ATPC News
February - March 2007, Vol 2, No. 2
[Version française]

Trade for Growth and Job Creation
North Africa Trade Forum
Marrakech, Kingdom of Morocco
19-20 February 2007

The role of trade as a driving force of economic development and growth has become unquestionable. There is widespread evidence that openness and trade liberalization are key components of the national policy mix required for promoting economic growth and development. Indeed, the liberalization process has been central to the growth of the advanced industrial economies and to the successful economic development of many other countries since the 1970's.

Central Africa’s policy makers familiarized with trade agreements modeling software

06 March 2007
About 14 government officials and trade experts from Central Africa Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) and other countries in the sub region completed a two-day training last week in Yaounde on how to use modeling software to assess the impact of trade agreements on their economies.

Progress Review of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) Negotiations in Africa

14 February 2007
A report on the status of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) negotiations in Africa has concluded that little progress had been made by African countries despite their many efforts. The report was based on a study jointly conducted by the African Trade Policy Centre of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Union (AU) and the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Secretariat.

Janneh holds discussions with Assistant US Trade Representative

January 17, 2007
United Nations Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, held discussions with the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa Ms. Florizelle Liser on Wednesday 17 January at the ECA head offices in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

ECA holds Coordination Meeting with the Commissioner for Economic Affairs of the AU

January 15, 2007
Trade, Finance and Economic Development Division held a formal working meeting with the Office of the Commissioner of Economic Affairs of the African Union Commission.

ATPC News December 2006, Vol 1, No. 2

The Government of Denmark Grants ATPC US$ 800,000.

December 16, 2006
The African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) has received a grant of US$ 800,000 to facilitate its work in strengthening the participation of African countries in international trade processes.

ATPC News Septemeber 2006, Vol 1, No. 1

Welcome to this first edition of the ATPC News which is replacing the former TRID News. The former Trade and Regional Integration Division (TRID) has ceased to exist as a result of recent organizational changes in ECA.

African experts analyse potential adjustment strategies to EPAs

Addis Ababa, 2 October - African trade experts met in Cairo last month to review ways of mitigating the costs of signing economic partnership agreements (EPAs) with European countries.

ATPC Governing Board concludes second annual meeting

Addis Ababa, 19 June. The advisory board of the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) has approved the draft 2006/2007 work programme of ATPC following their second annual meeting on 19 June in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The board commended the work programme as thoughtful and targeted at the needs of African countries. It further commended ATPC for the hard work in fulfilling its 2005/2006 work programme, which helped advance Africa's interests at international trade negotiations.

Experts call for more ECA, UNDP and ATPC support on trade policy issues.

African trade experts have called on the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC), to continue providing much needed technical assistance to enable member States mainstream trade in their national development plans. The call came at the end of a ad-hoc experts group meeting on mainstreaming trade into national development strategies, held in Casablanca, Morocco from 29 - 31 May.

:: Opening Speech by Mme Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane

:: Presentations

Infrastructure “missing component” in Africa's development

Addis Ababa, 23 May - The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) last week jointly organized a ministerial round table and two high level seminars aimed at highlighting the importance of infrastructure development and regional integration on the continent.

The African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) held a Partners Roundtable to raise the profile of the ATPC and its activities with a view to raising funds for the second cycle of the project from 2007-2011. The Roundtable was chaired by the ECA Executive Secretary Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, and attended by the following ambassadors accredited to Ethiopia: H.E. the ambassador of Canada Mr. Yves Boulanger, H.E. the ambassador of Italy Mr. Raffaele de Lutio, H.E. the ambassador of the Netherlands Mr. Alphons Hennekens, and H.E. the ambassador of Nigeria Mr. Olusegun Akinsanya.

:: Opening Statement by Abdoulie Janneh UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary

:: Statement by Ms. Hanna Gutema, OIC, UNDP/RAULOE, representing UNDP

:: Brief Remarks by H.E. Mr. Olusegun Akinsanya, Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Nigeria

:: Statement by Mr. Yves Boulanger, Ambassador of Canada

:: Trade Capacity Building in Africa: Issues and Challenges by Patrick Osakwe UN Economic Commission for Africa [PPT]

:: Making Trade Work For Africa by Adeyemi Dipeolu African Trade Policy Centre Economic Commission for Africa [PPT]

ECA and World Bank hold policy discussion on trade support

The Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) of the World Bank held a policy-debate with Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) on the World Bank report Assessing World Bank Support for Trade, 1987-2004. The discussion took place at ECA offices in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Monday 3 April 2006. Kyle Peters, IEG Senior Manager and Yvonne Tsikata, task manager for the report represented the IEG.

ECA Briefs African Ambassadors on Doha Round Simulations

The African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) held a briefing session for African Ambassadors and trade negotiators based in Geneva, Switzerland, on the results of ECA simulations based on the conclusions of the Hong Kong World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Meeting in December last year.

The Fifth Meeting of CARIFORUM-EU Principal Negotiators was convened in Barbados on March 27-28, 2006, to take stock of and provide guidance to Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations between CARIFORUM and the EU. The two sides discussed approaches to trade liberalization, identifying areas of convergence and issues requiring further discussion. Both sides acknowledged the importance of sequencing of market strengthening relative to market opening. Following the meeting, the two sides issued a joint statement, which is attached.

