Yesterday, the African Union Headquarters became the heart of Africa’s legal conversation as the African Union Commission on International Law (AUCIL) welcomed jurists, legal experts, trade negotiators, scholars and policymakers from across the African continent for its 11th Annual Forum. Under the banner “International Law, WTO Reform and Implementation of the AfCFTA,” this two-day gathering offered an opportunity to move beyond technical fixes and ask the deeper questions that will shape Africa’s future in global trade.
Participants were reminded that the rules governing world commerce have often been written elsewhere, leaving African nations to adapt rather than to lead. Drawing on centuries of indigenous trading customs and recent continental achievements such as the newly adopted Protocol to the AfCFTA Agreement on Women and Youth in Trade, the forum set out to reclaim Africa’s voice in multilateral negotiations. Discussions wove together Africa’s historical contributions, from landmark United Nations resolutions on sovereignty over natural resources to calls for a New International Economic Order, with fresh ideas for how the AfCFTA can reinforce Africa’s leverage at the WTO negotiating table.
Legal experts explored how to align the continental free-trade framework with WTO mechanisms, ensuring that Africa’s emerging single market strengthens rather than fragments global rules. Attention turned to protecting traditional knowledge and cultural heritage in international intellectual property regimes, modernizing special and differential treatment clauses to reflect today’s development challenges, and designing dispute-settlement processes that are both transparent and accessible. Discussions about sustainability underscored the importance of embedding environmental and social safeguards into trade agreements, while reflections on governance reform emphasized the need for decision-making structures that truly include African perspectives.
By the close of the forum, a consolidated roadmap will guide an African legal approach to WTO reform and AfCFTA implementation. This roadmap will inform discussions at upcoming ministerial meetings and serve as a reference for governments and negotiators committed to a fairer, more inclusive trading system. In an era when Africa’s internal market is coming to life and the world’s trading order is in flux, the outcomes of this gathering promise to anchor the continent’s aspirations in a robust legal framework.
The AUCIL remains dedicated to advancing these ideas through ongoing research, advisory work and capacity-building initiatives. As Africa deepens its integration and steps onto the global trade stage with renewed confidence, the legal insights forged in Addis Ababa will serve as a compass, guiding the continent toward equitable participation and sustainable prosperity.
Notes to editor:
AUCIL was created in 2009 as an independent advisory organ to the AU in accordance with article 5(2) of the AU Constitutive Act. The Commission’s main tasks are to: Advise the Union on matters of international law, undertake activities relating to codification and progressive development of international law in Africa with particular attention to the laws of the AU; Propose draft framework agreements and model regulations; Assist in the revision of existing treaties and identify areas in which new treaties are required; Conduct studies on legal matters of interest to the AU and its Member States; Encourage the teaching, study, publication and dissemination of literature on international law, in particular, AU law, with a view to promoting respect for the principles of international law, the peaceful resolution of conflicts, and respect for the AU and recourse to its organs.
Read more about the Statute of the African Union Commission on International Law (AUCIL) at: https://au.int/en/treaties/statute-african-union-commission-international-law-aucil
For more information, please contact:
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Mr.Olatoundji Francis Adanlao I Legal Officer, Office of the Legal Counsel I Email: adanlaoo@africa-union.org
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Ms. Meseret Fassil Assefa I Associate Legal Officer, Office of the Legal Counsel I Email: MeseretF@africa-union.org
For media inquiries and interviews please contact:
Mr. Gamal Eldin Ahmed A. Karrar I Senior Communication Officer I African Union Commission I Email: gamalk@africa-union.org
Information and Communication Directorate, African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org I
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