RECs

Economic Community Of West African States ECOWAS

ECOWAS

ECOWAS Commission at a glance

The Heads of State and Government broke with the past by their decision to transform the ECOWAS Secretariat into a Commission. The difference goes beyond a name change and an increase in the number of officers at the management level. After thirty years of existence, ECOWAS finds itself at a cross-roads. At thirty, ECOWAS has come of age, is mature and master of its destiny.

Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS-CEEAC)

ECCAS

PROFILE: ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF CENTRAL AFRICAN STATES (ECCAS-CEEAC)

Objectives:

CEEAC aims to achieve collective autonomy, raise the standard of living of its populations and maintain economic stability through harmonious cooperation. Its ultimate goal is to establish a Central African Common Market. At the Malabo Heads of State and Government Conference in 1999, four priority fields for the organization were identified:

Arab Maghreb Union (AMU)

AMU
Profile: ARAB MAGHREB UNION (AMU)

Contact Details:
AMU Secretariat
14 Rue Zalagh Ph: +212-37-671 274/78/80/85
Rabat-Agdal Fax:+212-37-671 253
Morocco
www.maghrebarabe.org

Member States:

Algeria
Libya
Mauritania
Morocco
Tunisia

Objectives:

The main objectives of the AMU Treaty are to strengthen all forms of ties among Member States (in order to ensure regional stability and enhance policy coordination), as well as to introduce gradually free circulation of goods, services, and factors of production among them. Common defense and non-interference in the domestic affairs of the partners are also key aspects of the Treaty. The Treaty highlights the broad economic strategy to be followed, namely, the development of agriculture, industry, commerce, food security, and the setting up of joint projects and general economic cooperation programs. Finally, the agreement provides the possibility for other Arab and African countries to join the Union at a later stage.

Common Market For Eastern And Northern Africa (COMESA)

COMESA

PROFILE: COMMON MARKET FOR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA (COMESA)

Southern African Development Committee (SADC)

SADC

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Eastern African Community (EAC)

East African Community (EAC)

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AFCAC Officeial RECs

CEN - SAD
OBJECTIVES:

CEN-SAD was established to achieve the following objectives:

Establishment of global economic union based on strategy through a development plan complementary to national development plans of the countries concerned, embracing investment in the agricultural, industrial, energy, social and cultural fields.
The jumping of this hurdle will make it possible to envisage the monetary future of this Community with serenity.
The removal of all restrictions hampering integration of these countries through adoption of necessary measures to ensure:

Member States
The 18 member states of CEN-SAD are:

The Republic of Benin
Burkina Faso
The Central African Republic
The Republic of Chad
The Republic of Djibouti
The Arab Republic of Egypt
Eritrea
The Gambia
The Great Socilaist Peolple's Libyan Jamahiriya
The Republic of Mali
The Kingdom of Morocco
The Republic of The Niger
The Federal Republic of Nigeria
The Republic of Senegal
The Somali Democratic Republic
The Republic of The Sudan
The Togolese Republic
The Republic of Tunisia

Contact Details

CEN-SAD Secretariat
P.O.Box 4041
Place d'Algeria
Tel: (00218) 21 3614832, (00218) 21 3614832
Fax: (00218) 21 3343670, (00218) 21 333216
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: http://www.cen-sad.org

ECCAS

PROFILE: ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF CENTRAL AFRICAN STATES (ECCAS-CEEAC)

Contact Details:

: CEEAC : +241-73 3547/8
BP 2112
Libreville, Gabon
www.ceeac.org

Member States:

Angola
Burundi
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Congo (Brazzaville)
Democratic Republic of Congo
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
Rwanda
Sao Tome et Principe

to develop capacities to maintain peace, security and stability, which are essential prerequisites for economic and social development;
to develop physical, economic and monetary integration;
to develop a culture of human integration [sic]; and
to establish an autonomous financing mechanism for ECCAS.

COMESA

PROFILE: COMMON MARKET FOR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA (COMESA)

Contact Details:

COMESA Centre : +260-1-229726/29
Ben Bella Road : +260-1-225107
PO Box 30051: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Lusaka Website: www.comesa.int

Member States:

Angola
Mauritius
Burundi
Mozambique
Comoros

Namibia

Congo
Democratic Republic Rwanda
Djibouti
Seychelles
Egypt
Sudan
Eritrea
Swaziland
Ethiopia
Tanzania*
Kenya
Uganda
Lesotho*
Zambia
Madagascar
Zimbabwe
Malawi

ECOWAS
PROFILE: ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES (ECOWAS)

Contact Details:
Secretariat Building _: (9) 314 7647
60 Yakubu Gowon Crescent
Asokoro Fax: (9) 314 3005
Abuja
Nigeria
www.ecowas.int

Member States:

Benin
Guinea
Niger
Burkina Faso
Guinea-Bissau
Nigeria
Cape Verde
Liberia
Senegal
Côte d'Ivoire
Mali
Sierra Leone
The Gambia
Mauritania*
Togo
Ghana

*In December 1999, Mauritania announced that it would withdraw from ECOWAS as a result of its disagreement with some of the decisions taken at the Summit.

