(g) the control of animal and plant diseases and pests;
(h) the development and utilisation of land and water resources, particularly shared river and lake basins;
(i) the exploitation and surveillance of the exclusive economic zones with regards to marine fisheries development; and
(j) the marketing and stabilization of prices of agricultural commodities bearing in mind internal agricultural and exchange rate policies in individual member countries.
Article 131. Co-operation In the Supply of Staple Foods
1. The Member States undertake to:
(a) ensure the adequate supply and availability of food by the promotion of agricultural development that would lead to the production of surpluses in food, the establishment of adequate storage facilities and strategic grain reserves;
(b) promote co-operation in the production of foodstuffs which are rich in protein such as meat, fish, dairy products and legumes;
(c) ensure the prevention of pre- and post-harvest loses;
(d) establish a Common Market Early Warning System to assess and supply information regarding the food security position within the Member States and the Common Market; and
(e) conclude such agreements amongst themselves as would facilitate the realisation of food security in the Common Market.
2. The Member States agree to provide the infrastructure and investment required to implement the undertakings in paragraph 1 of this Article.
Article 132. Co-operation In the Export of Agricultural Commodities
The Member States shall:
(a) coordinate their policies and activities relating to the export of crops, livestock, livestock products, fish and fish products and forest products;
(b) harmonise their policies in relation to international commodity agreements for the export of crops, livestock and livestock products, fish and fish products and forest products;
(c) co-operate in solving specific problems relating to the export of crops, livestock, livestock products, fish and fish products and forest products;
(d) harmonise their policies and regulations relating to phyto-sanitary and sanitary measures without impeding the export of crops, plants, seeds, livestock, livestock-products, fish and fish-products; and
(e) harmonise their agreements granting concessions for the exploitation of their agricultural resources, especially fisheries and forest products by third country nationals.
Article 133. Co-operation In Agro-industries
In order to foster strong linkages between agriculture and industry, the Member States shall:
(a) promote on-farm processing of crop, livestock, fish and forest products so as to enhance the value and availability of finished or semi-processed products and to increase rural employment and incomes;
(b) endeavour to consult one another concerning the establishment of large-scale agro-industries so as to avoid under-utilisation of existing and planned processing capacities;
(c) co-operate in jointly establishing any large-scale agro-industrial processing complexes where such collective processing of agricultural commodities is synergistically advantageous for the Common Market;
(d) co-ordinate national agro-industry development policies and programmes so as to achieve balanced agro-industries development in the Common Market in line with the comparative advantages enjoyed by individual the Member States;
(e) coordinate their policies and activities regarding the production of raw materials to sustain agro-industries within the Common Market; and
(f) coordinate their policies regarding the importation of raw materials which can be produced within the Common Market.
Article 134. Co-operation In Agricultural Research and Extension
The Member States shall:
(a) give priority to research on food crops;
(b) strengthen and effectively utilise existing national agricultural research and extension institutions on a network basis for the benefit of the Common Market;
(c) exchange pertinent research findings and research and extension expertise for the benefit of the farming community within the Common Market;
(d) strengthen extension services in order to establish effective liaison mechanisms between research systems and farmers; and
(e) establish data banks and journals for the dissemination of research and extension information within the Common Market.
Article 135. Co-operation In Drought and Desertification Management
The Member States shall:
(a) agree on appropriate policies on the utilisation of fragile lands in order to prevent land degradation;
(b) institute appropriate measures to contain the effects of droughts by developing irrigation programmes, improved techniques in dry-land farming and the use of drought-tolerant crops; and
(c) co-operate in the exchange of information and expertise regarding drought and desertification managements.
Article 136. Co-operation In Rural Development
The Member States shall promote rural development through the adoption of measures such as:
(a) appropriate mechanisation;
(b) improved water supply;
(c) health services;
(d) improved nutrition;
(e) improved rural access roads and means of transport and telecommunications;
(f) rural electrification and supply of wood fuel;
(g) educational services;
(h) rural resettlement to facilitate the rational utilisation of land; and
(i) the development of rural industries.
Article 137. Strengthening Farmers Participation In Agricultural Development
The Member States agree to strengthen farmer organisations and coordinate their activities for the improvement of agriculture in the Common Market through:
(a) the utilisation of such organisations as effective mechanisms for the marketing and processing of agricultural produce;
(b) the provision of essential services to members of the organisations at a regional level;
(c) the fostering of collaboration among the farming community by means of interregional visits, exchange of ideas and information, and trading;
(d) training on risk management practices and promoting the development of agricultural insurance schemes and other loss minimisation measures within the Common Market; and
(e) the promotion of rural insurance.
