Marrakech (Morocco) — A side event themed, Digital Trade in Africa: Implications for Inclusion and Industrialisation took place this Saturday in Marrakech, Morocco. The event had four panellists from World Trade Organization, African Export Import Bank, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the Digital Economy of Morocco in the presence of representatives from Ministries of Finance, Economic Planning and Industry, civil society, women's and youth groups, the private sector, development partners and international organisations.
The discussions focussed on how digital transformation can serve as a tool for inclusive trade-led industrialisation. In addition, issues related to the digital economy, industrialisation and intra-African trade, as well as diversification and major opportunities and challenges associated with digital commerce for African countries.
For the Deputy Director General of the World Trade Organization, Mr Yonov Frederick Agah "Digital trade is now a reality in Africa. For Africa, this is an opportunity because it changes the way we do business and trade".
However, said Mr Yonov, "There are three challenges for Africa: the need to look at national policies, basic infrastructures and policy harmonization and policy cooperation".
As for the regional representative to African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs Nwanne Vwede-Obahor, addressing inclusion issues, said that "We must have policies that allow people to access digital".
For its part, the Chief Economist of African Export Import Bank, Mr Hyppolite Fofack believes that "to be well done, digital trade must be accompanied by cross-border payment".
As for the fourth panellist, the Director for international affairs of the Ministry of industry, trade and the digital economy of Marocco, Mrs Latifa Boubdellaoui "E-commerce must be a way of contributing to the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement and an opportunity to improve the funding". According to her, to succeed, we need to have integrated policies. "We can not move to the digital economy without going through industrialization", said Mrs Latifa Boubdellaoui.
The side event took place in the context of a digital revolution that is transforming the business environment, production and trade. This digital revolution offers the African continent an important opportunity to industrialise and catch up with the rest of the world.
It was moderated by the Director of the African Trade Policy Centre of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Mr David Luke.
