Germany to finance an UNCTAD project on transparent trade procedures in West Africa

12 February 2016

UNCTAD's work with West African countries gains momentum thanks to German support for a new capacity-building project for Nigeria, Mali and Benin.

In November 2015, UNCTAD and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), represented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, signed an Agreement whereby Germany will provide EUR 950,000 for the project "Transparent Trade Procedures in the region of the Economic Community Of West African States".

quoteUNCTAD greatly appreciates the German support to our efforts in West Africa, .... 
We believe the successful realization of the project will demonstrate the viability of some important WTO TFA measures and, thus, encourage the Agreement's further implementation across the region.quote

Mukhisa Kituyi
UNCTAD Secretary-General

The project will create online Trade Portals that will describe export, import and transit procedures in the recipient priority countries of Nigeria, Mali and Benin, all of which are WTO Members.

Main benefits for the recipient countries will include:

  • Capacity building and creation of a basis for institutional level commitments of the governments concerned

  • Transparency and simplification of international trade procedures

  • Promotion of public awareness of their trade-related rules and procedures, as well as stimulation of public-private dialogue thereon

  • Creation of an online regional Trade Facilitation Index as a source for benchmarking procedures and highlighting regional best practices

As a result, recipient countries will be able to comply with some of their obligations under the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, and their National Trade Facilitation Committees will be strengthened.

The project is planned for a two-year period with the implementation phase starting in early 2016.

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