On 1 October 2025, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) will convene the Fourth Joint Session of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts (ICSOE) for Central and Eastern Africa, under the theme “Investing in Productive Capacities and Trade for a Resilient Future.” As the supervisory body of ECA’s subregional offices, the ICSOE provides a unique platform where governments, regional economic communities, the private sector, researchers, civil society, and development partners come together to set priorities and guide the trajectory of regional development.
This session comes at a defining moment for both subregions. In Central Africa, intra-regional trade accounts for barely 2% of total exchanges, while in Eastern Africa it reaches 17% still far below its potential. Persistent food insecurity affecting more than 470 million people across both regions in 2023, combined with structural bottlenecks such as inadequate infrastructure, high tariff and non-tariff barriers, and cumbersome customs procedures, underscores the urgency of investing in productive capacities, industrialization, and innovation.
ICSOE 2025 is designed as a collective and forward-looking response. It will identify key bottlenecks, propose realistic policy interventions, and define a roadmap to strengthen productive sectors agriculture, manufacturing, and digital infrastructure while leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to unlock regional value chains, foster economic diversification, and build resilience to external shocks.
By bringing together policymakers, the private sector, academics, civil society, including women and youth, and technical and financial partners, this session will be a decisive moment to translate the aspirations of Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals into actionable commitments. The outcomes and recommendations will chart the course toward a more integrated, innovative, and prosperous future for Central and Eastern Africa.
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