INTRODUCTION

In a bid to contribute to the acceleration of the Continent's integration process, and in the spirit of the Sirte Declaration, the African Union Commission, in close collaboration with the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), organized a series of consultative meetings on the rationalization of RECs aimed at compiling the inputs of stakeholders in a process that was launched about four decades ago. The first regional consultation which brought together the Western, Central and Northern regions was organized in Accra, Ghana, from 27 to 28 October 2005, while the second, concerning the Eastern and Southern regions was organized in Lusaka, Zambia, from 9 to 10 March 2006. All the RECs participated effectively and actively in the two regional consultations that led to the organization of the 1 st Conference of African Ministers in charge of Integration in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from 30 to 31 March 2006.

Considering the success of the 1 st Conference, the Ministers recommended that the African Union Commission submit a report thereon to the Conference to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, and a draft decision on the institutionalization of the Conference.

The Heads of State and Government of the African Union meeting in their 7 th Ordinary Session in Banjul, The Gambia, from 1 to 2 July 2006, considered the recommendations made by the Conference of African Ministers in charge of Integration and adopted the following decision:

DECISION 1: DECISION ON THE MORATORIUM ON THE RECOGNITION OF REGIONAL ECONOMIC COMMUNITIES (RECs) - Assembly/AU/Dec.112(VII)

DECISION 2: Decision on the Institutionalization of the Conference of African Ministers in Charge of Integration - A ssembly/AU/Dec.113(VII)

OBJECTIVE OF THE CONFERENCE

The main objective of the 2 nd Conference of African Ministers in charge of Integration is to, inter alia :
  Carry out an evaluation of the implementation of the Ouagadougou recommendations;
  Consider the results of the quantification studies of the scenarios: the reconsideration of the phases of the Abuja Treaty and the elaboration of a Minimum Integration Programme for the RECs;
  Propose an appropriate, clear and consistent approach to the policy organs of the African Union, particularly the Assembly of the Union in July 2007.

CONTENTS OF THE CONFERENCE

The Conference will be structured around the following papers:
  Can Africa overcome the challenge of its economic and political integration? Can the European example serve as a model?
  The building of common markets in Africa: results obtained, difficulties encountered and the way forward (the case of COMESA)
  How can the RECs be successfully rationalized?
  Role of Regional integration in obtaining significant growth and sustainable development
  Mobility of factors of production among States: driving force or handicap to the regional integration process?

The Experts Meeting will be structured around the following items:
Consideration of the Study on the Rationalization of RECs and the Minimum Integration Programme;
  Presentation of the Status of Integration (by each REC).
  Examen d'un plan de mise en œuvre des recommandations de la première Conférence.

PARTICIPANTS

The following organs are invited to participate in the deliberations of the Conference:
African Union Commission;
African Ministers in charge of Integration;
Economic and Regional Communities;
Experts from Member States;
Pan-African Institutions: AfDB and UNECA;
Pan-African Parliament.

ORGANIZATION AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONFERENCE

VENUE AND DATES OF THE CONFERENCE
The Conference will be held in Kigali, Rwanda, from 26 to 27 July 2007. It will be preceded by an Experts Meeting from 23 to 25 June 2007.

  FORMAT OF THE CONFERENCE
The Ministerial Conference will be preceded by a two-day Meeting of Government Experts at the end of whose deliberations a report will be prepared, including proposals and recommendations, to be submitted for the consideration of the Ministers.

The Ministerial Conference, which will be held over two days, will consider the themes included in the agenda. The Ministers will adopt a Declaration.

WORKING LANGUAGES
The working languages will be: English, French, Arabic and Portuguese.

EXPECTED RESULTS

It is expected that the Conference of African Ministers in charge of Integration will formulate proposals and recommendations aimed at providing concrete solutions to the problems Africa is coming up against in its integration process.

The recommendations made by the Ministers will be submitted to the Heads of State and Government at the Assembly of the Union scheduled to take place in Accra, Ghana, in July 2007.