Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) 13th Assembly with Secretary General Wamkele Mene
The 13th and final session of the assembly of the African Union Heads of State and the Government on AfCFTA has taken place as African nations put their thumbs of approval on the agreement before it commences on January 1, 2021.
Speaking during the assembly, Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, expressed his optimism and achievement of this monumental agreement, which has been in the making over the last 40 years in various ways.
Taking a trip back in history, Ramaphosa highlighted the collective journey for a united trading Africa that has been the dream of African states over the last 40 years. Some of these moments mentioned include:
Monrovia Strategy (1979)
Lagos Plan of Action (1980)
Abuja Treaty (1991)
AfCFTA (2018)
According to Wamkele Mene, the Secretary General of AfCFTA:
“Africa is on the cusp of a historic milestone which started when the AfCFTA was signed in Kigali, Rwanda, in March 2018.
As of today:
54 countries have signed the agreement
34 countries have deposited their instruments of ratification
The Federal Government of Nigeria deposited their instruments on December 5, 2020
41 countries and customs unions have submitted their tariff offers
The East African Community (EAC) and ECOWAS have submitted their offers in the last few days
This effort positions the AfCFTA for a truly commercially meaningful start of trading on the start of January 2021.”
The Secretary General highlighted a key focus on specific areas that should be given priority in the AfCFTA implementation, most notably:
Women in trade
Young Africans
Small medium enterprises
See the full meeting synopsis here: www.bitcoinke.io