BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:unctad.org
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6a595c5fe82e4
DTSTART:20220530T083500Z
SEQUENCE:0
TRANSP:OPAQUE
DTEND:20220530T123000Z
LOCATION:Geneva\, Switzerland
SUMMARY:High-level workshop and event on the West Africa project on transit
 \, transport\, and trade facilitation for a better value chain participati
 on - Geneva event
CLASS:PUBLIC
DESCRIPTION:West African trade in world trade remains relatively low\, whet
 her for coastal or landlocked countries. Intra-regional trade must also im
 prove as it represents less than 10% of each country&#039\;s trade. Accord
 ing to UNCTAD&#039\;s 2019 Economic Development in Africa Report\, in 2017
 \, intra-African exports accounted for 17% of total exports\, compared to 
 68% for intra-European exports\, 59% for intra-Asian exports\, and 55% for
  intra-American exports.\n\nThe Diagnostic Trade Integration Studies (DTIS
 s) conducted in Benin\, Burkina Faso\, and Niger (beneficiary countries) h
 ow a weak implementation of regional and bilateral instruments on transpor
 t\, transit and trade facilitation\, significantly impacting the competiti
 veness and economic and social development of these countries. In parallel
 \, the DTIS carried out in the beneficiary countries of the project have i
 llustrated the many opportunities for better participation of these three 
 countries into the value chains.\n\nThe event marks an important step forw
 ard along a journey that initiated in 2014 when UNCTAD organized a brainst
 orming workshop on the margins of the EIF Board to showcase the need for a
  regional approach in the EIF to address cross border issues such as trans
 it\, transport and trade facilitation.\n\nIn fact\, the concept and vision
  of this West African project resides in the grass roots findings of the D
 TIS studies that UNCTAD has carried out in the West African region that ha
 ve identified transit\, trade and related procedures as a key developmenta
 l problem.\n\nThe event welcomed H.E. Dieudonné W. Désiré Sougouri (Amb
 assador of Burkina Faso) and H.E. Laouali Labo (Ambassador of Niger). The 
 president of the National Trade Facilitation Committee of Niger\, Mr. Ibra
 him Abdou\, also participated. Lastly\, the EIF Focal Points: Mr. Kocou Z
 éphiryn Pognon (Benin)\, Mr. Seydou Illboudo (Burkina Faso)\, and Issaka 
 Moussa Raouf (Niger)\; and national coordinators: Mr. Euloge Houngbo (Beni
 n)\, Mr. Pierre Soulemane Sodre (Burkina Faso)\, and Mr. Adamou Abdou (Nig
 er) joined the activity. Leading the event&#039\;s opening ceremony were M
 r. Paul Akiwumi\, the Director of Africa\, Least Developed Countries\, and
  Special Programmes of UNCTAD\, and Mr. Ratnakar Adhikari\, the Executive 
 Director of EIF.\n&lt\;p style=&quot\;text-align: justify\;\n\nView meetin
 g on unctad.org\nhttps://unctad.org/meeting/high-level-workshop-and-event-
 west-africa-project-transit-transport-and-trade-facilitation
DTSTAMP:20260716T223407Z
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