ECA wants greater involvement in Africa trade policy processes

The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has called for greater all-rounded involvement in Africa’s trade policy processes.

 

This is to give emphasis to the success of Africa’s flagship trade agreements and policies.

 

“Trade policy and its effects are too
complicated and far-reaching to be left to governments alone and must
include dialogue with the private sector through which trade occurs, and
the civil society which can play a key role in
monitoring outcomes and advocacy,” said ECA’s Coordinator of the
African Trade Policy Centre, David Luke.

 

Noting the need to for greater private
sector involvement in trade policy processes across the continent, Luke
further stressed that “effective trade strategies are a product of a
trade policy-making process that includes all
the key stakeholders.”

 

“We expect, therefore, to see
consultation and dialogue become an inherent feature of trade policy
governance at all levels,” the ECA quoted Luke as saying on Wednesday.

 

In addition to calling for strong
involvement of the private sector in Africa’s trade policies, ECA
further commended African countries commitment towards strong
continental trading system, mainly through their determination in
establishing the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

 

ECA further called for involving the
private sector and other stakeholders in realizing the ambitions behind
Africa’s flagship trade agreements, mainly as the AfCFTA.

 

According to the ECA, the negotiation and
signing the AfCFTA in Kigali in March 2018 among African countries
towards the continent’s integration comes “at a time when the general
trend is to be protectionist.”

 

The AfCFTA, which has been signed by 49
African Union (AU) member countries and ratified by seven so far, “will
reduce trade costs and facilitate business expansion and in the process
provide great opportunities for African businesses
to gain from, and contribute to Africa’s rapid market growth,” ECA had
said previously.

 

The AfCFTA will officially come into
force once at least 22 countries have ratified the agreement,
potentially making the continent the largest trading bloc in the world.
The ECA also expressed its expectations that the 22 ratifications
required for the entry into force of the agreement “will be reached by
its first anniversary next year.”

 

As negotiations and actual work of
establishing the AfCFTA continue, Luke said that “the importance of
consultations and dialogue among governments, private sector, civil
society, parliamentarians and other relevant stakeholders
cannot be overemphasized.”

 

“We, at the ECA, believe that it is only
through consultation and dialogue among key stakeholders that Africa
will be able to strategically respond to emerging opportunities and
challenges as well as defend its strategic interests,”
said Luke.

 

The ECA further vowed to continue to
support the second phase of the AfCFTA negotiations, in which e-commerce
is said to be included “soon formally.”

 

The AfCFTA Agreement covers trade in goods, trade in services, investment, intellectual property rights and competition policy.

 

The second phase of the negotiations,
which is expected to start this year, would focus on intellectual
property rights, competition policy and investment, according to the
ECA.

 

ECA is presently working on the next
edition of Assessing Regional Integration in Africa, which is expected
to focus on a detailed analysis of AfCFTA Phase II issues that include
e-commerce, it was noted.

 

With due priority given to AfCFTA’s
implementation, ECA also revealed that it is assisting AU member
countries on a request basis to prepare country-specific AfCFTA National
Strategies.

 

The AfCFTA National Strategies complement
the country’s trade policies and identify the key trade opportunities,
current constraints and steps required for it to take full advantage of
national, regional and global markets, according
to the ECA.