Cote d'Ivoire Is Moving Towards the Validation of Its National Strategy to Implement the AfCFTA

2 December 2019
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United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (Addis Ababa)

Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) — On December 4-5, in Abidjan, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Government of Cote d'Ivoire are organising a workshop to validate the National Strategy and set up the guidance mechanism of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for the country.

This meeting will be held in a context where last July, African countries launched the first operational phase of the AfCFTA with the aim of serving as a framework for discussion and validation of the National Strategy for the implementation of this agreement in Côte d'Ivoire.

This strategy, which is based on a participatory and inclusive process that allowed for the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data, has as its main purpose the definition of a framework for the application of the measures contained in the Agreement establishing the AfCFTA and which aim at the liberalisation of the national market, which will then be inserted harmoniously in an integration framework at the continental scale.

Its effective implementation will significantly increase exports to sub-regions other than the ECOWAS. The industrial sector is expected to reap the most benefits from this trade expansion that could rise to 8.5%, making the Agreement an opportunity for industrialisation and for the promotion of a tool for the structural transformation of the economy.

In terms of the expected impact of the AfCFTA for the country, the effective implementation of the Agreement should support the achievement of the following strategic objectives:

improving the level of information of the actors about the AfCFTA;

rationalising the institutional and regulatory system for the promotion of trade;

strengthening the reference framework for policies promoting national competitiveness;

reducing transaction costs associated with trade and facilitating trade;

improving the business environment;

developing aggressive commercial strategies ;

undertaking the firm commitment to upgrade producers and products;

promoting the participation of women and the informal sector in cross-border trade.

This validation workshop, which will last two days, will see the participation of members of the AfCFTA National Committee (AfCFTA-NC) in Côte d'Ivoire and experts from the ECA.

For more information, please contact: Tahirou Gouro, Communications Officer, ECA- SRO/WA,

Email: gouro2@un.org

Sub-Regional Office for West Africa

428 Avenue du Fleuve Niger

B.P. 744

Niamey, Niger

Read the original article on UNECA.

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