Nouakchott, September 17, 2020 (CEA) - The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the ECA Office in North Africa with the financial support of the European Union (EU) will hold today in Nouakchott (Mauritania) a workshop to validate the national strategy for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
This important meeting will be an opportunity for participants to examine the national strategy for the implementation of the AfCFTA; it will take place with the participation of H.E. Mohamed Lemine Ould Dhéhbi, Minister of Finance and Interim Minister in charge of Trade of Mauritania; Mr Stephen Karingi, Head of Regional Integration and Trade at ECA, Mr. Prudence Sebahizi, Senior advisor in charge of the AfCFTA at the African Union Commission, Mr. Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of AfCFTA, as well as decision-makers and representatives government, private sector and Mauritanian civil society.
Participants will have the opportunity to make a diagnosis Mauritania’s economic, commercial, financial and environmental situation prior to the AfCFTA implementation, study the challenges ahead and the opportunities that can be seized. They will also discuss the requirements for an effective contribution by the national private sector and other key actors in the AfCFTA’s implementation.
In addition, the meeting will mark the launch of a national awareness raising campaign on the importance of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The AfCFTA is scheduled to come into force in January 2021 with the ambition of encompassing the entire African continent and its 1.2 billion consumer strong market. It is believed that the AfCFTA can help African economies recover faster from the impact of the COVID19 pandemic.
Mauritania was among the first African countries to ratify the agreement for the creation and implementation of the AfCFTA. The Workshop for the validation of Mauritania’s national AfCFTA strategy is part of a series of national efforts being carried out to facilitate its effective and beneficial implementation on the Mauritanian economy.
موريتانيا تضع اللمسات الأخيرة على استراتيجيتها التنفيذية لمنطقة التجارة الحرة القارية الأفريقية
Issued by
Communication Team
Economic Commission for Africa
Office for North Africa
Tel: +212 (0) 537 548 749
Email: filali-ansary@un.org; cea.an.coms@gmail.com