On October 26, a seminar called “Is it Time for a Common African Market? Working Group Series on Advancing Regional Economic Integration in Africa” took place from 8:30 to 10:00 AM ET. The event was part of a series held by the Center for Global Development (CGD), a non-profit think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. and London, which concentrates on global development.

Alan Hirsch, a Research Fellow at the New South Institute (NSI) and Emeritus Professor at the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance at the University of Cape Town, presented along with Hermogene Nsengimana, Secretary General of the African Organization for Standardization (ARSO). The event was led by W. Gyude Moore, a senior policy expert at CGD, and Francis Mangeni, a CGD non-resident analyst and former director of trade at the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.

The objective of the seminar was to discuss the feasibility and consequences of creating a Common African Market. Discussions focused on finding important people involved and assessing the powerful impact of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), as well as its influence on the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and wider two-way relationships.

Alan Hirsch’s talk, given in London through invitation by CGD, added to the conversation about regional economic unity in Africa. Hirsch gave important information for migrating governance reform, drawing on his research and knowledge.

The webinar is the first of four to discuss regional economic integration in Africa. The series is coordinated by CGD’s Africa Initiative, the AfCFTA Secretariat, and UNDP, and is designed to engage a wide range of stakeholders in addressing the challenges of regional integration.