The Monitoring Regional Integration Yearbook has become a household name in the SADC region, when it comes to monitoring the progress or non-progress of integration within the southern Africa region.

Celebrating its 12th edition in the current year it has proven to be a platform of scientific discussion and exchange of political views. A closer look at the 2012 issue sheds some light on the variety of subjects that drive or hinder regional integration. They range from the influence of emerging powers like China on the SADC region to the cooperation between MERCUSOR and SACU to the role of legislature in the process of integration. It also reaches beyond the SADC region to take a closer look at developments in Eastern Africa. The thematic approach spans from trade to transport, from energy to the judiciary.

With major elections just lying ahead or just having passed (Angola, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia), with the issue of the SADC tribunal still unsolved, with critical challenges such as the sustainable energy supply not finally addressed, the region once again seems to have arrived at a watershed moment:

What good can the process of regional integration do to provide solutions for the challenges the region is facing? How can Southern Africa arrive at a stage, where the ideas of a common market, free trade, stability, security and sustainability are implemented successfully?

From the standpoint of many western analysts, Africa seems to be the rising continent, full of opportunities and no longer just challenges. But in order to grasp these opportunities Southern Africa needs to have the proper mechanisms in place to facilitate investments and to ensure prosperity for larger parts of its population. These mechanisms are also needed to let the region emerge as one of the new global players, especially when it comes to economic development.

It is against this background that the 12th edition of the Monitoring Regional Integration in Southern Africa Yearbook should be seen as contribution to further drive the process of integration and to address critical development, challenges, but also successes.

© 2013 Trade Law Centre and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung

Publication of this book was made possible by the support of the Trade Law Centre (tralac) and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. The views expressed by the authors are not necessarily the view of any of these institutions.

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