African Development Report 2014 Regional Integration for Inclusive Growth

the African Development report for 2014 is devoted to Africa’s key economic and political aspiration—the integration of the continent. fifty years after it became a pillar of Africa’s apex organizations, including that of the African Development Bank, the building blocks for regional integration as well as policies and strategies are now well in place, what remains is institutional building and committed implementation at the national and regional levels. this will require political resolve and heightened institutional capacities. the report’s main conclusion is that regional integration is still a relevant pillar for Africa’s development, although the global context has changed greatly since the continental goal was first introduced in the 1960s. in 2013, the African Development Bank adopted its new ten-Year Strategy, “At the center of Africa’s transformation ” which once again reinforces the importance of regional integration for its work. As Africa looks ahead with confidence, the Bank will continue to be a keen supporter of all possible efforts to bring Africans and their economies together. this will be reflected in its support to infrastructure development, cross-border and international trade, governance and related policies, as well as capacity building. the Bank’s decentralization program will ensure that it has a presence in all regions of the continent and will continue to actively support the regional integration agenda, including through partnerships with regional member countries, and the private sector in and outside the continent. A frican D evelopm ent R eport 2014 R egional Integration for Inclusive G row th i