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Expert Group Meeting “Governing the Interface between the African Continental Free Trade Area and RECs Free Trade Areas: Issues, Opportunities and Challenges”
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
Online / 11:00 – 12:30 (Addis Time)

The Regional Integration Section of the Regional Integration and Trade Division of ECA is convening a virtual Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on 16th September 2020, from 11:00 to 17:00 hours (Ethiopian time) to review the draft report on the theme: “Governing the Interface between the African Continental Free Trade Area and RECs’ Free Trade Areas: Issues, Opportunities and Challenges.”

Regional Economic Communities have a very important role in the advancement of Africa’s integration agenda, including in the implementation of strategic frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area. This is more so, considering the progress that RECs have made, as well as challenges that they have faced over the years in their efforts to promote trade integration among their member states. One of the main objectives of the AfCFTA is to accelerate regional and continental integration through the consolidation of Africa’s multiple and overlapping trading regimes, embodied in pre-existing RECs FTAs. However, the successful and effective consolidation of Africa’s multiple and overlapping trade regimes as envisioned by the AfCFTA requires some careful and thoughtful management/governance.

This report analyses key issues that underpin the interface between the AfCFTA and RECs FTAs. It proffers actionable policy proposals that would assist in ensuring coherent, coordinated and fully responsive interface between the AfCFTA and REC-FTAs. The study also provides suggestions on how to leverage the trade integration achievements/successes of RECs for the benefit of the implementation of the AfCFTA; as well as lessons that could be drawn from areas of failure of REC-FTAs towards enhancing effective implementation of the Agreement.

The meeting will be attended by representatives from Regional Economic Communities, the African Union, the African Development Bank, Afreximbank, academia and other relevant stakeholders in Africa’s integration. The for further information about the meeting, please do contact: Ms. Likyelesh Abraha (abrahal@un.org);or Emmanuel Chinyama (Chinyama@un.org); or Mr. Francis Ikome (ikome@un.org).


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