Download or read book Assessing Regional Integration in Africa VIII written by United Nations Publications and published by UN. This book was released on 2017 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The establishment of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) is a major milestone in the long march of African integration. As foreseen in the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community (commonly known as the Abuja Treaty), which entered into force in 1994, the integration process is to culminate in the African Economic Community. A review of the current status of Africa's economic integration is the subject of Chapter 2. The CFTA aspires to liberalize trade between African countries across the continent and to build on the considerable successes already achieved within Africa's regional economic communities (RECs). By doing so, the CFTA is set to facilitate intra-African trade; foster regional value chains that can facilitate integration into the global economy; and energize industrialization, competitiveness and innovation-- and thereby contribute to African economic and social progress and development.