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Project profile — Support to the Boosting Intra-African Trade Action Plan to Reduce Poverty



Overview 

CA-3-D000794001
$13,130,000
ECA - United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (41103)
2015-12-10 - 2020-12-31
Closed
Global Affairs Canada
WGM Africa

Country / region 

• Africa, regional (100.00%)

Sector 

• Agriculture: Agricultural development (31120) (10.00%)
• Trade policy and administrative management:
Trade policy and administrative management (33110) (30.00%)
Trade facilitation (33120) (25.00%)
Regional trade agreements (RTAs) (33130) (10.00%)
Trade education/training (33181) (25.00%)

Policy marker 

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (principal objective)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

Description 

This project aims to promote trade among African countries to reduce poverty, generate economic ?growth, create jobs, and increase food security. ?The initiative, undertaken with the Africa Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) based at the United Nations Economic Commission ?for Africa, supports the African Union’s Boosting Intra-African Trade Action Plan and the process of economic integration. This includes the Continental Free Trade Area. In the implementation of the project, the ATPC aims to partner with a consortium of Canadian centres of trade expertise, led by the Centre for Trade Policy and Law. Project activities include: (1) supporting national governments and Regional Economic ?Communities (RECs) to develop and implement their Boosting Intra-African Trade action plans; (2) ?establishing the African Agricultural Market Information Systems Network, that gathers, analyzes and ?shares information about prices and other information relevant to farmers, animal rearers, traders, ?processors and others involved in handling agricultural products;? ?(3) delivering training, workshops ?and technical assistance to national government and RECs; and (4) conducting assessment studies on a ?number of key issues, such as the state of intra-African trade, and disseminating results.?

Expected results 

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) improved implementation and monitoring of inclusive trade reforms, action plans and regulations by Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and national governments to reduce barriers to trade in Africa. This includes the reduction of barriers for women entrepreneurs and traders; (2) reduced gender discrimination related to trade policies and their implementation at African Union (AU), REC and national levels; and (3) increased participation of private sector operators and civil society organizations, including women entrepreneurs, traders and organizations, in regional and continental dialogues on the AU's trade agenda.

Results achieved 

Results achieved at the end of the project (March 2018) include: (1) supported the negotiation process of the Agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa's (UNECA). This is done with the help of Canada's Centre for Trade Policy and Law; (2) provided crucial technical advice to the African Union Commission and African governments throughout the negotiation process. These organizations provided advice on how to include the concerns of women traders in the Agreement. This includes ATPC’s continental workshop on trade and gender, which recommended that the AfCFTA include explicit, specific, and meaningful language on gender; (3) supported 44 African countries to sign the AfCFTA in March 2018, with more signatures expected to follow; and (4) supported the AfCTA to liberalize trade in goods and services and includes explicit objectives with regard to the promotion and attainment of gender equality.

Budget and spending 


Original budget $0
Planned disbursement $0
Transactions
Country percentages by sector
Type of finance Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Collaboration type Bilateral
Type of aid Project-type interventions