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The African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government has chosen Ghana as the host country for the secretariat of the continental African free trade zone (AfCFTA) ).
The decision was announced on Sunday, July 7, 2019 at the 12th Extraordinary Summit of the AU held in Niamey, capital of Niger, after Ghana defeated Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, the Kenya, Madagascar and Senegal.
The Secretariat's main mandate will be to implement the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, which has since been ratified by 25 member states.
In her acceptance speech, during the closing session of the Summit, the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, thanked the Assembly for this decision, stating that "this is the day of the Summit". is a privilege that for the first time in the history of our nation. we have the responsibility to host a major pan-African institution. "
President Akufo-Addo expressed his gratitude to Senegalese President Macky Sall for resigning his candidacy for Ghana and also expressed gratitude to the Egyptian and Ethiopian leaders, their Excellencies Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Abiy Ahmed, respectively. gestures of solidarity.
While applauding the Member States that deposited their instruments of ratification at the headquarters of the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, the President welcomed the decision by Nigeria to sign the declaration. agreement, stressing that "the accession of this country to the free trade treaty". Area has greatly improved its chances of success.
With AfCFTA now the largest free trade area in the world since the creation of the World Trade Organization, it will cover a market of 1.2 billion people, with gross domestic product (GDP) $ 2.5 trillion of the fifty-four (54) African Union Member States that signed the agreement.
"Today we have taken very important steps to work with a common voice and a common goal to harness the abundant wealth and resources of our great continent for the benefit of all our peoples. Indeed, "the Africa we want" is achievable, "said the President.
President Akufo-Addo badured his fellow Heads of State that Ghana would make available to the Secretariat all the facilities necessary for it to function as a world-clbad organization.
In addition, and in accordance with the statutes of the AU Commission, he indicated that the Secretariat would enjoy the privileges and immunities set out in the General Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the OAU, the Vienna Convention on diplomatic privileges and immunities and the Vienna Convention on Human Rights. Law of Treaties and the Vienna Convention between States and International Organizations or between International Organizations.
The President urged the Assembly to instruct the AU Commission to prepare and implement an agreement with the host country in accordance with the decision of the Executive Council EX.CL/195 (VII) Rev.1 of July 2005 on the reception of the organs of the AU; and hold consultations with Ghana and key stakeholders to prepare AfCFTA Secretariat Statutes to provide a report to the Council of Trade Ministers.
"Ghana is ready to donate 10 million US dollars to the African Union to support the operationalization of the Secretariat. I have set up an interdepartmental committee of my government to work with the AU Commission to this end, "he said.
President Akufo-Addo also called pan-African institutions such as the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Development Bank, the African Export and Import Bank, and the African Development Bank. other key stakeholders, including friends from Africa, to provide such support to the establishment of the secretariat.
"I am determined to do everything in my power to ensure the Secretariat gets off to a good start and to help make it a world-clbad institution that will become the pride and joy of all Africans." , did he declare. .
President Akufo-Addo added, "We must help future generations to ensure that the world's largest trading bloc, whose results will benefit all and that will contribute to the realization of" Africa we want ", do not falter."
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