Addis Ababa — In January 2012, the African Union Summit of Heads of States and Government approved an Action Plan for Boosting Intra -African trade and the establishment of a Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) by an indicative date of 2017.
According to the approved Road Map, during the period 2012 to 2014, the Regional Economic Communities that are recognized by the African Union are supposed to ensure the effective implementation of regional free trade agreements. During this period, it is expected that COMESA, EAC and SADC will conclude negotiations for the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) by the year 2014. ECOWAS, ECCAS, AMU, IGAD and CEN-SAD are encouraged to ensure that their regional free trade areas are working effectively to prepare to engage for negotiations that are scheduled to take place starting from 2015.
To drive the process of the implementation of these major initiatives, the Summit directed the AUC, in collaboration with the RECs and development partners, to develop a strategic framework for the implementation of the BIAT Action Plan and the CFTA. In response to directive and as part of the preparations for the CFTA negotiations, the African Trade Policy Centre of ECA in collaboration with African Union Commission and SADC Secretariat organized the SADC Consultative/Sensitization Meeting on the CFTA/BIAT on 30-31 May 2014.
Issues that were discussed during the meeting include the current state of trade liberalisation in SADC, Implementation Strategy for Boosting Intra Africa Trade (BIAT), studies on the trade potential of the CFTA/BIAT, Principles Guiding the Negotiations for the CFTA, Institutional Arrangements for the Negotiation of the CFTA, technical issues on the CFTA and private sector views on the CFTA/BIAT. The outcome of the report will feed into the upcoming African Minister of Trade Conference
Furthermore, ATPC with its partners upon receipt of requests from selected RECs and member countries are supporting the development of national and regional action plans on BIAT. The BIAT Action Plans are targeted at addressing the constraints that limit intra- and inter- regional trade and at harnessing the opportunities of the trade for accelerated and sustainable economic growth and development. Further meetings have been proposed for; UMA, 28 June, 2014 in Rabat, Morocco; ECCAS/Gabon 2-4 July 2014 in Libreville Gabon Congo and ECOWAS/Nigeria, 17th - 20th June 2014 in Abuja Nigeria.
The proposed BIAT national and regional action plans will be formulated by the selected national and regional technical working groups for the development of trade- related programmes and activities in priority sectors of the countries or regions. The BIAT national and regional action plans will serve as effective instruments that will leapfrog trade as potent instrument for the attainment of transformative economic growth and development, enhancement of African market integration, and improved and increased participation of the continent in global trade.
