Rabat — The Economic Commission for Africa launched Wednesday 28 October in Rabat (Morocco) a North African private sector workshop on the challenges of trade integration within the context of the African Free Trade Agreement (CFTA).

As the economic cost of "non integration" is becoming increasingly unbearable for North Africa, participants focused on the sub-regions' existing opportunities. "The Maghreb has significant strengths and potential, which could allow it to become a driving force in Africa's economic development, as a peace, security and stability building and consolidation factor in the Sahel and Sahara region", said Zakia El Midaoui, Director of Multilateral Cooperation and International Economic Affairs at the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "By taking the initiative to gather ECA and AMU teams, the media, private sector representatives, ECA is showing commitment to support Member States' efforts to give the African and North African integration processes a new impetus".

"As the UMA Secretary General, I can only encourage North African businessmen to extend their aspirations and take part in this initiative. Our planet has become a village, and to succeed in one's own market, one also needs to succeed in outside markets, especially the closest ones, in the Maghreb and Africa", said the Arab Maghreb Union Secretary General Habib Benyahia.

The Maghreb Union of Employers (UME) also aims to help make the liberalisation of common trade and investment a reality in North Africa. To do so however, the support of driving forces such as institutions, the medias and organisations will be necessary, said UME representative Zakia Sekkat.

Organized as part of the 6th North Africa Development Forum (Rabat, 27-31 October) this workshop made it possible to gather representatives of the North African private sectors. Other Forum activities include a training workshop for the North African economic media and an international Colloquium on « WTO 20 years after, African integration and major regional trade agreements » (29-31st October), organised in partnership with the WTO Chair of the Mohammed V University and Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquée au Développement (LEAD, Toulon University).

In this 6th edition, the Forum aims to encourage trade between North African countries and with other African countries, by raising participants' awareness of the free-trade agreements that exist or are under discussion, and their potential roles in the negotiation and decision processes.

" For developing countries, regional integration is both a way of reducing the negative effects of asymmetrical multilateralism and a smooth insertion strategy into the global economy", said Nassim Oulmane, acting Director of the ECA office in North Africa.

Event:

International colloquium on "WTO 20 years after, African integration and major regional trade agreements": Open to the public starting from 29 October à 9h at the Souissi Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Science, Rabat (Morocco).

For more information, please visit www.uneca.org or contact:

-Economic Commission for Africa, Office for North Africa: Tel: +212 (0) 673 734 462; Email : cea.an.coms@gmail.com or hfilali-ansary@uneca.org

-WTO Chair, Mohammed V University: +212 (0) 668 188 967; Email: chaire-omc@um5s.net.ma; http://fsjes-souissi.um5s.ac.ma/