Ethiopian Informer
ADDIS ABABA (EI): African countries have been urged to unlock barriers impeding the free movement of people, capital, goods, and services to effectively realize the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The call was made by the flagship Assessing Regional Integration in Africa report, which was jointly published by the African Union (AU), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and the African Development Bank (AfDB) on Saturday.
The 11th edition of the continental report, under the theme “Delivering on the African Economic Community: Towards an African Continental Customs Union and African Continental Common Market,” offers “bold, practical, and forward-looking” policy recommendations to deepen Africa’s economic integration by building on the foundation laid by the AfCFTA.
The report highlighted that the continental free trade pact represents “a major transformative milestone in Africa’s integration agenda.”
As of March, 54 countries had signed the agreement establishing the AfCFTA, while 48 have ratified the accord —demonstrating strong political will across the continent.
The report, however, underscored that despite this “strong political will” to the success of the continental free trade pact, the African continent still trades more with the rest of the world than within itself.
Calling for “deeper reforms to unlock the full benefits of integration,” the report stressed that accelerating AfCFTA implementation will inject a vital foundation for transitioning to an African continental customs union and an African continental common market.
The report, among other things, emphasized the need to “dismantling barriers and harmonizing policies for a stronger and more united Africa that represents a dynamic productive force in the global arena.”
It further outlined the conditions for building a common continental market through the removal of non-tariff barriers and non-tariff measures, and harmonization of policies and standards to facilitate the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital.
Since its inception in 2004, the flagship Assessing Regional Integration in Africa report series has served as a biennial flagship publication of the AUC, ECA, and AfDB, assessing Africa’s progress in regional integration and providing actionable, evidence-based policy guidance to decision-makers across the continent.
Addressing the hybrid report launching event on Saturday, Executive Secretary of UNECA Claver Gatete said the report is “a forward-looking, intellectually grounded, and practical policy tool for deepening the continent’s integration and enhancing its competitiveness in an increasingly complex global geopolitical landscape.”
