ECA to host debate on regional integration in Central Africa

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ECA to Host Debate on Regional Integration in Central Africa

Yaounde, 18 May 2012 (ECA) - The second edition of “Central African Regional Integration Days,” organized by the Sub-regional Office for Central Africa of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA/SRO-CA), will take place in Douala, Cameroon from 31 May to 1 June 2012. The theme of this second edition of the forum is “Sub-regional Trade and Transport Infrastructure Development in Central Africa.”

The general objective of the forum is to examine progress made so far on Central Africa’s sub-regional integration and build consensus on the direction the process should take. In this regard, experts will particularly scrutinize the volume of trade among Central African member states and review the present conditions of the sub-region’s transport and technological infrastructure that should normally support the process.

The forum will bring together main stakeholders on sub-regional integration matters to debate on the importance of the process, milestones so far covered, difficulties encountered and new horizons for its evolution. Participants at the forum will pay particular attention on having a better understanding of the existing intuitional frameworks on Central Africa’s sub-regional integration, the achievements of regional economic communities and specialized institutions, ongoing programs as well as the main instruments and operating mechanisms of regional cooperation.

Speaking in Yaoundé ahead of the Forum, the Director of ECA/SRO-CA, Ms Fatoumata Sy Ba, said: “The economic emergence of Central Africa, a region rich in natural and human resources, would be largely dependent on the progress of its sub-regional integration initiatives, particularly through improved transport networks between member states and a marked improvement on its intra-regional trade which is currently less than one percent.”

It would be recalled that the first edition of “Central African Regional Integration Days,” was held on 12-13 November 2009 in Douala on the theme “the State of Integration in Central Africa and the Development of Institutional Frameworks.” The forum helped to define some key actions and role of major stakeholders in the integration process (governments, private sector umbrella bodies, universities and research institutions), in a bid to rally the leaders and people of the region to take more ownership of the ideal.

This second edition of “Central African Regional Integration Days,” will be preceded by an Ad Hoc Expert Group meeting from 29 to 30 May 2012 at the same venue in Douala. The meeting’s participants will share experiences and identify the obstacles related to the theme “Assessing Trade and Transport Facilitation along Central Africa’s Corridors.” The recommendations of the meeting will be forwarded to policy makers and other stakeholders to promote the implementation of trade facilitation initiatives in the sub-region.