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On thecapacity needsof the RegionalEconomicCommunitiesAddis Ababa, Ethiopia25 February 2006The African Capacity Building Foundation convened this very importantmeeting on addressing the capacity needs of the regionaleconomic communities (RECs), which were designated, by the AbujaTreaty, as the lead agents for realising the dream of an African EconomicCommunity. In addition, the Heads of State of the NEPAD ImplementationCommittee have also assigned them priority tasks tobe carried out to advance the NEPAD agenda. Despite being assignedsuch important duties, the RECs are still not being provided with resourcesthat commensurate with the tasks they have been assigned.This partly explains why progress towards the ultimate goal of anAfrican Economic Community has been mixed.The overlapping mandates and objectives of the RECs, the duplicationof integration policies and the multiplicity of membership by Africancountries into the different RECs, appear to be slowing downthe integration agenda. At the same time, despite the efforts of theRECs and member countries, intra-African trade remains low becauseof factors that include existing non-tariff barriers. With regardsto the movement of persons from one country to another, most RECshave abolished tourist visas, however, most RECs are yet to implementthe rights of residency and establishment for non-citizens of amember country.Integrating Africa97