Chapter Nineteen. Co-operation In Tourism
Article 138. Promotion of Tourism
1. The Member States undertake to develop a collective and coordinated approach to the promotion of tourism in the Common Market. To this end, the Member States shall:
(a) remove restrictions on the movement of tourists within the Common Market;
(b) promote regional tourist circuits and coordinate the policies governing the tourism industry;
(c) promote investment programmes in tourism;
(d) organise regional tourism promotional activities for the development of the tourism industry;
(e) co-operate in the organisation of, and participation in, regional and international tourism fairs and exhibitions;
(f) exchange cultural groups among themselves in order to develop social and cultural tourism;
(g) co-operate in research and exchange programmes and publications on tourism;
(h) encourage joint utilisation of training, marketing and tourism research facilities;
(i) encourage intra-Common Market tourism;
(j) promote the participation of the private sector in the development of tourism;
(k) provide the regulatory and institutional framework necessary for regional promotion, development, coordination and supervision of the operations of the tourism industry;
(l) co-operate in the establishment of Regional Tourism Development Centres;
(m) exchange statistics on tourism performance including projections of tourist trends;
(n) harmonize and standardize statistics on tourism so that they are comparable in the region for research purposes; and
(o) co-ordinate inter-regional airline schedules and harmonize tourism development strategies for the region.
2. The Member States shall endeavour to establish a common code of ethics for private and public tour and travel operators, standardise hotel classification and harmonize the professional standards of agents in the tourism and travel industry within the Common Market.
Chapter Twenty. Development of Comprehensive Information Systems
Article 139. The Common Market Information System
1. The Member States undertake to co-operate in providing information that would enable them to review the functioning and development of the Common Market and move efficiently in the implementation of the provisions of this Treaty. To this end, the Member States shall:
(a) collect and disseminate information on various sectors affecting the Common Market;
(b) provide the Secretariat with relevant information to facilitate the proper functioning of the Common Market;
(c) adopt an information policy that will include common operating standards, administrative and programming support, hardware and software standards and methodology of linking the Secretariat with the Member States; and
(d) provide to the Secretariat material deemed essential for the operation of an information system.
2. The Member States undertake to improve the collection, analysis and dissemination of information necessary to enhance the achievement of the objectives of the Common Market, especially in respect of:
(a) trade and customs: common external tariff, Rules of Origin, transit facilities, insurance schemes, trade and customs forms and documentation, monetary co-operation;
(b) agricultural development: research, extension and the exchange of technical information and experience;
(c) industrial information: production, requirements for capital, intermediate and consumer goods, industrial manpower development, investment and incentives;
(d) standardisation and quality assurance: national, sub-regional, regional and international standards, techniques, experiences, and consumer protection;
(e) natural resources, energy and the environment: available technical options, consequences of industrial pollution, environmental control and impact assessment;
(f) transport and communications: new technical developments in all modes;
(g) macro-economic policy and planning; national planning concepts, methodology and techniques of the Member States; and
(h) other areas that are necessary for achieving the programmes of the Common Market.
3. The Secretariat shall provide to the Member States:
(a) the Common Market's Operational and Progress Reports;
(b) Research Results, Analytical and Specialised Studies;
(c) Statistical Series containing numerical nature, production, prices and indices of exports and imports; and
(d) other publications as may be specified by the organs of the Common Market.
4. The Secretariat shall adopt necessary measures to enable the public and private sector enterprises to be fully aware and informed of the current and potential trade and investment opportunities that exist in the Member States. Steps shall also be taken to rationalise import and sourcing decisions from third countries through the provision of price data, alternative sources of supply and the availability of incentives of an import nature. The Secretariat shall also perform an external relations function through representation for press interviews, meetings and seminars, the production of press releases and newsletters and other general public relations tasks.
Article 140. Co-operation In Statistical Development
The Member States undertake to co-operate in the field of statistics in order to create an enabling environment for the regular flow of up-to-date, reliable, harmonised and comparable statistical data on various sectors of economic activity, required for an efficient implementation of the objectives of the Common Market. To this end, the Member States shall:
(a) provide regularly and timely to the Secretariat statistical data that are reliable, harmonised and comparable, through the harmonisation and adoption of common methodologies, concepts and definitions to be used in collecting and compiling statistics;
(b) harmonise and adopt common statistical classification to be used in compiling their statistics;
(c) encourage co-operation among their national statistical offices in the exchange of statistical data covering various sectors of their economic activities such as external trade, agriculture, industry, energy, natural resources, transport, communications, tourism, population, manpower, money and banking, balance of payments, external debt, government finance, prices, purchasing power parities and national accounting investments;
(d) promote the exchange of skills and personnel and enhance co-operation in statistical training through the use of existing training institutions;
(e) co-operate in the field of data processing; and (f) adopt a Common Market strategy for the implementation of the Addis Ababa Plan of Action for Statistical Development in Africa in the 1990s.
