New report looks at next steps of continental agreement

The ninth edition of the flagship report on the evaluation of regional integration in Africa (ARIA IX) was launched on July 6, 2019 at the African Business Forum in Niamey, Niger.

It bears the title "Next Steps of the African Continental Free Trade Area". The report states that the success of the Agreement will largely depend on its ability to change lives, reduce poverty and contribute to economic development in Africa.

At the launch – which took place in the presence of the President of Niger, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), United Nations agencies and world leaders Business – Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Vera Songwe pointed out that:

"For AFCFTA to work, we need to ensure that competition, industrial policies and property rights work well." That's what the report says, she noted, adding, "and I urge you to read it."

ARIA IX is jointly published by ECA, UNCTAD, AU and AfDB.

UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi also spoke at the launch and stressed that "competition, investment and intellectual property rights" were crucial requirements of the next phase of AfCFTA, as indicated in the report.

Mr. Kituyi expressed "his solidarity and partnership with ECA and AUC" and urged the African business community to "take ownership of the integration effort" on the continent.

ARIA IX notes that traditional investment treaties prevail on the continent, with major repercussions on the policy and regulatory space available to policy makers. However, he believes that the AfCFTA investment protocol represents an unprecedented opportunity for AU member states to reorganize the investment policy landscape.

The report recommends that ratification of the Convention, which entered into force on 30 May 2019, be followed by effective implementation and that it be more effective if the National Committees of the Convention are established by the Parties. ministries of commerce of the countries.

Looking forward, the report examines e-commerce and integration in an Africa in digitization, as well as the interactions between the digital economy and AfCFTA and the trade in Africa.

The implementation of AfCFTA is to dispel the crisis of implementing AU decisions and initiatives and to validate the AU and its agenda2063.

This is a litmus test of African countries' commitment to economic integration.

Download the report here :: bit.ly/2JiimdD

Follow the conversation and add your voice to the debate on Twitter: @ECA_Official or the hashtag #ARIA

— Economic Commission for Africa