6th meeting of the committee on trade, regional cooperation and integration: statement by Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, UN Under Secretary General and Executive Secretary of ECA 13 October 2009 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

This Statement delivered by Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ECA at the 6th Meeting of the Committee on Trade, Regional Cooperation and Integration. Mr. Janneh, on his remarks highlighted that, as is well known, regional integration and the creation of an African common market has been the vision of our continent since the early years of independence. A common market combining our 53 individual countries can only lead to a strong and viable region with economies of scale, greater comparative advantage and competitiveness. The vision has been clearly laid out in the founding Treaty establishing the African Economic Community (The Abuja Treaty), and later reemphasized by the Constitutive Act of the African Union. Africa can be proud of some success stories in its regional integration agenda. Programmes to liberalize trade by breaking down tariff and non-tariff barriers are being earnestly implemented in a number of RECs. In West Africa for instance, ECOWAS and UEMOA have resolved to operate as a common customs union. The COMESA, EAC and SADC efforts to create a single Free Trade Area is a highly commendable initiative which should be emulated by other RECs to accelerate regional integration. the most crucial issue we need to confront is addressing what is perceived to be a weak implementation of regional agreements at the national level. In a number of constituencies, national mechanisms for coordination, implementation and systematic follow-up of agreed integration objectives are weak, ineffective or lack resources to function effectively.