The integration process in Africa started under the auspices of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in the aftermath of independence. Since then, numerous initiatives have been set in motion and legal framework devised to accelerate the process. These include the Lagos Plan of Action and the Final Act, the Abuja Treaty, Sirte Declaration, creation of the African Union with its New Partnership for Africa’s Development and the Accra Declaration on Union Government.
The integration approach geared to the establishment of the African Economic Community (AEC) set forth by the Abuja Treaty was regional in orientation, and was anchored on the RECs which constitute the pillars and building blocks of the Community. These regional communities have made tremendous progress in their respective domains since they were created, but the pace of implementation of programmes is still slow and needs the support of the integration players.On this score, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa have attained the phase of free trade area, whereas IGAD is still at the level of coordination and harmonization of its Members’ activities. The East African Community (EAC) is the only community that has attained the stage of Customs Union, and this since January 2005, and expects to launch the Common Market by the year 2010.
Concerning RECs projections, the COMESA and ECOWAS are on course to achieve a Customs Union this year 2009. ECCAS and SADC plan to launch theirs by the year2010.
A comparison of the integration calendar of the RECs and that of the Abuja Treaty shows that with the exception of Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) and the CEN-SAD, other communities are clearly ahead in terms of the time frames set by the Treaty to create a Customs Union in each REC by 2017. However, other communities are still behind and facing numerous challenges amongst which are: lack of financial and human resources, multi-membership of several RECs, non-elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers, inadequate infrastructure, non-application of the economic integration protocols, lack of political will, insufficient coordination between Pan-African institutions, lack of unity on the part of the development partners, etc.
In view of the spirit of the Sirte Declaration of 9.9.1999, which called for acceleration of the integration process and shortening the time frames fixed by Abuja Treaty, there is need to agree on a continental framework for coordination, convergence and collaboration among the RECs to achieve the ultimate objective, namely, the integration of the continent and African Economic Community. The consensual framework between Member States, RECs and AUC, called the dubbed Minimum Integration Programme (MIP), will serve as a connecting link or common denominator for African continental integration players.
The Minimum Integration Programme consists of different activities on which the RECs and parties involved should agree upon to speed up and bring to a successful conclusion the process of regional and continental integration. The MIP encompasses the feasible objectives defined in the Strategic Plan of the AU (four years) and will be implemented by the RECs, Member States and the African Union Commission (AUC) in collaboration with Africa’s development partners.
The MIP is built on the virtues of variable geometry approach which permits the RECs to progress at different pace in the process of integration. To this end, the RECs will continue to implement their respective programmes (considered as priority programmes) and at the same time, attempt to carry out the activities contained in the MIP, the contents of which were identified by the RECs themselves in close collaboration with the AUC.
The priority sectors retained by the RECs for the first phase of MIP (2009-2012), are as follows: free movement of persons, goods, services and capital; peace and security; energy and infrastructure; agriculture; trade; industry; investment and statistics. Apart from these priority sectors, the RECs have deemed it absolutely necessary to embark upon urgent activities, which are considered as vital support measures in the domains of political affairs, science and technology and social affairs.
For each of the above-mentioned sectors, the objectives to be attained at different levels of implementation are spelt out and tagged on to a series of activities and priority projects to be undertaken by the concerned parties.
