3. Deep trade agreements are important institutional infrastructure for regional integration. For regional integration in Africa to be a success, Africa’s leaders will have to move beyond grand gestures and abstract visions. This is partly a function of the fact that, in 2009, President Jacob Zuma refused to entertain the idea of a […] The importance of regional integration is being felt across the continent, as evidenced by African leaders now calling for a free trade area by 2017. Since countries are free to negotiate regional economic agreements as they wish, in practice, formal agreements rarely fall neatly into one of these five stages. Africa’s Regional Integration Index is measuring an Africa on the move. More focused and gradual steps that are carefully executed at the domestic level may be the best place to start. In some cases, this can lead to confusion in terminology and on the state of regional economic integration of a specific bloc. Signed in 1991 and implemented in 1994, it provides for a staged integration of the regional economic agreements. In Southern Africa in particular, with its comparatively small economies, r egional integration was meant to play a FIFA World Cup notwithstanding, the answer for now seems to be “not so well” In 2010, while it remains an issue of critical importance, racial integration in South Africa has no empirical reference point. of Africa’s development. If efficiently designed, they can improve policy cooperation across countries, thereby increasing international trade and investment, economic growth and social welfare. Helpful comments by Ademola Oyejide and Daniel Bach are gratefully acknowledged. Africa’s Regional Integration Arrangements History and Challenges Tesfaye Dinka and Walter Kennes1 September 2007 1 Tesfaye Dinka is with the Global Coalition for Africa and Walter Kennes is with the Development Directorate-General of the European Commission. It is tracking the data that is driving Africa’s economic growth now and in the years to come. Regional integration efforts, however, need to go hand in hand with competitiveness-enhancing policies as explored in other parts of the Africa Competitiveness Report. South-Sudan, recognized by the African Union (AU), has indicated its commitment to be an active player in regional organizations. Middle East and Africa: AEC. Several regional agreements function as pillars of the AEC: 43. Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) However, success in this venture has been slow and marred by delay and stagnation. The African Economic Community (AEC) is an organization of the African Union states. But the issue of multiple membership remains an obstacle to further regional integration, and unless the counterproductive situation of each sub-region having three to four organisations (except North Africa) is fundamentally changed (Mistry, 2000: 567-8), regionalism in today’s Africa … With no single agreed regional peace and security forum, none plays “the uncontested role of custodian of norms, forum for conflict management, and arbiter of disputes”. Africa’s roadmap for regional economic integration They reduce trade costs and define many rules in which economies operate. peaceful region by supporting both public and private sector actors engaged in the regional integration process. According to the perspective of the Yearbook Monitoring Regional Integration in Southern Africa (Volume 8, 2008) Regional integration has been considered an important and successful tool of economic growth and development. REGIONAL INTEGRATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA Overview of Recent Developments Lolette Kritzinger-van Niekerk Emmanuel Pinto Moreira December 2002 The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of the author(s). Looking at the Horn of Africa, some find that it demands “not only a multilateral approach, but also an approach of multiple and overlapping multilateralisms”. The AU is therefore expected to act as the primary vehicle for the advancement of regional integration, and for the promotion of Africa’s integration into the global economy. 2. Regional integration is a development priority for Africa. Africa’s challenges call for pragmatism and a sense of urgency in action. Eastern Africa has the largest number of RECs and intergovernmental regional bodies in Africa. Abstract visions can improve policy cooperation across countries, thereby increasing international trade and investment, economic growth now in! 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