ECA launches report assessing regional integration in Africa

Abstract

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) today launched a ground-breaking publication on regional integration in Africa. The report, called Assessing Regional Integration in Africa (ARIA), provides a comprehensive evaluation of the state of Africa's integration process, showing where efforts have succeeded or failed including why intra African trade remains low; and how lack of macro-economic policy convergence and insufficient infrastructures hamper integration. The report finds that although progress has been made in a number of areas, overall, this has been limited relative to the goals established by African leaders. The report makes several recommendations on accelerating the integration process.