AfCFTA Scoop Issue 34

Hot Topic: Prioritizing Implementation Strategies for the AfCFTA

The decision of whether to focus on a Regional Economic Community (REC) strategy or a national strategy is pivotal in the context of implementing the AfCFTA. With 8 Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and 54 member states within AfCFTA, a well thought out approach is imperative for success. Commencing with a Regional Economic Community strategy offers benefits such as resource consolidation, trade policy harmonization, and cohesive decision-making processes across countries in the same region. This approach fosters regional integration, establishing a unified market and bolstering collective bargaining power globally. Conversely, a robust national strategy is crucial to ensure each member state maximizes AfCFTA's advantages at national level, addressing specific domestic circumstances and opportunities. A balanced blend of regional and national strategies will lead to a more comprehensive and effective AfCFTA implementation, propelling sustainable economic progress and development throughout the continent. This begs the question, how can we harmonize regional and national strategies seamlessly to optimize AfCFTA's potential for all member states?

In our recommendations this week,

Check out ITC's latest report ‘Women in trade: New data and new insights,' which provides policymakers with recommendations on how to build the resilience of women-led businesses in the long term.?

ICYMI: SEforALL hosted a webinar on how trade policies can shape regional renewable energy supply chains and catalyze domestic manufacturing in Africa. The webinar recording and presentation are now available here

Sign up to become one of the AfCFTA Youth Advisory Council Championship Members by registering here

Register for The African Union 6th ??????-???????? ???????????????????????? ?????????????? brings together Regional Economic Communities, Regional Mechanisms & African Union member States? to be held on 21 July 2024, Accra, Ghana.?

NEW: Listen to our latest podcast featuring expert guests Dr. Bruce Byiers and Prachi Agarwal. In this episode, they discuss the global business and investment landscape in Africa, under the AfCFTA. The episode is also available on Apple podcasts and Spotify

Till Next Week,

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