Towards a network of regional integration networks?

Regional integration is, ostensibly, one of the new buzz words across Africa. I say ostensibly because it would appear that while almost everyone accepts that it is a good idea, the political and economic practicalities of moving towards closer regional integration are huge. Be that as it may (or not), a lengthy concept note (45pages) prepared for the recent Conference of Ministers of Public/Civil Service deserves to be widely read: the document examined the links between RECs and the African Public Service Ministers' Programme. The slew of recommendations included the need for a virtual Centre on African Governance Reform and an African Integration Forum; the latter would function as a civil society initiative for promoting NGO and private sector dialogue with African governments on regional cooperation and integration issues. I have posted the paper on the ANSA-Africa website, in the general section.