Events

Press Release N°196/2015
Training Workshop on Trade in Services Negotiations for AU-CFTA Negotiators

Nairobi, Kenya – 24 August 2015. Training Workshop on Trade in Services Negotiation–
Training Workshop on Trade in Services Negotiation organized by the Department of Trade and Industry of the African Union Commission(AUC), in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) commenced today at the Hilton Hotel, Nairobi. The workshop is held with the general objective to build the capacity of services negotiators in Africa to effectively benefit from trade in services opportunities at bi-lateral, regional and multilateral levels but most importantly to prepare for the CFTA negotiations on Services that were launched at the AU Summit in June 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Workshop will also provide a forum to share experiences of successful services exports and brain storm on a strategy for CFTA Services Negotiations .

Mr. Bonapas Onguglo, Senior Economic Affairs Officer, UNCTAD welcomed all the participants to the Training and express his gratituted and appreciation to the government of Kenya and the African Union Commission (AUC) for co-hosting this training workshop.

Mrs. Joyce Ogundo, Director of Economic and International Trade from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in Kenya, delivered the Opening Statement on behalf Dr. Amb. Amina C. Mohammed, Cabinet secretary , Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. In her statement, she welcomed participants to Kenya and thanked the organisers for choosing Kenya as a host of this workshop. She commended the AUC for the intitiative and thanked UNCTAD for the support in organizing this training which will provide an opportunity for developing a network of experts that will drive the services negotiations under the Continental Free Trade Area(CFTA). Ms. Ogundo recalled the two important June 2015 milestones namely; the Launch of the Tripartite Free Trade Area and the launch of the CFTA Negotiations which she said “ have energized the Political impetus for the creation of the Africa Economic Community in line with the mandate of the 1991 Abuja Treaty” She noted that within the WTO Doha Round of Negotiations, trade in services is considered as one of the areas that could elicit consensus at the forthcoming WTO 10th Ministerial that will take place in Nairobi in December 2015”

In conclusion, she reiterated the commitment of Kenya towards the achievement of the CFTA and declared the Workshop Officially Open.

Mrs. Treasure Maphanga, Director of Trade and Industry , African Union Commission , extended her gratitude to the government of Kenya for hosting the workshop and commitment in supporting the private sector in service exports . She underscored that the timing of the Training Workshop stems from the mandate to negotatite a Continental Free Trade Area for Goods and Services by indicative date of 2017. She noted the need to “build the capacity of AU Member States to explore trade in services potential that lies within our continent “ . in this regards she commenced UNCTAD the Co-organizer of the workshop for their tremendous contribution to trade in services in the continent. She also recognized the collaboration between various AUC departments represented at the workshop including , Economic Affairs, Social Affairs, DREA ,HRST and DTI

Mrs. Maphanga noted that UNCTAD Economic Development Report 2015; focusing on Services potential for Africa, as yet another source of evidence and confirmation of the contribution of the Services sector to Africa’s economic growth potential. A competitive manufacturing and agricultural sectors is based on an efficient Services sector, to curb the costs of production and to participate in the regional and global value chains.

She concluded by emphasizing the objective of the workshop which is “to build the capacity of Services Negotiators in Africa to effectively benefit from trade in Services opportunities at bi-lateral, regional and multilateral levels but most importantly to prepare for the CFTA negotiations on Services which were launched in June 2015”. A similar training workshop for the French Speaking African Countries is scheduled to be held in October 2015 in Benin, as part of the initial capacity building initiatives for the CFTA negotiations.

Full speeches are available on: http://ti.au.int/en/

AUC, AU Member States, COMESA, SADC, IGAD, ECOWAS and EAC, International organizations and UN agencies such as the WTO, TRALAC, EU, UNDP,ILEAP, UNCTAD and FAO , Regional and Representatives of the private sector , are attending this meeting .

For More information, please Contact Mrs. Carolyne Tumuhimbise , Trade Advisor, Email: Tumuhimbisec@africa-union.org

Media Contact

Meaza Tezera, Department of Trade and Industry, +251912120442, Email: Meazat@africa-union.org .