Objectives

ECOWAS aims to promote co-operation and integration in economic, social and cultural activity, ultimately leading to the establishment of an economic and monetary union through the total integration of the national economies of member states. It also aims to raise the living standards of its peoples, maintain and enhance economic stability, foster relations among member states and contribute to the progress and development of the African Continent. ECOWAS integration policies and programmes are influenced by the prevailing economic conditions in its member countries, the need to take the principal provisions of the AEC Treaty into account, and relevant developments on the international scene.

The revised treaty of 1993, which was to extend economic and political co-operation among member states, designates the achievement of a common market and a single currency as economic objectives, while in the political sphere it provides for a West African parliament, an economic and social council and an ECOWAS court of justice to replace the existing Tribunal and enforce Community decisions. The treaty also formally assigned the Community with the responsibility of preventing and settling regional conflicts.

IGAD
PROFILE: INTERGOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY ON DEVELOPMENT (IGAD)

Contact Details:
BP 2653 : +253-354 050 / 352 880
Djibouti Fax: +253-356 994 / 284
Djibouti
www.igadregion.org

Member States:

Djibouti
Somalia
Eritrea
Sudan
Ethiopia
Uganda
Kenya

Objectives:

IGAD aims to expand the areas of regional co-operation, increase the members' dependency on one another and promote policies of peace and stability in the region in order to attain food security, sustainable environment management and sustainable development.

The IGAD strategy is to attain sustainable economic development for its member countries. Regional economic co-operation and integration are given special impetus and high priority to promote long-term collective self-sustaining and integrated socioeconomic development. The leading principles of the IGAD strategy are stipulated in the agreement establishing IGAD, but are also mindful of the UN Charter and AU Constitutive Act.

IGAD's aims and objectives are to:

Promote joint development strategies and gradually harmonise macro-economic policies and programmes in the social, technological and scientific fields;
Harmonise policies with regard to trade, customs, transport, communications, agriculture and natural resources, and promote free movement of goods, services, and people within the sub-region;
Create an enabling environment for foreign, cross-border and domestic trade and investment;
Initiate and promote programmes and projects to achieve regional food security and sustainable development of natural resources and environmental protection, and encourage and assist efforts of member states to collectively combat drought and other natural and man-made disasters and their consequences;
Develop a co-ordinated and complementary infrastructure in the areas of transport, telecommunications and energy in the sub-region;
Promote peace and stability in the sub-region and create mechanisms within the sub-region for the prevention, management and resolution of interstate and intrastate conflicts through dialogue;
Mobilise resources for the implementation of emergency, short-term, mediumterm and long-term programmes within the framework of sub-regional cooperation;
Facilitate, promote and strengthen co-operation in research development and application in science and technology.

AMU
Profile: ARAB MAGHREB UNION (AMU)

Contact Details:

AMU Secretariat
14 Rue Zalagh Ph: +212-37-671 274/78/80/85
Rabat-Agdal Fax:+212-37-671 253
Morocco
www.maghrebarabe.org

Member States:

Algeria
Libya
Mauritania
Morocco
Tunisia

ECOWAS

Current Members

Benin
Burkina Faso
Cape Verde
Côte d'Ivoire
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Liberia
Mali
Niger
Nigeria
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Togo

Contact Details

101, Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Asokoro District
P.M.B. 401 Abuja, Nigeria
Tel: (234) (9) 31 47 647-9, Fax : (234) (9) 31 43 005, 31 47 646
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
http://www.ecowas.int
ECOWAS Commission at a glance

The Heads of State and Government broke with the past by their decision to transform the ECOWAS Secretariat into a Commission. The difference goes beyond a name change and an increase in the number of officers at the management level. After thirty years of existence, ECOWAS finds itself at a cross-roads. At thirty, ECOWAS has come of age, is mature and master of its destiny.

Changes have already been underway with the support of development partners. These initiatives have been boosted by the Heads of State and Government when they endorsed institutional transformation covering all ECOWAS Institutions.

