WTO Public Forum: CFTA: Boosting Trade For People in Africa?

This panel discussed the context, scope, and sequence of the negotiations. It reviewed analytical work and approaches to understand the potential impact of the CFTA on intra-African trade expansion, structural change, poverty reduction, incomes, employment, agriculture livelihoods and food security. In particular, it focused on the contribution trade can make to industrialization efforts on the continent, drawing upon the insights from the UNECA’s 2015 Economic Report on Africa which focused on industrialization through trade. It further delineated the potentials of a Human Rights Impact Assessment on the design and process of a regional trade agreement. The session was jointly organized by UNECA, OHCHR and FES Geneva office.