EABF 2022: Unlocking Opportunities for Regional Value
Chain Integration Under The AfCFTA 

15 February 2022. 10:00–11.30 (CET) 

Agenda

Keynote speeches:

  • H.E. Albert Muchanga, Commissioner for Trade and Industry, African Union Commission
  • Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director, International Trade Centre (ITC)
  • Koen Doens, Director-General for International Partnerships, European Commission 

Value Chain Diagnostic:

Presentation of the ITC approach that combines innovative data analysis, large-scale business surveys and in-depth expert and stakeholder consultations across the continent, and its preliminary recommendations.

The Business Perspective:

  • Sandra Uwera, CEO, COMESA Business Council

  • Ahmed Fikry A. Wahab, Vice President, African Association of Automotive Manufacturers

Moderator: Richard Baldwin, Professor of International Economics, The Graduate Institute.

Related events: 

5th Ordinary Session of the
Specialized Technical Committee (STC) 

Background

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) serves as a framework for boosting intra-African trade and developing intra-regional value chains by unlocking the continent’s business potential. The International Trade Centre (ITC) estimates that intra-African trade has the potential to increase by $22 billion as of 2025.

Tariff liberalization and trade facilitation, to be achieved under the AfCFTA, can boost regional value chains and create incentives for investments from third parties into the African continent.

ITC, mandated by the Directorate-General for International Partnership of the European Commission, implemented a value chain diagnostic to identify sectors with high potential for sustainable value chain development in Africa and bottlenecks preventing businesses from fully realizing this potential, and developed recommendations on how to overcome obstacles and take advantage of existing opportunities.

This high-level event will discuss the approach and preliminary findings of the value chain diagnostic and allow members of the business community and institutions supporting businesses to share their view on what is needed to develop and strengthen regional value chains in Africa. 

 

Official event documents

Discussion papers:
Summary of Value Chain Potential Assessment
Unlocking opportunities for regional value chain integration within Africa: Preliminary findings from ITC’s value chain diagnostic survey.

Presentation:
Identifying, developing, and strengthening continental value chains in the context of the AfCFTA - Julia Seiermann (ITC)
What prevents businesses from fully exploiting the opportunities for greater value chain integration? - Ursula Hermelink (ITC)

Others:
EABF 2022 event brochure
Visit ITC Booth at the EU-Africa Business Forum 2022

Related Events:
5th Ordinary Session of the Specialized Technical Committee (STC): Unlocking opportunities for regional value chain integration within Africa