Dans le présent rapport souhaité bref, il ne sera donné qu'un aperçu sur l'historique, les structures, les objectifs, les réalisations et les relations de l'Organisation Commune Africaine, Malgache et Mauricienne.

Il y a deux ans, presque jour pour jour, le 21 mai 1970, les Chefs des États membres de l'Union Douanière des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest signaient à Bamako le Protocole d'Accord portant création de la Communauté Économique de l'Afrique de l'Ouest.

Le Traité de Brazzaville du 8 décembre 1964 institue l'Union Douaniére et Économique de l'Afrique Centrale (UDEAC).

1. Purpose To intensify Member States' cooperative efforts in the economic development of the Lake Chad Basin, a specific area defined as the conventional Basin with particular attention to surface and ground water utilization but also extending widely to agriculture, livestock, minerals, industry, transportation and telecommunications development.

It is claimed by many students of economic organizations that the East African Community is unique in the whole world and is one of the most integrated and most advanced of regional organizations for economic and political co-operation. This may well be so if it is compared with thoseorganizations which have sprung up during recent decades in an effort to stem military conflicts. To the many generations of East Africans who have grown up with the idea of co-operation through common services of railways, posts and telegraphs, airways, currency, customs and numerous others, this is not unique. In fact, considering the long period over which the States have been co-operating, the people had expected much more in 1967 than a mere “common market”—they wanted, and still want, a federation, at the least.