Observatory on Regional Integration in Africa

The Observatory on Regional Integration in Africa (ORIA) is a “one-stop-shop” source of comprehensive information, data, facts and figures on Africa’s regional integration agenda, including  achievements, milestones, challenges and constraints, especially across the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), in particular the 8 RECs recognized by the African Union Heads of State and Government Summit as constituting the building blocks of the African Union namely the Arab-Maghreb Union (UMA), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Southern African Development Community (SADC), East African Community (EAC), Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) and their Member States. The observatory thus aims to provide a holistic source of information as well as interactive discussions on Africa’s integration agenda and processes for all stakeholders including the general public.

ORIA also aims to promote sharing of best practices and experiences among the RECs in order to improve upon implementation of treaties and protocols.  Likewise, the online and electronic discussion and debates that are a part of the architecture of the observatory will enable the general public to express their views and perspectives on Africa’s integration, and thus be empowered as informed active participants in the integration process, rather than passive onlookers. This will immensely contribute to the harnessing of ideas and perspectives that could be useful to improve certain aspects of Africa’s integration process.

The Observatory also serves as a central platform to diffuse key activities and publications of the ECA, AU, RECs and other partner institutions on Africa’s integration. Information and knowledge sharing activities of up-to-date and valuable integrated data, facts and figures on Africa’s regional integration agenda especially across RECs and Member States will generally provide a knowledge management framework for the general public to acquaint themselves with the evolution of Africa’s integration process and be empowered as informed active participants in the integration process, rather than passive onlookers.

The Observatory concentrates on 8 identified sectors that are usually focused on by Regional Economic Community (REC) treaties and protocols. Usually within a REC, not every treaty covers all sectors explicitly or thoroughly, however the generic alignment to 4 pillars identified for Regional Integration is noticeable within the treaties and protocols of the 8 recognised RECs that are pillars of the African Economic Community.

The 8 sectors are (i) Trade (ii) Money and Finance (iii) Transport (iv) Communications (v) Energy (vi) Agriculture (vii) Manufacturing (viii) Human development and Labour Markets

These 8 sectors can all be found to be embedded within the 4 pillars required to forward the Regional Integration agenda so as to achieve the African Economic Community.

 The 4 pillars are namely:

  • Trade and Market Integration
  • Macroeconomic Policy Convergence, Financial and Monetary Integration
  • Peace, Security and Stability
  • Harmonisation of Sectoral Policies in Infrastructure, Natural Resources, Climate, Food, Gender and Agriculture
                          


The Observatory’s  furrowed focus aims at analysing the 4 pillars of Regional Integration within REC and other Institutional/Organisational profile spaces whereby background information, management structure, major achievements, short and long-term goals as well as average growth of Integration Indices, can be articulated in a single workspace with focal points having administrative rights and privileges.

This REC-centric approach encourages focal point participation for the RECs so as to update or maintain their respective REC profiles.

 

Elements of the Observatory

  • History & Background on Africa’s Regional Integration Efforts
  • Treaties and Protocols on Regional Integration
  • African Union (AU), Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Intergovernmental Organizations in Africa
  • African Countries’ Regional Integration Profiles
  • Publications and Deliverables on Regional Information
  • African Union Summit, Decisions, Declarations and Resolutions
  • Central Africa Regional Integration Observatory
  • Eastern Africa Regional Integration Observatory
  • Northern Africa Regional Integration Observatory
  • Southern Africa Regional Integration Observatory
  • Western Africa Regional Integration Observatory