Work

Integration along the Abuja road map: A progress report

Year: 2017

Type: book

Abstract: This paper reviews integration among the eight African Regional Economic Communities by comparing their characteristics and progress with three other South–South Regional Integration Arrangements. Three conclusions emerge: (i) slow progress towards meeting overly ambitious objectives; (ii) small changes in the destination of trade across all Regional Economic Communities, indicative of persistent high trade costs and few new manufactures products destined for geographically close markets; and (iii) compared with other South–South Regional Integration Arrangements, the Regional Economic Communities include a high number of provisions not covered in Word Trade Organization negotiations, but these have low legal enforceability. Reasons for this slow progress are explored in the paper.

Source: Working Paper Series

DOI: 10.35188/unu-wider/2017/327-1

Authors: James de Melo, Mariem Nouar, Jean-Marc Solleder

Institutions: University of Geneva, Fondation pour les Études et Recherches sur le Développement International, United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research

Language: English

Topic: Global trade and economics

Subfield: General Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: European Commission, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, African Union, United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research