Regional Bloc COMESA Experts Gather to Tackle Integration Issues

By Xinhua 

September 12, 2023

The 10th edition of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) annual research forum opened Monday in Lusaka, the Zambian capital, with the aim of discussing emerging topical issues in regional integration.

The two-day event has brought together policymakers, representatives from academia, think tanks and the private sector to discuss eight research papers prepared by researchers from across the African region, according to organizers.

The forum, themed “30 Years of COMESA Regional Integration: Retrospect and Prospects,” was part of capacity-building initiatives in economic and trade policy research and analysis to strengthen integration and trade policy in the COMESA region and the African continent. It is intended to narrow the gap between academia, the private sector and policymakers in economic integration and regional trade policy formulation process.

Chileshe Kapwepwe, the COMESA secretary-general, said at the start of the forum that the event was one of the key avenues through which the secretariat harnesses knowledge and policy insights from eminent scholars, researchers, academics, and policymakers.

She said it was important to take stock of COMESA’s regional integration journey, its achievements, challenges and prospects for promotion of further regional economic integration as the regional bloc approaches its 30th anniversary.

She cited the growth of intra-COMESA exports from 1.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2000 to 12.8 billion dollars in 2021 as part of the significant achievements under the free trade area regime.

“Despite this growth, intra-COMESA exports remain low at about 9 percent of its total exports,” she said.

According to her, a lot more work, including research, was required to unlock the potential and enable member states to better utilize the preferences embedded in the free trade area regime.

Mohamed Kadah, the COMESA assistant secretary-general in charge of programs, assured participants that the outputs from the event would be integrated into planning for regional integration programs to be implemented.