Communique: Sixth Session of the Committee on Trade, Regional Cooperation and Integration
13 October 2009
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
- We, the representatives of the following Member States of the United Nations in the Africa region: Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Congo (Republic of), Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe met at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 13 to 15 October 2009 to participate in the Sixth Session of the Committee on Trade, Regional Cooperation and Integration. The following institutions and organizations were represented at the meeting: the African Union Commission (AUC), Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), Community of the Great Lakes countries (CEPGL), the African Development Bank (AfDB), United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Trade Organization (WTO), Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG), the United States Mission to the African Union, Centre of Studies on Regional Integration and SADC Law at Eduardo Mondlane University, United Nations liaison Office to the AU, World Bank and European Union delegation to the African Union.
- We elected the following countries to constitute its Bureau for the sixth meeting of the Committee:
| Chairperson: |
Ethiopia |
| First Vice-Chairperson: |
South Africa |
| Second Vice-Chairperson: |
Ghana |
| Third Vice-Chairperson: |
Gabon |
| Rapporteur: |
Egypt |
- The main focus of the Committee was to consider activities undertaken by ECA to advance the African Union’s continental agenda on economic cooperation and promote trade within and outside Africa. In that regard, we examined the progress made on regional integration in Africa and reviewed developments in intra-African trade. We also examined the latest developments in the international trade arena, particularly within the context of the WTO negotiations and Africa’s economic partnership arrangements with Europe. We further examined the issue of mainstreaming regional integration at the national level and made recommendations for enhancing implementation of Africa’s regional integration agenda accordingly. Finally, the Committee reviewed major activities undertaken during the current biennium and work priorities for 2010-2011.
- We received various presentations from ECA, the AU Commission, AfDB and other institutions on the various issues listed in paragraph 3. We took note of the presentations and commended the various presenters. We noted the progress being made in advancing continental integration; the minimum integration programme of the AU; trade facilitation efforts and the need for mainstreaming regional integration at the national level. We also identified the challenges constraining the integration of the continent and the urgent need to address them.
- We underscored the need for the popularization of the regional integration agenda and the important role of the media in sensitising the public on regional integration issues, including the work of the African Union, the RECs and other stakeholders pushing forward the regional integration agenda. We further underscored the key role that the media could play in ensuring that member States of the African Union mainstream regional integration into national programmes and national laws, including the implementation of the protocols and Decisions of the AU and RECs at the national level.
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