Djibouti, 10 May 2022 – The ministry of trade and tourism of Djibouti in collaboration with ECA validated its national strategy for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on 9 May 2022 in Djibouti.
Mr Mohamed Warsama Dirieh, Minister of Trade and Tourism, said ”The willingness expressed by the President of the Republic H.E. Ismael Omar Guelleh through our accession to the AfCFTA comes at a crucial time marked by the socio-economic setbacks that our countries are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic but also the ongoing financial, economic and food shocks.” He further added: “Despite the challenges, the strategy with a priority action plan should allow our country to analyse in detail the tasks to be accomplished to take advantage of the AfCFTA.”
The minister informed its audience that among the measures taken within the framework of the realization of the AfCFTA, the Republic of Djibouti is about to conclude negotiations on the five priority sectors: Tourism, Transport, Communication and telecommunication and the financial sector.
Mr Souleymane Abdallah, Economic Affairs Officer of the ECA, emphasised the need to pay particular attention to supply-side constraints, which have also been important non-tariff barriers to intra-African trade. “A key element is the lack of investment in infrastructure and logistics that will facilitate market access. This brings us back to the imperative of mobilizing resources to finance investment on the continent” he noted.
Ms Marie-Providence Mugangu, Gender and Trade Expert, speaking on behalf of the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, pointed out that inclusiveness is a key factor in the effective implementation of the AfCFTA and the realization of the inclusive and sustainable development objectives envisaged in the AfCFTA Agreement. To that end, she said, “It is imperative to take the constraints and challenges women and young people face on the continent who, according to recent studies, make major contributions to trade in most African countries and are involved in the production of tradable goods as informal cross-border traders, small-scale producers, home-based entrepreneurs.”
On his part, Mr Jose Barahona, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Djibouti, mentioned that the growth of free trade and commerce is at the heart of the National Development Plan, Djibouti ICI, and that the implementation of the National Strategy discussed comes in full support of the realization of this Plan.
The meeting was attended by relevant government officials, civil society, women and youth representatives, the private sector, technical and financial partners, media and experts/academia.
About the project
This national validation workshop is one of the key actions of the European Union-funded project: "Deepening Africa's Trade Integration through Effective Implementation of the AfCFTA to Support Economic Integration" with a total budget of 8 million euros. The aim of the project is to: 1) advocate for the ratification and implementation of the AfCFTA by all AU member states; 2) support member states to develop and operationalize their national strategies and a national plan for effective implementation and monitoring of the AfCFTA; 3) build the capacity of national and regional stakeholders to implement the competitiveness and structural reforms necessary for the AfCFTA to achieve its intended outcomes.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org