ATPC II launched with Programming Missions to EAC and SADC Secretariats

As part of activities to launch the second phase of the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC II), a programming mission was undertaken to the Secretariat of the East African Community (EAC) in Arusha, Tanzania from 8-9 September 2008. A similar mission was undertaken to the Secretariat of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Gaborone, Botswana from 25-26 September 2008. The purpose of the missions was to reach agreements on the modalities for setting up Trade Policy Units (TPUs) at EAC and SADC, and to prepare implementation plans for ATPC II funded activities.

During the mission to Arusha, the ATPC II team met the EAC Secretary-General, Ambassador Juma Volter Mwapachu, Director General of Customs and Trade, Mr. Peter Kiguta, Director of Trade Ms. Flora Musonda, and several experts working on various aspects of trade related to the service lines of ATPC II, including international trade, internal trade, environment and natural resources, export promotion, gender, and standards.

At the SADC Secretariat, the ATPC team met individually and collectively with staff members from various divisions of the Secretariat working on trade and crosscutting issues including, environment, gender and HIV/AIDS.

While the approach used during the first phase of ATPC to deliver technical assistance, notably by undertaking impact assessment studies for individual African countries achieved positive results, the Centre's overall strategy has shifted and now involves pan-African institutions and sub-regional bodies in the process of trade policy formulation in Africa. This would enable sustainability and strengthening of institutional capacities.

The rationale for a regional approach in addressing Africa's trade related problems is compelling. First, regional integration arrangements can help African countries overcome constraints arising from small domestic markets - allowing them to reap the benefits of scale economies, stronger competition, and more domestic and foreign investment. Second, the small size of African countries makes cooperation in international negotiations an attractive option achievable through regional integration arrangements. In essence, cooperation can increase countries' bargaining power and visibility.

Therefore, RECs (Regional Economic Communities) are central to the continent's quest for robust, self-sustaining economic growth and development, since they are at the forefront of regional integration in Africa. They are also increasingly involved in negotiating regional trade agreements such as the Economic Partnership Agreements with the European Union and Free Trade Agreements with other regions. The regional dimension of ATPC's work will therefore be reflected in a greater focus on building the capacity of RECs.

The strategic orientation of ATPC II will rest on three pillars which are (1) providing fully integrated trade capacity building for RECs as institutions; (2) providing comprehensive capacity building for trade constituencies; and (3) mainstreaming cross-cutting items in trade policy analysis and implementation.

The expected impact of ATPC II is effective and more equitable African participation in international trade processes for sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction.