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Standards and regulations are an integral, if easily overlooked, part of our daily life. They determine whether a plug fits into a socket, whether food is safe for human consumption or whether a bank...

This report looks at the missing link to inclusive growth for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which are less productive relative to large firms in the developing world than in the developed world...

This publication examines how the three elements of regional integration, innovation and competitiveness are interlinked. It explores the prospects for harnessing them within the framework of Africa’s...

This publication comes at a time of renewed enthusiasm for shortening the period of the vision of the Abuja Treaty. The publication's overall objective is to provide analytical research that defines...

The African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) promises to give a significant boost to the continent’s economy and, in particular, to support industrialization and structural transformation. In this...

This year’s report focuses on regional trade, the most common form of trade for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It contains 50 country profiles, featuring detailed SME competitiveness...

This SME Competitiveness Outlook assesses the impact of conflict and fragility on business performance. It unveils a Fragility Exposure Index, and shows that fragility, as experienced by firms, can be...

This report provides a comprehensive evaluation of the state of Africa's integration process, showing where efforts have succeeded or failed including why intra African trade remains low; and how lack...

This overview is drawn from the groundbreaking policy research report “Assessing Regional Integration in Africa” (Sales No. E.04.II.K.3). It reflects on the integration agenda, revisits some of its...

Our services sectors are key to an economic transformation. This report calls them ‘connected services. Transport and logistics, financial services, information and communication technologies, and...

The SME Competitiveness Outlook 2021 analyses how small businesses can rebuild from the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic so they are better prepared to face the looming crisis of climate change. It...

The tenth edition of the report on Assessing Regional Integration in Africa (ARIA X) is on the theme: “Africa’s services trade liberalization and integration under the AfCFTA”. The report seeks to...

Increasing annual investments in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries by $1 trilling would yield disproportionate dividends in terms of progress towards the Sustainable...

Signed by 52 African countries, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is, by the number of participating countries, the largest trade agreement since the formation of the WTO. This report...

New technologies like advanced robotics, 3-D printing, big data and the internet of things are rapidly changing the way in which firms do business. A strong business ecosystem is necessary to manage...

This publication comes at a time of renewed enthusiasm for shortening the period of the vision of the Abuja Treaty. The publication's overall objective is to provide analytical research that defines...

This report examines the effectiveness of Africa’s regional economic communities in pushing forward the regional integration agenda towards the objectives of the Abuja Treaty establishing the African...

This report finds that although there are some successes, African countries are still experiencing enormous difficulties in achieving the macroeconomic convergence criteria set by their RECs, such as...

This publication is released at a time where the world is carefully moving out of the 'great lockdown' stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, a partial or complete lockdown of the majority of...

The publication seeks to address the pressing issues that are negatively affecting trade amongst African countries. It undertakes a comprehensive empirical analysis of intra-African trade to determine...