Assessing Regional Integration in Africa VI

ARIA VI, “Harmonizing Policies to Transform the Trading Environment,” carries forward the momentum of January 2012’s Decision and Declaration by addressing the issue of harmonizing rules of origin and trade facilitation instruments to ease Continental Free Trade Area negotiations by member States. The report starts with a brief overview of progress in regional integration, followed by discussions on the harmonization of three key prerequisites to pave the way for a meaningful continental market—rules of origin, trade facilitation instruments and cross-border linkages for information and communications technology.