ATPC Work in Progress
Assessing the Consequences of the Economic Partnership Agreement on the Economy of Sudan

ATPC Briefing
The Economic and Welfare Impacts of the EU-Africa Economic Partnership Agreements

Upcoming Events

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. With the appropriate policies, trade can reduce poverty and help countries accelerate progress towards the attainment of sustainable development and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It is therefore important to explore how policy makers and private sector operators can put in place effective trade strategies that are supportive of sustainable human and economic development on the African continent. Close partnership between various stakeholders in support of the advancement of Africa's economic integration is also critical for strengthening of the region's position in the international trade-related negotiations.

Against this background, ECA organized a Forum on “Trade for Growth and Job Creation”, in collaboration with the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco and a number of development partners among them the Canadian Fund for Africa on 19-20 February. The meeting was opened by H.E. Mr. Mustapha Mechahouri, the Minister of Foreign Trade of the Kingdom of the Morocco, Mr. Habib Ben Yahia, Secretary-General of the Arab Maghreb Union, Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, United Nations Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, and Mr. Hedi Jilani, President of the Maghreb Union of Employers.

The forum aimed to enrich the discourse concerning the most effective national and international initiatives to intensify inter and intra-regional trade flows and insure that trade policies promote sustainable development. In particular this meeting:

1) Explored the solutions to the issues that are preventing trade promotion in the North Africa region,

2) Gave policy makers an opportunity for sharing views and discussing inter- as well as intra-regional trade development policies in line with the socioeconomic development objectives of each country,

3) Recommended the implementation of a permanent mechanism that will allow policy makers to discuss and find resources for formulating trade promotion strategies, and

4) Provided private sector operators with a platform for finding market information, identifying trade opportunities and understanding trade mechanisms.

The key outcome of the North Africa Trade Forum was the Marrakech Declaration which highlighted the recommendations and actions agreed upon by all the stakeholders in order to respond to employment challenges in North Africa through the revitalization of intra-regional trade. The Declaration was presented to the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts (ICE) of the ECA in North Africa (ECA-NA) at its meeting held on 21 February 2007 in Marrakech, Morocco. The ICE agreed to transmit the Declaration to the 2007 ECA Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development ECA scheduled to take place from 29 March to 3 April 2007 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

For more information: See the website of the Forum, http://northafricaforum.org/anglais.html

Or contact northafricaforum@uneca.org
CM 2007 website: http://www.uneca.org/cfm/2007/