COMESA: History

November 4,1965 A ministerial meeting is held in Lusaka, Zambia, for the consideration of organization proposals.

March 1978 The recommendation for the creation of a sub-regional Preferential Trade Area is made during a meeting of Ministers of Trade, Finance, and Planning in Lusaka, Zambia.

December 21,1981 A treaty to establish a Preferential Trade Area for Eastern and Southern Africa in Lusaka, Zambia is signed.

September 30,1982 The Preferential Trade Area Treaty is ratified.

November 5,1993 The COMESA Treaty is signed by 16 founding members in Kampala, Uganda.

November 10,1994 Angola, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, and Tanzania join COMESA.

December 8,1994 The COMESA Treaty is ratified in Lilongwe, Malawi.

November 12,1997 Lesotho and Mozambique withdraw from COMESA.

January 6,1999 Egypt joins COMESA.

November 22,2000 COMESA, as a member of the Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States sign the Cotonou Agreement with the European Union in Cotonou, Benin.

September 2,2001 Tanzania leaves COMESA.

November 7,2001 Seychelles joins COMESA.

November 9,2004 Namibia leaves COMESA.

November 9,2005 Libya joins COMESA.

November 14,2007 Angola suspends itself from COMESA.

November 18,2008 The non-reciprocity of the original Cotonou Agreement is transformed into an Economic Partnership Agreement.

November 10,2009 COMESA holds the 13th Meeting of the COMESA Committee of Governors of Central Banks in Cairo, Egypt, where the decision to create the COMESA Monetary Institute (CMI) is made.

March 7,2011 The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Monetary Institute (CMI) is officially launched on March 7, 2011 at the Kenya School for Monetary Studies in Nairobi.

2012 COMESA signs contracts appointing a team of advisors who will work to assist the trade bloc in raising $1 billion to fund the COMESA Infrastructure Fund.

April 8, 2013 The COMESA Innovation Council is inaugurated.

2013 COMESA, EAC, and SADC launch a Tripartite Capacity Building Programme to increase trade within the three blocs.

2015 COMESA and International Trade Center sign a pact to boost intra-Africa trade.