Report on Ad-hoc expert group meeting on a peer review of the aria report

The report is structured in two parts. The first part looks at the institutional challenges to regional integration. Quantitative indicators are constructed to provide a systematic picture of progress and patterns of integration across RECs. The analysis leads to identification of critical elements for accelerating the regional integration process in the context of the AU. RECs have achieved some important successes in trade liberalization, macroeconomic harmonization and development of infrastructure. However, the results do not match protracted efforts as protocols are often signed but not implemented, there is little interaction among RECs, and regionalism is not effectively mainstreamed in member countries programmes and operations. Two factors that are particularly relevant in explaining the difficulties encountered by most RECs are the lack of capacity, particularly due to lack of financial resources, and the fact that countries are often members of more than one REC. Multiple membership often reduces the commitment of member states to regional efforts.