Editorial

Keeping the momentum in Africa's integration

The integration process in Africa is undoubtedly a long journey. Visionary African leaders advocated long ago for a borderless Africa but it's quite obvious after steady efforts over decades by African countries, that integrating Africa has not exactly materialized.

ECA has been contributing all along to the advancement of this agenda right from the start. Its recent efforts range from organizing of the third African Development Forum in 2002 on the theme "Promoting Regional Integration in Africa" to the design of programmes on transport and communications infrastructure as well as capacity building initiatives for integrated policy formulation across the continent . However, analytical studies, such as the series on "Assessing Regional Integration in Africa"(ARIA), symbolize above all, the commitment of the Commission to give a big push to the regional integration agenda in Africa.

The importance accorded to regional integration today is evidenced by the outcomes of the recent repositioning exercise carried out by ECA in which regional integration has, indeed, become one of the pillars of the work of the Commission.

The new Magazine "One Africa" which is being launched today is in line with ECA's determination to back African Union's efforts to achieve an integrated economic space on the continent. It is a flexible tool for analysis and information sharing on the challenges facing Africa in its bid to think and act regionally. It's also a modest contribution to the collective efforts to make the dream of a "One Africa" come true.

While ARIA III is in the pipeline, promising high profile findings on the macro-economic convergence policies in Africa, the need for information sharing on other regional integration burning issues, on a more regular basis is pertinent. The momentum for Africa's integration will not be maintained unless this need is addressed through a continuous flow of information and analysis on the matter.

"One Africa" intends therefore, to be a good complement, a tool that enables policy makers, intelligentsia, businessmen and women and other key actors in regional integration to keep focus.

The first issue will update you on the status of the implementation of the Banjul roadmap, particularly on the rationalization of Regional economic communities. It will explore the reason why the next AU Summit in Accra will mainly focus on the African Union Government.

We have no doubt about the warm welcome that you will give to "One Africa" your Web magazine on regional integration.

The Editorial Team