By implementing this transformation process which should reposition ECOWAS vis-a-vis the West African populations to whom pledges have been made, the leaders of our region have taken the destiny of their institution into their own hands. Indeed, by subscribing to the vision of the Founder-fathers of ECOWAS, they have taken ownership of the objectives designed to improve the living conditions of the citizenry, ensure economic growth and create an environment conducive to development and integration.

By becoming a Commission with enhanced powers and Commissioners in charge of smaller and clearly defined sectors, the ECOWAS Secretariat will have more impact and become more visible in Member States. Regarding the Community Parliament, the restructuring is designed to make it more efficient by providing it with relevant management support. Similarly, the Community Court of Justice is being re-organized to have its judges also concentrate on their core competences.

The expected changes will not be possible without the support of the staff of our institutions. The task is huge; hence, the need for everyone to get involved in its implementation.

The Heads of State and Government urged every one of us to participate in the rebirth of our institution to ensure that development and integration soon become a reality.

East African Community (EAC)

Member States:

Kenya
Uganda
Tanzania

Objectives:

The Commission aims to improve and strengthen co-operation on the basis of the historical ties and understanding between the people of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. In this regard the countries emphasise co-operation in the priority areas of transport and communication, trade and industry, security, immigration and the promotion of investment in the region.

The EAC's bid to create a single East African market entails easing travel restrictions, harmonising tariffs, increasing co-operation among security forces, improving communications, sharing electrical power and addressing Lake Victoria issues. Concrete measures toward integration include freely exchangeable currencies (and ultimately a single currency), a common East African passport, a common flag and a double taxation accord. It also aims to abolish all tariffs with the aim of attaining economic and political integration. Each member would, however, be allowed to extract a maximum 10% surcharge on some products in order to protect indigenous industries, especially in the smaller economies of Tanzania and Uganda. This will be achieved through the establishment of a Customs Union as the entry point of the Community, a Common Market, subsequently a Monetary Union and ultimately a Political Federation of the East African States. The regional organisation aims at achieving its goals and objectives through: -

promotion of a sustainable growth and equitable development of the region, including rational utilisation of the region's natural resources and protection of the environment;
strengthening and consolidation of the longstanding political, economic, social, cultural and traditional ties and associations between the peoples of the region in promoting a people-centred mutual development;
enhancement and strengthening of participation of the private sector and civil society;
mainstreaming of gender in all its programmes and enhancement of the role of women in development;
promotion of good governance, including adherence to the principles of democracy, rule of law, accountability, transparency, social justice, equal opportunities and gender equality; and
promotion of peace, security and stability within the region and good

The East African Community operates on the basis of a five-year Development Strategy. The Strategy document spells out the policy guidelines, priority programmes and implementation schedules. The EAC strategy emphasises economic co-operation and development with a strong focus on the social dimension. The role of the private sector and civil society is considered as central and crucial to the regional integration and development in a veritable partnership with the public sector. Establishment of an internationally competitive single market and investment area in East Africa is accorded priority alongside the development of regional infrastructure, human resource, science and technology.

Contact Information

EAC Secretariat
P.O. Box 1096
Arusha, Tanzania
+255-272-504253/8
http://www.eac.int

SADC

Profile:
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY(SADC)

Objectives:

The main objective of SADC is to achieve development and economic growth, alleviate poverty, enhance the standard and quality of life of the peoples of Southern Africa and support the socially disadvantaged through regional integration. These objectives are to be achieved through increased regional integration, built on democratic principles and equitable and sustainable development. The countries of Southern Africa have adopted a framework of co-operation based on:

Deeper economic co-operation and integration, on basis of' balance, equity and mutual benefit, providing for enhanced investment and trade, and freer movement of factors of production, and goods and services across national borders;
Common economic, political, social values and systems, enhancing enterprise and competitiveness, democracy and good governance, respect for the rule of law and the guarantee of human rights, popular participation and the alleviation of poverty; and
Regional solidarity, peace and security, in order for the people of the region to live and work together in peace and harmony.

Member States:

Angola
Namibia
Botswana
Seychelles
DRC
South Africa
Lesotho
Swaziland
Malawi
Tanzania
Mauritius
Zambia
Mozambique
Zimbabwe

Contact Details:

SADC Secretariat Tel: (267) 35 1863
P.O.Box 0095 Fax: (267) 372 848
Gaborone, Botswana
Website: www.sadc.int

RECs

AFCAC Core Activities

EXECUTING AGENCY

RASFALG - AFI

AFI - CIS