Article 141. Trade Information
The Member States shall co-operate in increasing the awareness of intra and extra Common Market trade opportunities, provision and exchange of computerised trade information in the region through the support of the sub-region-wide Trade Information Network (TINET), provision of company data, export or import opportunities, tender invitations issued by national authorities for public procurement, statistical profiles of general and specific product groups, restrictive trade practices, non-tariff barriers and others as stated in the TINET's region-wide standards. These standards contain special TINET instructions, ad hoc requests, and standing practices which are subject to change from time to time.
Article 142. Depository Library
The Member States agree to recognise the status of the library situated at the Secretariat as the official depository library of the Common Market for the storage and retrieval of all documents, regulations, public notices, databases and other documents with regard to national development plans, official gazettes, central bank annuals, periodic reports and other documents as may be determined and notified by the library from time to time, with respect to the Member State.
Chapter Twenty-One. Social and Cultural Affairs
Article 143. Co-operation In Social and Cultural Affairs
1. The Member States shall promote close co-operation between themselves in the social and cultural fields, particularly with respect to:
(a) employment and working conditions;
(b) labour laws;
(c) vocational training and the eradication of adult illiteracy in the region;
(d) cultural and sporting exchanges;
(e) the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases;
(f) the provision of facilities for the disabled;
(g) the right of association and collective bargaining between employers and workers; and
(h) radio and television programmes on matters that will promote cultural development of the Common Market.
2. The Council shall adopt a social charter, programmes and regulations, as the case may be, on the better implementation of the provisions of paragraph 1 of this Article.
Chapter Twenty-Two. Least Developed Countries and Economically Depressed Areas
Article 144. Strengthening Capacity for Co-operation
1. The Member States, recognising the need for the promotion of harmonious and balanced development in the Common Market and in particular the need for reducing the disparities among various areas in the region and paying attention to the special problems of each Member State, particularly those of the least developed countries and economically depressed areas, agree to take several measures designed to strengthen the capacities of those groups of States of the Common Market to solve these problems. To this end, the Member States shall:
(a) encourage new investments in such areas thereby strengthening their economies so as to enable them to increase the production of exportable goods to other Member States of the Common Market;
(b) encourage the introduction of new technologies properly designed to meet the needs of such areas so as to assist in the transformation of their economies from dependence on one or two primary commodities to a more diversified production and marketing structures;
(c) promote special programmes and projects that would enable them to improve the supply side of their economies so as to participate more effectively in the Common Market; and
(d) strengthen national and regional chambers of commerce and industry as well as other relevant bodies to enable them to play a leading role in the implementation of projects and programmes of the Common Market.
2. The Authority shall, upon the recommendation of the Council, designate a Member State as a least developed country.
Article 145. Development of Infrastructures
The Member States agree that one of the major pre-requisites for sustained economic growth of the least developed countries and economically depressed areas of the Common Market is the development of adequate and reliable infrastructure, especially transport and communications. The short- and-medium-term objectives for the development of the transport and communications infrastructure of the least developed countries and economically depressed areas shall include:
(a) the completion of all inter-State missing links, especially the inter-state rail and road links, and the construction of local and domestic ones where these do not exist to enhance the much needed intra-regional co-operation with neighbouring countries;
(b) special assistance to such areas in the development of adequate inter-State telecommunications facilities, which under certain circumstances, obviate the need for transport and movement of persons;
(c) assistance in the maintenance and upgrading of all transport and communications infrastructure such as roads, rail, ports, airports and telecommunications;
(d) the development of training facilities in the transport and communications sectors to cater for the increasing needs for skilled personnel at all levels and special assistance to enable such areas to acquire manufacturing capacity and capability for the maintenance of equipment required for transport and communications facilities; and
(e) special assistance for the development of other infrastructural facilities as may be deemed necessary for the accelerated development of such depressed areas. These facilities shall include those necessary for the supply of adequate utilities such as electricity and water.
Article 146. Industrial Development of the Least Developed Countries and Economically Depressed Areas
The Member States agree that special consideration shall be given to the least developed countries, and economically depressed areas of the Common Market in the sector of industry and energy development. In this regard, the Member States undertake to:
(a) maximise the utilisation of existing capacities to meet local, national and regional demand;
(b) improve the investment climate for both local and foreign investors;
(c) increase investment in human resources development in particular, the development of indigenous entrepreneurs;
(d) develop industrial support services such as product design and adaptation, research and development, standardisation and quality assurance, market research, consultancy and contracting services, information dissemination, project identification, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies and industrial surveys; and
(e) develop small-scale and medium-scale industries.
Article 147. Agriculture and Agro-industrial Development of the Least Developed Countries and Economically Depressed Areas
The Member States undertake to give special attention to the least developed countries and economically depressed areas of the Common Market in the sector of agriculture by:
(a) the improvement of the production base of their agricultural products for trade and inputs to agro-industry;
(b) the promotion of programmes aimed at processing primary agricultural products to enhance their value and create rural employment;
(c) the promotion of conservation and rational use of natural resources, and the enhancement of environmental friendly programmes; and
(d) by increasing the income and standard of living of the populations of the economically depressed areas.