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| Southern African Development Forum on Progress towards Free Trade in the Sub Region ECA Press Release No. 08/2008 Lusaka , 15 May (ECA) – The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Southern Africa Office (ECA-SA) is organizing a multi-stakeholder forum from 29 – 31 May in Lusaka , Zambia , to review progress towards achieving a Free Trade Area and Customs Union in the sub region. The three-day forum will examine the status of implementation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) protocols on the Free Trade Area; and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Customs Union treaty provisions. Both agreements are scheduled to take effect later this year. Government officials representing trade, transport, immigration and customs departments from Southern African countries; and representatives from the African Union, SADC and COMESA Secretariats, the African Development Bank, the Development Bank of Southern Africa , research institutions, the private sector, NGOs and other development partners will attend. The overall SADC and COMESA goals are to deepen regional integration through trade and financial liberalization, competitive and diversified industrial development, and increased investment supported by safe, efficient and affordable inter-country transport infrastructure and services and the free movement of persons. Both organizations are planning for a linear progression from free trade area to customs union then to a Common Market and ultimately a Monetary Union. This will create economies of scale and provide an impetus for growth, innovation and competitiveness in world markets. The Forum is expected to provide recommendations to tackle the challenges in economic integration in the sub region including; the simplification and harmonization of customs and immigration procedures, infrastructure constraints, monitoring mechanisms for the implementation of protocols, dispute resolution mechanisms, human capacity constraints, inadequate finance for regional integration, information needs to facilitate trade, integrated border management systems challenges and the potential problems arising from dual membership of the two regional economic blocs. These recommendations will assist in charting the way forward in the implementation of the protocols and treaty provisions as a vehicle for attaining the African Union vision on regional integration. The outcomes will also feed into the forthcoming meeting of the ECA-SA Intergovernmental Committee of Experts (ICE), which is scheduled to take place in Lusaka , Zambia from 2 – 4 June. The ICE serves as a policy organ that guides the work programme of ECA-SA. For more information on this forum and the forthcoming ICE, please contact: Andrew Allimadi
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