About SRO-Central Africa

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has five (5) sub-regional Offices throughout the continent, including that of Central Africa based in Yaounde-Cameroon. It serves countries of the Central Africa Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) and Sao Tomé and Principe.

It was set up in 1971 under the name UNDAT (United Nations Development Advisory Team). UNDAT’s mission was to advise States on socio-economic matters.

In 1978, the Offices were transformed into Multinational Programming and Operational Centres (MULPOCs) for Central Africa, with the duty of implementing programmes and projects designed at the headquarter in Addis Ababa.

In 1997, these Offices again changed name and became Sub-regional Development Centres (SRDCs). This change in name was spurred on by African States which expressed the desire to see these entities play a more visible role.

Still in an effort to better serve its customers, ECA again renamed the SRDCs in 2002 which became ECA sub-regional offices (ECA – Sub-regional offices). The one for the Central Africa sub-region thus became the ECA sub-regional office for Central Africa (ECA – Central Africa Office). Following these changes, additional financial and human resources were made available to the sub-regional offices to help them efficiently play their role as ECA operational branches.

The sub-regional offices were mandated to support Member States in their efforts to strengthen sub-regional cooperation and regional integration in Central Africa. Within this framework, the Central Africa sub-regional office has to work in partnership with institutions responsible for facilitating sub-regional economic grouping, namely the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the Central Africa Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), as well as with sector-based intergovernmental institutions, the private sector and civil society organizations (CSOs).

Its duties

• Act as ECA operational tool at country and sub-regional levels;
• Provide advisory services to Member States, regional economic communities and development stakeholders at the sub-regional level ;
• Facilitate economic cooperation, integration and development at the sub-regional level;
• Foster gender issues;
• Collect and disseminate information;
• Act as facilitator of integration activities carried out by United Nations bodies working in the sub-region.

Its partners

• Inter-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies ; as such, it coordinates the United Nations and Specialized Agencies’ operational programme in collaboration with the UNDP and the UN Resident Coordinator at the country level;
• Sub-regional economic communities and inter-governmental organizations, for the development of integration projects;
• Governments, civil society and the private sector in the Central Africa sub-region, for the building of information and knowledge sharing networks.

Countries of the sub-region

• Cameroon
  

  Area: 475 442 sq km Capital: Yaounde Population: 14,9 million inhabitants Per capita GDP: 463 600 F CFA (700 €)

  GDP growth rate in 2000: 4,2% GDP growth projections in 2001: 7,3% Inflation in 2000 (annual variation): 0,8% (BEAC data, December 2000)

• Chad
  

  Area: 1 284 000 sq km Capital: N'Djamena Population: 7,1 million inhabitants Per capita GDP: 157 550 F CFA (240 €)

  GDP growth projections in 2000: 4,5 % GDP growth rate in 1999: 0,3 % Inflation in 2000: 3 % (BEAC data, December 2000)

• Congo
  

  Area: 341 821 sq km Capital: Brazzaville Population: 2,9 million inhabitants Per capita GDP: 611 200 F CFA (931 €)

  GDP growth projections in 2000: 7,5 % GDP growth rate in 1999: -4,3 % Inflation in 2000: 2 % (BEAC data, December 2000)

• Gabon
  

  Area: 267 667 sq km Capital: Libreville Population: 1,14 million inhabitants Per capita GDP: 2 701 400 F CFA (4118 €)

  GDP growth projections in 2000: 0,5 % GDP growth rate in 1999: -9,7 % Inflation in 2000: 1 % (BEAC data, December 2000)

• The Central African Republic
  

  Area: 622 984 sq km Capital: Bangui Population: 3,4 million d'habitants Per capita GDP: 188 800 F CFA (287 €)

  GDP growth projections in 2000: 4,7 % GDP growth rate in 1999: 0,8 % Inflation in 2000: 2,5 % (BEAC data, December 2000)

• Equatorial Guinea
  

  Area: 28 051 sq km Capital: Malabo Population: 456 000 inhabitants Per capita GDP:1 572 100 F CFA (2396 €)

  GDP growth projections in 2000: 15 % GDP growth rate in 1999: 23,2 % Inflation in 2000: 4,5 % (BEAC data, December 2000)

• Sao Tomé and Principe
  

  Area:  1000 sq km Capital: Sao Tomé Population: 100 000 inhabitants Per capita GDP: F CFA

  GDP growth projections in 2000: GDP growth rate in 1999: Inflation in 2000: