The regional integration and trade division ritd is headed by a director and reports to the deputy executive secretary programme. The benefits of regional integration ms jutta frasch, sergiusz wolski 17th jun 2016 00. Karl deutsch, for instance, defined integration as the attainment, within a territory, of a sense of community and of institutions and practices strong enough and. Severine rugumamu supports this statement, and writes. In contrast to integration, cooperation seems to be a more useful approach to tackle the urgent employment and growth problems. African regional integration is seen as key to enhancing political cooperation at the panafrican level, and of promoting economic growth. Given the remarkable increase in regional integration agreements rias in the past decade, understanding of their economic rationale and consequences is essential. Regional integration dynamics in africa ecdpm home. Regional integration in subsaharan africa experience and prospects faezeh foroutan the emphasis of regional integration in subsaharan africa should shift from the integration of goods markets to the regional coordination of macroeconomic and microeconomic policies, the harmonization of administrative rules and regulations, and. Please delete these shortcuts first, then delete page itself. This column argues against a formal eulike structure and instead proposes an african model that is responsive to the economic and political reality of the region. The benefits of regional economic integration for developing countries in africa. Regional integration and trade united nations economic.
Assessing regional integration in africa ii by economic commission for africa at. The issues of monetary coordination, foreign exchange volatility, taxation, savings and macroeconomic convergence are investigated from a regional perspective. Introduction to the regional economic integration in africa 1 ects regional economic communities rec status of the regional economic integration in africa 2 ects action plan for boosting intraafrican trade 0. Bank group regional integration policy and strategy ripos. It combines theoretical analysis and a comparative, interdisciplinary approach. However, the regional integration process is not necessarily smooth and linear. Schiff and winters succeed admirably in covering the conceptual, empirical, and policy issues arising from rias in an informed, comprehensible, and accessible manner. Regional integration in africa bridging the northsubsaharan divide came about as a research project conducted by the africa institute of south africa and examines the north african countries strategies of involvement in the african continent, and their integration initiatives.
Rene nguettia kouassi says that the process of regional integration is important for africa, since it is through political and economic integration the continent can be a strong actor in the globalized world. A handbook on regional integration in africa commonwealth. Sadc success stories reveals that the regional integration agenda. Monitoring regional integration in southern africa. Regional economic integration in west africa diery seck. This article was also published in french on july 29, 2015 in passerelles, volume 16 number 5. Regional integration in southern africa overview of recent developments lolette kritzingervan niekerk emmanuel pinto moreira december 2002 the findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of the authors. This is an endeavour that ecdpm is committed to, including with this issue of. The african continental free trade area cfta promises to give a significant boost to the continents economy and, in particular, to support industrialization and structural transformation. The economic community of west african states ecowas is ranked third in regional integration out of eight regional economic communities assessed by the africa regional integration index africas first effort to measure progress on regional integration. We also reflect on the impact of the global economic crisis on africa.
Regional integration in africa is seen as a priority by many of the continents policymakers. George boateng believes that an appropriate policy framework that. The need for scale and market consolidation is particularly relevant for. The world bank groups commitments to regional integration. Sanf 15 no 51 the benefits of belonging to a shared community in southern africa are reaching the lives of many people in the region, according to a new publication released by the southern african development community. Indicative program of regional operations and potential economic and sector work for 20112015 3. This study outlines the challenges to mutual linkages at a regional level to social and economic development across the continent. In east africa we see the potential that exists in regional organisations. The book looks at major issues involving egypt, libya, tunisia, algeria, morocco and mauritania.
Course on regional integration in africa abstract by. Africa regional integration index measuring an africa on. Dynamics of equity in trade, education, media and labour east african integration dynamics of equity in trade, education, media and labour. Reaping the benefits of regional integration knowledge. Description of the course the main objective of the course is to enhance the skills and capacity of participants for promoting regional integration and managing regionalism in africa as a key element of african development. These issues have been the focus of several earlier editions of the assessing regional integration in africa aria series. Books audio material series festschrifts obituaries journals. This study presents a political economy analysis of the economic community of west african states ecowas, focusing in particular on what drives and hampers this regional organisation in preventing and resolving conflicts in west africa, and in promoting a regional approach to agriculture and food security.
Hence, the economic integration agenda of ecowas in west africa is patterned along the lines of the european union. This book presents a number of key studies pertaining to the most pressing challenges of economic regional integration in west africa. Regional economic integration in africa hasan tuluy, 2016. Supporting regional integration in east and southern. Their book should be required reading for policy analysts. Isbn 9171064842, sek 100,indexing terms regionalization regional integration regional cooperation regional organizations globalization crossborder trade africa southern africa west africa the. Despite its central place in the african unions agenda 2063 and plans to establish a continental free trade area, there remain many political, economic and institutional challenges to deeper integration and effective implementation of regional trade agreements. The objective of this book is to investigate various initiatives to integrate the east african region from the colonial period to 2000, when the new east african. Arabs have migrated to and practised trade in the greater east africa region since prechristian times. While other regions have successfully used their integration mechanisms to improve their economic. Regional integration in africa mariama sow thursday. Innovation, regional integration, and development in africa. Organised topically and covering all regional groupings in africa.
