Implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area: A Simple, Scalable, and Fast Computational Approach for Algorithmic Governance

Book chapter by Craig Atkinson and Joseph Potvin in Sustainable Development in Post-Pandemic Africa: Effective Strategies for Resource Mobilization, Edited by?Fred Olayele,?Yiagadeesen Samy

In Chapter 9 by Craig Atkinson and Joseph Potvin, the authors describe a computational approach for simple, scalable and fast implementation of trade policy in the context of the AfCFTA rules. They suggest an approach that can improve trade governance and resource mobilization by diverse actors. The chapter begins by identifying various constraints to intra-African trade such as the patchwork of rules resulting from Regional Economic Communities (RECs), administrative hurdles to cross-border e-commerce, the existence of multiple ‘digital divides’ and the impact of complex health and safety management regulations, such as what arose throughout 2020-2022. To overcome these constraints and assist with the implementation of the AfCFTA, they outline the relevance of the recently launched Data With Direction Specification (DWDS) to facilitate the discovery and transmission of information about rules among all types of rule-makers and rule-takers. The resulting ‘Internet of Rules’ (IoR) is intended to ensure access and enable computer-assisted rules-based coordination for human-centred algorithmic governance. This proposal is particularly relevant for the concept of “Trade Policy 3.0” discussed by the authors, whereby digitally executable versions of commercial regulations are published on the Internet in a platform-agnostic open standard format.