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

In cooperation with the Austrian Foundation for Development Research (ÖFSE) and the Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation (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 in 2019, 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: "The AfCFTA as a driver for trade, production and employment: strategic considerations" by

H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area and former South African Representative at the World Trade Organization

Followed by a panel with:

Leena Koni Hoffmann, Associate Fellow in the Africa Program at Chatham House, UK; member of the International Council of Transparency International

Robert Kappel, Prof. emeritus at the University of Leipzig and President emeritus of the German Institute for Global and Area Studies GIGA

Moderators:

Miriam Mona Mukalazi leads the Africa Policy Program at the Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation (VIDC)

Bernhard Tröster, Senior Researcher at the Austrian Foundation for Development Research (ÖFSE)