Central africa regional integration strategy paper 2019 2025. Have regionalism and the rhetoric of national integration and balance emerged as untenable polities within a nationstate in search of an identity and responsible leadership. Towards agenda 2063 provides a ready and accessible resource for trade policymakers, parliamentarians, the private sector, academia and civil society, as well as the general public. For example, progresses have been uneven, so far, among the eight regional economic communities recs recognized by the african union commission auc 3 and supposed to be the. Regional integration in africa african books collective. Conventionally, integration requires the amalgamation of.
A study prepared by the scalabrini institute for human mobility in africa sihma december 2017 the african approach to regional integration and migration 2. The challenges of regional integration in africa page 1 paper 145 june 2007 introduction it is widely acknowledged that africas integration efforts have thus far failed to bear satisfactory fruit. The index is made up of five dimensions, which are the key socioeconomic categories that are fundamental to africas integration. The division is responsible for contributing to effective regional cooperation and integration among member states by supporting efforts to deepen regional markets, boost intraafrican trade, accelerate industrialization, foster market institutions and tackle. Secondly, regional integration implies the lowering of barriers to trade, thus.
Rethinking and theorizing regional integration in southern africa luwam g. Regional integration is a development priority for africa. Assessing regional integration in africa aria shop. The nook book ebook of the assessing regional integration in africa ii. The epa negotiations revealed important gaps between political ambitions and economic reality in african regional integration. The quest for regional integration in the east african community. Unable to delete the page because it has shortcuts referencing it at the following locations. Regional integration studies is characterized by, and normally understood as, a combination of inquiries from various disciplines. Regional integration in africa bridging the northsubsaharan divide came about as a research project conducted by the africa institute of south africa and. Regional integration and cooperation is the way forward in africa as there are. Organised topically and covering all regional groupings in africa, the study provides a historical overview of integration and common markets of comesa and ecowas, discussion of africa in the global economy, the question of regionalism in north africa and the. Mwasha abstract regional economic integration rei refers to the commercial policy of discriminatively reducing or eliminating trade barriers only between the states joining together.
Ecowas monetary cooperation program convergence criteria 5. Eastern africa regional integration strategy paper 2018 2022. This book discusses the role of innovation and regional integration in economic development in africa and argues that scientific advancement is crucial to the development of african nations into the global economy. Several writers emphasize the importance of african integration. How can west african nations increase utilization of the africa growth and opportunity act. This comparative book debates migration and regional integration in the two. It is against this background that the 12th edition of the monitoring regional integration in southern africa yearbook should be seen as contribution to further drive the process of integration and to address critical development, challenges, but also successes. Regional integration and trade in africa mthuli ncube palgrave. Indicative results matrix of the regional integration strategy paper for west africa 2. Regional integration and migration in africa lessons from. By using the au to point at the deficiencies of federalism, functionalism and neofunctionalism, it will become clear as the analysis progresses that the study is situated within the framework of intergovernmentalism.
Organised topically and covering all regional groupings in africa, the study provides a historical overview of integration and common markets of comesa and ecowas, discussion of africa in the global economy, the question of regionalism in north africa and the arabmaghreb union, the case of the southern african development community, and a survey of the political economy of the horn of africa. Regional balance and national integration in cameroon. Regional integration is a process in which neighboring states enter into an agreement in order to upgrade. Regional integration in africa world trade organization. Integration in africa can only be a longterm attempt to solve economic problems, because of its high absorption of scarce and therefore expensive factors of production. Regional integration africa information highway portal. Kagame adds that these days are drawing to a close, largely attributed to increased regional integration in africa. Regional economic cooperation and integration can be an effective means for countries to overcome constraints of size and fragmentation, and to allow small landlocked countries to more efficiently connect to larger, deeper regional and global markets. Integration could then be defined as a process that leads to a certain state of affairs. Echoing the calls of kwame nkrumah and other panafricanists that africa must unite, continental integration and unity have been on the agenda ever since african countries gained political independence. Political motives, geography, and the uneven distribution of gains trumped the traditional efficiency gains across africas regional economic. Regional integration is a process in which neighboring states enter into an agreement in order to upgrade cooperation through common institutions and rules. The report emphasizes the need to ensure that cfta institutional structures are based on practical approaches that work in africa. It says that the model should be underpinned by a security regime and should prioritise trade and regulatory cooperation.
All africans, not just policy makers and decision makers, have a role to play in making integration a reality for the continent. Great insights, which brings together a number of insights and perspectives on some of these characteristics and dimensions that shape various regional integration initiatives in africa. This paper examines the history of regional integration in africa, what has motivated it, the different initiatives that african governments have pursued, the nature of the integration process, and the current challenges. Regional balance and national integration in cameroon lessons learned and the uncertain future. The objectives of the agreement could range from economic to political to environmental, although it has typically taken the form of a political economy initiative. Nigeria represents 37% of regional gdp but is not in the top performers on regional integration, neither is egypt, which represents 18% of regional gdp. Regional integration in africa rudiger koppe verlag african. In this context, the 8th edition of assessing regional integration in africa aria viii looks at what wil. The second region is the nile basin, the life artery for. Regional integration african development bank building.
901 1049 958 1251 1366 20 740 852 744 606 688 831 680 801 16 663 739 404 613 1286 1133 1341 1349 1362 1053 280 281 1219 1324 689 956 1522 61 1186 250 440 1179 867 376 752 762 903