From the headquarters

New Directors for IDEP, ACGS take charge

Issue 2, 1 - 15 May 2009

African Integration Ministers seek greater opportunities for partnership development

Although African Regional Economic Communities (RECs) have made significant progress toward the integration of the continent, a lot remains to be done for the full implementation of the objectives of their respective mandates.

The 4th Conference of African Ministers Responsible for Integration that convened in Yaounde Cameroon from 2 to 8 May 2009, underscored this shortcoming and brainstormed on how more focus partnerships could be used to enhance integration.

Precisely, the African Union Commission is conducting a study on “Partnership Building and Regional Integration in Africa” whose results should provide a clear idea on the impact of various partnerships with key players in development cooperation on the pace of regional integration.

It should, according to the recommendations of the Ministers of Integration, also put in place a structure that would be entirely devoted to the coordination of partnerships on Africa’s development. These would be aligned with the development priorities of the NEPAD programmes, as well as those of the African Union.

The minimum integration programme whose implementation is spread over 4 years was rigorously analyzed. The programme, calls for the gradual elimination of tariffs and non-tariff barriers and the simplification and harmonization of basic rules, the acceleration of free movement of persons capital and goods within regions.

To monitor the implementation, a coordination committee will receive periodic reports from the RECs at the end of March, each year.