Workshop on Trade and Environment Opens in ECA

A regional workshop on trade and environment for African countries opened today at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The workshop, organized by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), aims to improve the capacity of African countries to develop coherent trade and environment policies that enhance environmental sustainability.

In his opening remarks to the meeting, Josue Dione, director of ECA’s Sustainable Environment Division, noted the importance of trade to economic development and said trade and environment policies are mutually supportive. He said the linkages between the two issues are very complex and the workshop aims to equip decision makers with the necessary tools to build the policy coherence needed. : it is clear that trade in Africa has led to land degradation, pollution and natural resource erosion.

The workshop will review the findings of a study on trade and development, prepared with the collaboration of member States and make recommendations for action at the national level.