Walvis Bay, 17 February 2017 (ECA) - The African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) has been praised for its efforts towards promoting intra-African trade including support for the CFTA negotiations, monitoring of the Boosting Intra-African Trade Initiative, and the success of the African Trade Forum (ATF).
Members of ATPC’s Steering Committee applauded the Centre during their 2nd Steering Committee Meeting (SCM) under the current (2016-2020) ATPC programme cycle, in Walvis Bay, Namibia on 16-17 February.
The meeting reviewed and approved ATPC’s 2017 work programme and budget, and recommended that a robust performance monitoring system be put in place to ensure a more systematic tracking of the impact of the Centre’s activities and outputs. It was also recommended that a significant proportion of ATPC’s 2017 expenditure be directed towards the implementation of catalyst projects for boosting intra-African trade, as it did in 2016.
Speaking during the gathering, David Luke, Coordinator of ATPC, gave an overview of the Centre’s most significant achievements in 2016 including support to the AUC for the preparation of a draft legal text for the CFTA negotiations. Mr. Luke also thanked Global Affairs Canada for its financial support to the Centre which has been “essential to all that the Centre has achieved over the last year”.
For his part, Stephane Duval, First Secretary of Global Affairs Canada reiterated the importance Canada attaches to Africa’s trade integration agenda including efforts to boost intra African trade. Mr. Duval commended the Centre’s work on trade and climate change, noting that this affords the opportunity for pioneering work in the area of trade and clean energy as part of green growth strategies.
The Committee is an essential part of ATPC’s governance and is made up of the African Union Commission (AUC), African Development Bank (AfDB), development partners, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), collaborating institutions, civil society and private sector representatives.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Stephen Karingi, Officer in Charge ECA’s Regional Integration and Trade Division reiterated the Commission’s appreciation to Global Affairs Canada for its support to the Centre and assured the meeting that its recommendations will be transmitted to ECA’s top management.
Hosted by the Walvis Bay Corridor Group, the meeting was preceded by the inauguration of the African Corridor Management Alliance on 13 - 15 February, a coordinating body of Corridor Management Institutions that ATPC has helped to establish.
The 2nd SCM was attended by representatives of the AUC, Global Affairs Canada, ECA’s Sub-regional offices, the African Institute for Economic and Development Planning (IDEP), the African-Export-Import Bank (Afrexim Bank), RECs, the private sector, civil society, collaborating research institutions, and ATPC staff.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: ecainfo@uneca.org