:: Joint Statement of the Fifth Meeting of CARIFORUM-EU Principal Negotiators

ACP Geneva, Brussels Ambassadors Meet

A two-day Joint Meeting of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries' Brussels and Geneva-based Ambassadors concluded March 7 in Brussels. Chaired by the Dominican Republic's Ambassador to Brussels, H. E. Federico Cuello, the meeting focused on: (i) an evaluation of the Sixth World Trade Organization (WTO) Hong Kong Ministerial; (ii) analysis of the post-Hong Kong work programme and in this context a consideration of the ACP Strategy; and, (iii) technical assistance requirements for ACP negotiators. The main resource person on most of the issues on the agenda was the coordinator of ACP Geneva-based Ambassadors, H. E. Mr. B. Servansing of Mauritius.

Doha Trade Round: Optimism Emerges on Possible Conclusion of the Round By end 2006
By Mr. Cornelius T. Mwalwanda
Principal Advisor, ECA Geneva Interregional Advisory Services

Renewed optimism has recently emerged that the Doha Trade Round launched in Doha, Qatar in December 2001 could be successfully concluded by the end of 2006, depending on the extent to which major players in the World Trade Organization (WTO) are prepared to accommodate each other. Recent statements emanating from Representatives of major trading countries, as well as the Director General of the WTO, Mr. Pascal Lamy, indicate a renewed sense of urgency to meet the end of April deadline for agreement on modalities for agriculture and non-agricultural market access (NAMA), otherwise there is real danger that the Doha Round could be derailed beyond salvage.

Theme of the month for March now available

Papers for the African Trade Policy Centre’s theme of the month are now available by clicking on the link titled “Monthly Theme” on the menu bar above. The intention in this section is to bring recent publications on selected trade themes to the attention of users of this website on a monthly basis. This month's selection is related to WTO Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) negotiations, and the papers are: Industrial Tariff Liberalization and the Doha Development Agenda by Marc Bacchetta and Bijit Bora; Making NAMA Work: Supporting Adjustment and Development by Chris Milner; Revenue Implications of WTO NAMA Tariff Reduction, published by the South Centre; Trick or Treat? Development opportunities and challenges in the WTO negotiations on industrial tariffs, by Santiago Fernandez de Córdoba, Sam Laird and David Vanzetti; and Why Developing Countries Need Tariffs? How WTO NAMA Negotiations Could Deny Developing Countries’ Right to a Future by Ha-Joon Chang.

The Economic Commission for Africa and the African Union jointly organized a retreat for African Ambassadors and Trade Negotiators from the 17 – 18 February in Montreux, Switzerland. The meeting assessed the outcomes of last year’s Hong Kong World Trade Organization ministerial meeting; identified key issues for Africa in the negotiations; and devised a strategy for approaching future negotiations. The strategy is particularly important since the deadline for presenting draft schedules on modalities for future WTO negotiations is April 30.

:: Aide-Memoire and Provisional Agenda [PDF format]

:: Opening Remarks By United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

ECA holds briefing for African Embassies in Addis Ababa

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) held a briefing for all African embassies based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Monday 6 February 2006. The briefing covered activities of the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC), which is a project of ECA set-up with funding from the Canada Fund for Africa. Several Ambassadors and senior diplomats attended, including representatives from the African Union and Canada Fund for Africa.

:: Trade Negotiations Research and Technical Assistance by Stephen Karingi

:: Activities of the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) by Adeyemi Dipeolu

The World Trade Organization (WTO) and the ongoing Doha Development Round of multilateral trade negotiations occupy a central place in international economic relations. African countries are seriously engaged in the negotiations process with the objective of reforming the international trading system to make it fairer and more open. This publication provides the 100 key words needed to fully understand the negotiations. It presents, from the African point of view, projections for the Doha Round and an analysis of the difficult political processes the negotiators will have to navigate in order to make the Round truly developmental. Currently available only in French [Version Française]

ECOWAS Secretariat transformed into a Commission
- Heads of States approve new tariff structure.

The Executive Secretariat of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was transformed into a Commission on 12th January 2005, following an agreement by Heads of States of its member countries at a one-day summit held in Niamey, Niger.

Trade Ministers Adopt Ministerial Statement at Hong Kong Talks

Trade Ministers adopted a Ministerial Declaration at the end of the Sixth Ministerial World Trade Organization talks, which took place from 13 - 18 December in Hong Kong, China. The statement emphasizes "the central importance of the development dimension in every aspect of the Doha Work Programme" and makes commitments to resolving them. The statement includes an agreement to phase out export subsidies for agricultural products, a key demand of African countries. The full statement is attached below.

:: Ministerial Declaration [Version Française]

:: WTO at Hong Kong: An ill-willed consensus!
Read this opinion piece by Hakim Ben Hammouda, Director of the Trade and Regional Integration Division of the Economic Commission for Africa on the recently concluded Hong Kong WTO Ministerial.[Version Française]

::Reflections by Hakim Ben Hammouda, Director, Trade and Regional Integration Division of the Economic Commission for Africa on the Hong Kong Ministerial. Available only in French.