For further information:

Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@african-union.org | Web Site: www.au.int | Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

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African Union Customs Experts gathered to discuss the Continent's Trade Facilitation Agenda

Brazzaville, Congo – 19 August 2015 –The first Customs Experts Trade Facilitation Forum organized by the Department of Trade and industry of the African Union Commission, in collaboration with Congolese Customs Authority and GIZ commenced yesterday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting is held with the objective of focusing on providing a Forum for participants to appraise on new developments and endeavors in Trade Facilitation, Sharing of best Practices in the scheduling and implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Measures, Providing a forum for networking among trade facilitation practitioners in the supply chain, validation of Terms of reference/studies on the gap analysis of the implementation of the WTO Trade facilitation Agreement in Africa , Provide a platform for exchange of views and experiences on issues of trade facilitation in line with the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and movement of people across borders.

After welcoming the participants, Mr. Jean Alfred Onanga, the Director General of Customs and Excise of the Republic of Congo thanked the African Union Commission for choosing Brazzaville to organize this Forum. He said “This issues of trade facilitation in Africa, in line with the Action Plan for boosting intra - African trade and the establishment of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) is the indisputable sign of the determination of the African Union, to realize the Action Plan approved by the Assembly of Heads of State and Governments of the African Union, at its 18th Ordinary Session held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in January 2012”. He added” This Forum is the first of its kind and will have the merit to consolidate and measure the process of trade facilitation”. He concluded by wishing successful deliberation for the 1st Forum.

Addressing the participants during the opening ceremony, Mr. Hussein Hassan Hussein , Head of Industry Division and the Acting Director of the Department of Trade and Industry, African Union Commission, thanked the Government of Congo for hosting this event and said ”………The trade facilitation cluster is seized with issues on how to expedite the movement of goods and people across national borders…….The subject of Trade facilitation has become so important and topical of late mainly because of the steadily growing global Trade volumes, the fall in tariffs due to trade agreements and other trading arrangements, the need to reduce transport costs and also availability of modern Technology” . He later added that “……..As you are aware the WTO Trade facilitation Agreement will enter into force once two-third of members have completed their domestic ratification process, to date, three African countries have since ratified the Agreement and 13 have submitted their notifications, we take this opportunity to call on our Members States and Parliamentarians to expedite the process of ratification of that Agreement”. He finally concluded by urging each and every one to share experiences and learn from others to implement sound Trade Facilitation practices.

Taking the floor, H.E Mr. Florant Ntsiba , State Minister , Warmly Welcomed the participants to the Congo land of hospitality on behalf of the President of the Republic, His Excellency Denis Sassou Nguesso and said among other “ African organizations and commercial actors needs to help African customs to establish more effective cooperation instruments to enable the continent to boost intra African Trade” he also highlighted the importance of strengthening the capacity of African customs to enable them to implement Trade facilitation practices. The state Ministers wished a successful meeting and declared the Forum officially open.

Full speeches are available on: http://ti.au.int/en/

Customs/Trade facilitation experts from AU Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), International organizations, UN agencies such as the World Trade Organization, World Customs organization and other United Nations Agencies such as UNECA, UNCTAD and ITC , Regional and Continental private sector organizations, capacity building institutions in the area of Trade facilitation are attending this meeting .

For More information, please Contact Mr. Aly Iboura , Head of Customs division , Email: AlyM@africa-union.org

Media Contact

Meaza Tezera, Department of Trade and Industry, +251912120442, Email: Meazat@africa-union.org .

For further information:

Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@african-union.org | Web Site: www.au.int | Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

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The 1st African Union Customs Trade facilitation forum, Brazzaville, Congo, 19-21 August 2015

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 12th August 2015 – Celebrations for the Third African Day of Standardization were held today 12th August 2015 at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia under the leadership of the African Organisation for Standardization (ARSO) in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry of the AUC and the Ethiopian Standards Agency (ESA). The day was celebrated under the theme “The role of Standards in promoting sustainable Agriculture and food security in Africa”

The third African day of Standardization aimed to raise awareness among African Regulators, Industry, Academia, Consumers and the entire African Citizens on the benefits of standardisation on Africa’s economy. As regional markets become increasingly integrated, divergent and inconsistent national and regional trade policy and standards issues constrain intra-regional trade of most commodities.

