“It goes without saying that the most emblematic of the
flagship projects of Agenda 2063 is the African Continental Free Trade Area,
AfCFTA. The AfCFTA has the ambition…… in the final analysis, to establish a
continental market. The idea goes back to 1963, with the establishment of an
African Economic Community.”– African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson Mr
Moussa Faki Mahamat, speaking at the official opening ceremony of the 35th
Ordinary Session of the Executive Council in Niamey’’.
Niamey, Niger 4 July 2019- The African Union
will launch the operational phase of the AfCFTA on the 7th of
this month in Niamey, at an Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and
Government. Mr Moussa Faki Mahamat Chairperson of the AUC
hailed the upcoming launch as a “remarkable” and “historic” achievement. The
launch will be part of a series of statutory and technical meetings were held
in the Nigerien capital from the 4th to the 8th, which also includes the 8
July first coordination meeting between the AU and the Regional Economic
Communities (RECs).
The launch of the AfCFTA follows the coming into
force of the trade area on the 30th of May, after the deposit of the required
minimum of 22 ratifications by member states of the AU. Since then three more
instruments of ratification have been deposited, bringing the total number of
countries that have ratified the AfCFTA to 25.
With the launch of the operational phase from July 2019,
traders across Africa will be able to make use of preferential trading arrangements
offered by the AfCFTA, with the understanding that the trade transactions are
among the Member States that have deposited the instruments of ratification and
those that conform to the provisions on rules of origin governing trade in the
AfCFTA.”
It is also expected that at the launch, to be held at Heads of State and
Government level, “The Assembly will decide on the location of the Secretariat
of the AfCFTA which will have the principal function of implementing the
agreement. Seven member states Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana,
Madagascar and Senegal have submitted bids to host the secretariat.
During his opening remarks, Mr. Mahamat also reiterated the commitment of
the AUC to work in close cooperation with the Permanent Representatives Committee,
to strengthen the implementation of programmes, and to take immediate measures
to ensure the recommendations of the internal and external auditors are
implemented and enforced.
On a broader level, the African Union meeting in Niamey is considering
other issues under the institutional reform programme that will allow the Union
to achieve the vision and goals of its Agenda 2063 development framework. In
its two-day session from 4th to 5th July, the Executive Council will consider
and adopt the African Union’s budget for 2020 and the legal instruments
pertaining to the African Union Development Agency (formerly known as NEPAD),
as well as reviewed the proposed new organisational structure of the AU
Commission which is to be finalised by February 2020.
The Council will elect four board members of the African Union Advisory
Board on Corruption (AUABC) and prepare the draft agenda and decisions for the
12th Extraordinary Assembly that will launch the AfCFTA. Additionally, it will
discuss the scale of contributions to the AU Peace Fund. The Chairperson of the
Commission announced that US$120 million out of the expected US$400 million for
the Peace Fund has so far been received, and he expressed the Commission’s
appreciation to member states for their contributions.
The Executive Council will also review the preparations for the 1st
mid-year coordination meeting between the African Union and the Regional
Economic Communities (RECs). In line with the Institutional Reforms agenda
which recommended the rationalisation of the number of meetings held by the AU,
a decision was made to have one summit per year, and a coordination meeting
mid-year, instead of the previous two summits per year, in order to ensure the
efficient implementation of AU summit outcomes and decisions. As this will be
the first such meeting, discussions will centre on the drafting of the rules of
procedure, drafting proposals on the division of labour between the AU, RECs
and member states, and revision of the protocol on relations between the AU and
the RECs.
Today’s opening ceremony was presided over by Mr Sameh Shoukry, Minister
of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt in his role as the Chairperson
of the Executive Council, and was addressed by Niger’s Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Cooperation, African Integration and Nigeriens Abroad, Mr Kalla
Ankourao. Their statements are available at www.au.int.
For additional information on the meeting: Mrs Wynne
Musabayana, Head of Communication; African Union Commission; E-mail: MusabayanaW@africa-union.org
For interviews: Mr. Molalet Tsedeke; Directorate of Information and Communication; AU Commission; Tel: 0911- 630631; Email: molalett@africa-union.org
For interviews: Mr. Molalet Tsedeke; Directorate of Information and Communication; AU Commission; Tel: 0911- 630631; Email: molalett@africa-union.org
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