Libreville — The African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) held its fourth Steering Committee Meeting (SCM) from 27 to 28 February 2019 in Libreville, Gabon, hosted by the Economic Commission for Central African States (ECCAS).
The SCM was chaired by the Commissioner for Trade and Industry of the African Union and attended by Global Affairs Canada which is ATPC's main funding partner, representatives of the ECA Sub Regional Offices, Regional Economic Commissions, African Development Bank (AfDB), African Organisation for Standardisation, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UK Overseas Development Institute, private sector, trade support institutions, academia and civil society.
In welcoming the members of the committee to the meeting, David Luke, Coordinator of the African Trade Policy Centre emphasized the importance of the committee as part of the Centre's governance to ensure operational transparency and accountability. Mrs. Marie Thérèse Chantal Mfoula, Deputy Secretary General in charge of the Department of Physical, Economic and Monetary Integration of ECCAS which hosted the meeting, in her opening remarks highlighted that "The Community's partnership with ATPC has enabled the region to participate effectively in the process of trade negotiations on the establishment of the AfCFTA launched by the African Union." she noted that implementation is now ECCA's priority including support member states to maximize the benefits of the Agreement.
On his part, Mr. Stephen Karingi, Director of the Regional Integration and Trade Division (RITD) of ECA noted that "ATPC, through its stakeholders and partners, has been an instrumental cog in the establishment of the AfCFTA Agreement, and through its implementation, Africa will change the way it trades for many years to come."
H. E. Commissioner Muchanga echoed this point and commended ATPC for the key role it played in supporting the AFCFTA negotiations.
Following intense and fruitful discussions, and the presentation of the findings of the ATPC mid-term evaluation of its 2016-2020 programme, the meeting adopted ATPC's 2019 budget and work program. It endorsed a set of recommendations including the need for the Centre to extend its range of partnerships for stronger outreach and impact in meeting the challenges of AfCFTA Implementation.