In his opening remarks, the President of ARSO Dr. Joseph Odumodu stated “In the Celebrations of the African Day of Standardisation, it must be re-emphasised that, in view of the increased competition associated with globalisation, developing countries seeking sustained growth need to free themselves from dependence on primary products and diversify into manufacturing exports, whose value added translate into wealth. There are many obstacles for the realisation of such a policy, but there is a general consensus that a major barrier is the lack of the often sophisticated standards required to enter global trade markets.”

A made-in-Africa-Expo was held in parallel with the ARSO meetings to highlight the role of standardisation in promoting the manufacturing sector in Africa. Manufacturing currently contributes on average only around 10% to GDP while Africa has a large potential to develop labour-intensive manufacturing.

The made in Africa Expo, among other things, aimed at providing opportunity:

- to present investment opportunities, strategies and success stories to a diverse range of potential partners.

- for the Public-Private-Partnership networks and frameworks for funding, broadening of business engagement and trade.

- to exchange best practices with regulatory and trade facilitation authorities to reduce the economic burden on businesses in order to improve their productivity and profitability, and .

- to provide a platform to exchange evolving business trends to facilitate better positioning of national and sub-regional manufacturing and production enterprises.

Various presentations were made and discussions were held on the theme: "The role of Standards in promoting sustainable Agriculture and food security in Africa."

The event was attended by participants from the 21st ARSO General Assembly Meetings which were held in parallel from 10th to 14th August 2015.

/MFM

ARSO holds its 21st General Assembly Meetings.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 12th August 2015 – The African Organisation for Standardization (ARSO) has convened the 21st ARSO General Assembly Meetings in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry of the AUC and the Ethiopian Standards Agency (ESA) in Addis Ababa from 10th to 14th August 2015. Held under the theme “The role of Standards in promoting sustainable Agriculture and food security in Africa”, the gathering aimed to support the African Union Vision on Agriculture that stresses the need to create “dynamic markets within countries and between regions” as part of its agricultural strategy.

The Assembly meetings consisted of the 52nd ARSO Council meeting which reviewed and approved the ARSO programmes; The third (3rd) Africa Day of Standardization annually held on 12th August; And the 21st ARSO General Assembly which provided a platform for the ARSO members and Stakeholders to review the programmes and progress of the Organisation with respect to its mandate, vision and mission.

Representing the host country, Mrs Almaz Kahsay, Director, Ethiopian Standards Agency highlighted that “We are here representing our National Standards Bodies. This means, we are representing our country as an Ambassador related to matters of standards. As you know standards mean not only technical words. Directly and indirectly standards mean economy, standards mean social and standards mean political affairs. So, we are shouldering high responsibility in developing, harmonizing and implementing standards.”

Mr. Hussein Hassan Hussein, AUC Head of Industry recalled that the standards and quality issue is in the core of the Agenda of the African Union Commissioned since its establishment. "It was a dream of our founding fathers to create a continent where people can move freely (with) goods and services across the continent. Fast tracking the creation of a CFTA is the way to go".

“One of the challenges we as Africans are facing is market Access in the globalised world. The Quality of products and services that we offer should conform to the requirements of the buyer. You have the responsibility to create systems that would strengthen the Standards, Conformity Assessment, Metrology and Accreditation at national and regional level.” said the Minister for Science and Technology of the F.D.R. of Ethiopia, H.E. Mrs. Demilu Hambisa in her opening remarks.

Welcoming all participants, the ARSO President Dr. Joseph Odumodu further emphasized that “Total package of institutional and systemic enablers must all be in place. These include the provision of adequate National Quality infrastructure, policy and regulatory frameworks, conducive social, political and economic environment, financial services and support to businessmen and women, locally and across borders.”

The expected Outcomes of the ARSO General Assembly Events are:

- Identified Programmes and Strategies for the implementation of the African Standardisation Agenda in the African Integration.

- Report on the status of Quality Infrastructure in Africa and a stakeholder driven Strategic Work Plan for implementation.

- Development of High Priority Areas in African Standardisation and economic development

- Understanding the benefit of standardisation and the related activities in economic development of Africa

- Strengthen strategic relationship between ARSO and the AUC-DTI on policy issues on Standardisation in Africa and with regard to the implementation of AUC Strategic programmes

/MFM