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- The
ECA Subregional Offices (SROs) - have a pivotal role
in rendering more effective services to member States in
the emerging challenges of the Twenty-First century. In
light of this, it was found necessary to consult with member
States with a view to reaching a consensus on revitalising
and strengthening these Centres. This rational took into
account resource allocation, institutional framework, location,
geographical coverage and operational modalities.
- Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
(COMESA) - COMESA exists 'as an organization
of free independent sovereign states which have agreed to
co-operate in developing their natural and human resources
for the good of all their people'. With its 19 member states
and population of 300 million it forms a major integrated
trading block.
- Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS) - ECOWAS aims to promote trade and economic
growth among member countries. Currently there are 16 member
countries including Benin,
Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
- Southern Africa Development Community (SADC)
- SADC was created in 1992 by its member states to bring
economic prosperity, development, and stability through
regional trade liberalization and political and economic
integration. SADC's predecessor, the Southern African Development
Coordinating Conference (SADCC), was founded in 1980 by
the Frontline States to advance similar goals of regional
cooperation, with the added objective of putting political
pressure on the then-apartheid government of South Africa.
Apartheid's demise increased the opportunities for trade
liberalization and regional integration, and SADCC evolved
into SADC.
- African Development Bank (ADB)
The African Development Bank Group is a multinational development
bank supported by 77 nations (member
countries) from Africa, North and South America, Europe
and Asia. Headquartered in Abidjan, Cote d’ Ivoire,
the Bank Group consists of three institutions:
·
The
African Development Bank [ADB],
·
The
African Development Fund [ADF],
·
The
Nigeria Trust Fund [NTF].
- The Arab Maghreb Union
(AMU) encompasses five North African countries that
have strong historical, cultural, and language affinities.
The first Conference of Maghreb Economic Ministers, which
took place in Tunis in 1964, established the Conseil Permanent
Cunsultatif du Maghreb (CPCM) between Algeria, Socialist
People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco,
and Tunisia, to coordinate and harmonize the development
plans of the four countries as well as interaregional trade
and relations with the EU. However, for a number of reasons,
the plans never came to fruition. It was not until the late
1980s that new impetus began to bring the parties together
again. The first Maghreb Summit of the five Heads of State,
held at Zeralda (Algeria) in June 1988, resulted in a decision
to set up the Maghreb High Commission and various specialized
commissions. Finally, on February 17, 1989 in Marrakech,
the Treaty establishing the AMU was signed by the Heads
of State of the five countries. As of May 1996, there have
been a total of 37 Maghrebi conventions.
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