Making Trade Work for Africa’s Sustainable Development: The case of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)

tralac, in collaboration with the African Union Commission, held a session at the Trade + Sustainability Hub 2024 in Abu Dhabi, organised by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, alongside the World Trade Organisation’s 13th Ministerial Conference.

Background

Integrating unequal partners in a comprehensive, continental Free Trade Area (FTA) – the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) – to support Africa’s transformation and development is a complex, yet necessary endeavour. In this session, we reflected on the challenges of crafting a comprehensive FTA agenda, with complementary initiatives such as a continental industrialisation strategy to support the development and diversification of productive structures undergirded by an Adjustment Fund to assist those countries – especially Africa’s least developed countries – that will face challenges from liberalisation.

The session explored trade-industrial policy linkages from a development perspective, to underscore the economy-wide approach to transformation of Africa. The role of the Protocols on intellectual property rights (IPR), investment, competition policy, digital trade and women and youth in trade, in supporting Africa’s industrialisation and trade development away from commodity dependence was examined. Trade-climate linkages in the context of the AfCFTA and its industrialisation agenda were also explored.

View our session details here.

About the Trade + Sustainability Hub

The International Institute for Sustainable Development’s Trade + Sustainability Hub 2024 will take place from 26-28 February in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and feature more than 30 events co-hosted by over 50 organisations. The Hub will bring together thought leaders from both within and outside governments for a series of conversations on the challenges of building cooperative trade policy that delivers for sustainable development

The theme for 2024 is: Trade Policy in Turbulent Times: Can We Find a Way Back to Cooperation? It aims to pave the way forward for sustainable trade which contributes to achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and shape the sustainable trade agenda. Join this thought-provoking event to learn from internationally renowned experts, hear a wide range of diverse perspectives, connect with other members of the trade community, and bring your own expertise to the table.