Free trade as a driver for Africa´s economic integration?

In cooperation with ÖFSE and VIDC

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is Africa's most ambitious economic integration project. The political ambitions are high: the AfCFTA aims to boost intra-African trade, enable regional value chains, promote industrialization, and enhance the continent's position in the global economy. Considerable progress has been made since the Agreement entered into force five years ago, particularly in establishing its political, legal and institutional architecture. However, translating the AfCFTA's political vision into tangible economic outcomes remains a complex undertaking. Successful implementation goes beyond tariff reductions and requires improvements in trade facilitation, customs procedures, transport and logistics, access to finance, regulatory cooperation, common standards and productive capacities. This event will discuss the current state of the AfCFTA, the challenges of its implementation, and what is needed to boost investment, industrialization and employment in Africa while ensuring that the benefits of integration are shared across countries, regions, businesses and different groups of population.

Key Note Speech:

H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat and former South African Representative at the World Trade Organization: “The AfCFTA as a driver for trade, production and employment: strategic considerations”

Discussants:

Ambassador Valerie Rugene, Deputy Permanent Representative/ Deputy Head of Mission of Kenia to Austria and to the Vienna based UN organizations (tbc)

Prof. Dr. Robert Kappel, Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Leipzig and is affiliated with the International SEPT (Small Enterprise Promotion and Training) Competence Center and the Institute for African Studies. His is also Senior Research Fellow at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), which he led as President from 2004 to 2011.

Dr. Leena Koni Hoffmann, anti – corruption researcher and Associate Fellow with the Africa Programme at Chatham House. She is also the co-founder of Luxembourg for Transparency (L4T), a member of the International Council of Transparency International, and a former investigator at Nigeria's anti- corruption agency.