tralac’s Ashly Hope recently presented at UNCTAD’s Multi-year Expert Meeting on Trade, Services and Development (18-20 May 2016), fourth session. The meeting focused on the role of policy, regulation and institutional frameworks in services development and trade.

The discussions considered the services economy and its increasing importance to economic development. The meeting provided a platform for sharing experiences from both developed and developing countries on cooperation, regulating services and services sector liberalization, particularly in the areas of ICT, telecommunications and financial services.

tralac’s presentation focused on financial services in the context of CFTA negotiations. Ashly highlighted the importance – as part of the move towards greater African integration – of including a meaningful discussion on regulatory barriers and cooperation on financial services as part of the CFTA agenda, suggesting that the lens of financial inclusion could be an effective way for trade negotiators to engage with important financial sector stakeholders towards this end.