial market development and achieve convergence and harmonisation of financial markets regulation in SADC, in line with international best practices.
Agreement amending Article 3(1) (c) of the Trade Protocol: The amendment removes the possibility for a Member State to be granted grace period for removal of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs). The retention of NTBs would undermine Article 6 of the Protocol which requires Member States to adopt policies and implement measures to eliminate all existing forms of NTBs and refrain from imposing any new ones.
Agreement amending the Protocol against Corruption, which establishes the SADC Anti-Corruption Committee to oversee the implementation of the Protocol.
Agreement amending the Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, which integrates the SADC Anti-Corruption Committee into the SADC Organ structures to coordinate regional activities on cooperation in the fight against corruption under the Inter-State Defence and Security Committee of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation.
