Essay Competition on the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area and the African Union Continental Free Trade Area

The Saana Institute is launching its first ever Essay Competition in association with the Centre for the Analysis of Regional Integration at Sussex (CARIS) at the University of Sussex and the Trade Law Centre (tralac) in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

ESSAY COMPETITION THEME: AFRICAN REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

June 2015 has been a watershed for Africa’s regional trade and integration agenda with the signing of the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) agreement in Sharm El Sheikh, and the launching of negotiations for the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) during the African Union Heads of State Summit in Johannesburg.

The signing of the TFTA agreement and launching of the CFTA negotiations are the key steps towards the establishment of an African Customs Union by 2019.

WHO CAN ENTER?

The competition is aimed at university students who are citizens of any African Union country, between the ages of 18-25 and currently enrolled in undergraduate studies in economics, law, political science or other relevant discipline. Entries are welcomed from AU citizens between 18-25 years enrolled in higher education institutions inside and outside of the borders of AU countries.

HOW DO I ENTER?

Choose one of the topics below and write an evidence-based essay of between 1,500 to 2,500 words. The topics are based on the Tripartite Free Trade Agreement (TFTA) and the Continental Free Trade Agreement (CFTA).

1. Where can the TFTA and CFTA  make the biggest contribution to boosting inter-African trade and responding to Africa’s economic development challenges and opportunities? How can they be designed to  realise these gains?

2. Africa already has a plethora of regional economic communities and related institutions and initiatives. Are these building blocs or stumbling blocs for the TFTA and CFTA?

3. Does the evidence suggest that regional free trade agreements such as the TFTA and CFTA will cater to the needs of smaller, less industrialised nations in Africa, as well as the larger economies? How can we ensure the TFTA and CFTA benefit Africa’s poor?

4. What governance arrangements would work best for the TFTA and the CFTA to ensure a business-led and people-centred integration process? Is there sufficient political will to conclude the TFTA and CFTA negotiations and implement provisions in a timely manner?

5. Assess the economic benefits of regional integration in Africa such as the Tripartite Agreement or the proposed continental FTA over the successful conclusion of the WTO Doha round at the 10th Ministerial Conference in Nairobi in December 2015. Where should African policy makers focus their attention?

The deadline for essay submission is Monday 3rd August 2015 at 23:59 hours British Summer Time (BST). Winners will be announced in September 2015.

WHAT ARE THE PRIZES?

The first prize will be USD 1,000 and the winner will be invited to present their paper during tralac’s Conference on the Continental Free Trade Area during the last quarter of 2015. The first runner up will receive USD 750. Further prizes of hardback book sets published by tralac will be awarded to highly commended entries. The winning essays will also be published by tralac.