Cameroon told the General Assembly it hosted the 14th WTO ministerial conference in March 2026 and said it intends to support expansion of the African Continental Free Trade Area to boost regional trade and industrialization.

The Kyrgyz resort town of Cholpon-Ata, on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul, briefly became Central Asia’s political capital as it hosted a series of high-level

The Historical Foundation: Ottoman Pluralism vs. Colonial Division

Central Asia’s presidential forum now spans both shores of the Caspian. Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan anchor the principal Caspian crossing at the center of the

The Organization of Turkic States (OTS) has spent the past years assembling itself not through declarations or summit communiqués, but through shared

Pak-Afghan connectivity debate reveals how security, governance, and power shape regional integration beyond rhetoric.

Gwadar’s rise reshapes regional trade and geopolitics, linking South Asia to Central Asia and global markets.

Brazil's alignment with China's Belt and Road Initiative could strengthen Latin American integration, boost infrastructure, and contribute to a multipolar global order, deepening Brazil-China relation

This article explores the implications of the East African Community’s rapid enlargement from three to eight members – including conflict-affected countries. By assessing institutional and politica...

The leaders of Central Asia convened in Tashkent on November 16 for a high-level Consultative Meeting, marking a significant step toward deeper regional

DRCOG reported that the Trip Exchange hub pilot integrated four providers across six counties, completed 36 of 56 trip requests, and that a planned Stage 2 DOT implementation grant was canceled; staff are seeking alternate funding and proposed a short extension to use remaining Stage 1 funds.

The article discusses the concept of African Local Content, emphasizing the need for a pragmatic approach to its implementation. It argues that Africa should avoid creating another grand continental institution with excessive bureaucracy and instead focus on regional pilot programs. The author, Emmanuel Okoroafor, suggests starting with regional frameworks such as West African Local Content, East African Local Content, Southern African Local Content, Central African Local Content, and North African Local Content. These regional initiatives would allow countries to test and refine local content policies before attempting continental integration. The article highlights successful examples in West Africa, where Nigeria has developed extensive local-content requirements in its oil and gas industry, creating significant indigenous capacity. Ghana and Senegal have also established their own local-content regimes. The author proposes that neighboring countries could progressively recognize each other's capabilities, standards, and companies, fostering a genuine regional market rather than isolated national markets. In Southern Africa, South Africa's industrial capabilities could be leveraged alongside the natural resource opportunities of neighboring countries like Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, and Angola. East Africa presents similar opportunities with Kenya's professional and technological capabilities, Tanzania and Uganda's infrastructure developments, and Rwanda's institutional innovation. North Africa, with Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia possessing substantial manufacturing and engineering capabilities, could also benefit from regional recognition of these strengths. The article acknowledges the challenges of balancing regional interests with national interests, such as determining whether a Nigerian company winning a contract in Ghana counts as local content or foreign participation. It emphasizes that success should be measured by tangible outcomes: more African companies winning African contracts, more African professionals working across borders, more equipment manufactured and maintained within Africa, stronger regional supply chains, greater technology transfer, more employment, and a larger share of wealth from African resources remaining on the continent. The author draws parallels with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), noting that while removing barriers on paper is one thing, facilitating the movement of goods, services, businesses, capital, and professionals across multiple jurisdictions is more complex. The article concludes that regional success should precede continental ambition, advocating for a bottom-up approach rather than a top-down proclamation. It warns against creating another continental bureaucracy that would discuss integration while African companies still struggle to move equipment across borders. The key message is that Africa needs results before bureaucracy, evidence before expansion, and functioning regional markets before continental integration.

Less than two weeks after regional leaders gathered in Cholpon Ata, diplomats from the emerging C6 grouping used a discussion in Washington to shift the focus

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U.S. emphasizes strong regional integration efforts despite challenges, aiming for Israeli-Palestinian normalization.

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