Addis Ababa — Experts have gathered in Addis Ababa for a two day meeting to undertake a human rights impact assessment of the proposed African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA), focusing on employment, food security and agricultural livelihoods.

The meeting will be held by the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES).

David Luke, ATPC's Coordinator says, "I'm excited that at this workshop, we are taking time to review various methodologies associated with impact assessments and to interrogate the added value a human rights impact assessment of the CFTA will bring to the table. A focus on employment, food security and agricultural livelihoods is particularly well-targeted as all African countries face challenges of inclusion, sustainability and transformation in these policy spheres."

Previous ECA analysis has shown, a CFTA has the potential to significantly change patterns of intra-African trade and to have a profound impact on the transformation of African economies. In light of this, it is important to consider how the CFTA will impact inclusive development and how it will advance economic rights such as the right to decent work, the right to food and the right to an adequate standard of living.

African Trade Policies Must Match Industrialization Imperatives

There is now broad consensus that, without diversified economies, Africa will remain prone to exogenous shocks and trapped in the paradox of high growth rates, coexisting with high levels of unemployment and extreme poverty. It is for this reason that the last four issues of the Economic Report for Africa have investigated the fundamental policy questions and challenges facing the transformation process and endeavoured to shed light on, and bring coherence to, policy priorities at national, regional and continental levels.

Existing analysis suggests that the CFTA will have a substantial and positive impact on inclusion, growth and transformation in Africa, suggesting that it would advance human rights on the continent. However, a rigorous impact assessment will give a better idea of the extent of these benefits and the policy measures that are required to reinforce such outcomes. Mr. Luke stresses the need to point the way to policy measures that are required to accompany the CFTA "in order to facilitate optimal outcomes".

The meeting is taking place at the ECA Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 16 to 17 April 2015 and includes participants from a wide variety of multilateral and human rights organizations, as well as ECA partners.