Domestication and mainstreaming of regional integration processes, instruments and decisions into national policies, legal and regulatory frameworks: issues, challenges and opportunities

Abstract

Regional integration is considered to be one of the key drivers of Africa’s economic growth, development and poverty reduction and as such the African Union (AU) has accorded high priority to regional integration. In this regard, the AU has designated eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs), including the East African Community, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, as the building blocks for the realization of the African Economic Community envisaged in the Abuja Treaty. This project aimed to support the Government of Rwanda through policy analysis and advice, thus enhancing the regional integration institutional framework. Hence, in addition to the work being undertaken in Rwanda, SRO-EA commissioned a study on Uganda with the objective of undertaking an analysis of the state of play toward mainstreaming regional integration in Uganda and preparing a policy-oriented report on mainstreaming regional integration focusing on the Ugandan experience. This report is essentially on the Ugandan case study, but makes cross reference with the Rwanda case to identify commonalities of the two processes.