Southern African Development Community (SADC)

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) was established as a development coordinating conference (SADCC) in 1980 and transformed into a development community in 1992. It is an inter-governmental organisation whose goal is to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development through efficient productive systems, deeper co-operation and integration, good governance and durable peace and security among the Sixteen Southern African Member States. To regulate cooperation in the water sector in SADC, and based on the SADC Treaty, SADC adopted a Protocol on Shared Watercourses in 1995 which was subsequently revised in 2000. The Protocol provides an overarching guidance on management of international waters in the region. In implementing the provisions of the 1994 agreement, OKACOM draws substantially from the provisions and principles of the SADC protocol on issues of equity, engagement, data sharing, transboundary socio-economic and ecological aspects. It regulates the conduct of the Member States and partners (through programmes, projects and governance systems) for sustainable utilization and management of the CORB.