Background
The Capacity Building Workshop addressed the central and most sensitive elements of the African Continental Free Trade Area for the African Union Commission (AUC), i.e., Rules of Origin (RoO). In addition to providing intensive, advanced training, the technical tools developed by the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) and Technical Assistance Section of the UNCTAD Division for Africa, Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes, based on utilization rates and an input output matrix, were used to illustrate to the participants how to draft RoO.
Objective
The objective of the training was to prepare AUC delegates ahead of the 5th meeting of the Technical Working Group on Rules of Origin (TWG) aiming at concluding the drafting of the text of Annex 2 on Product-Specific Rules of Origin.
The meeting was attended by delegates from Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The meeting was also attended by officials from the African Union Commission (AUC), Arab Magreb Union (AMU), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the East African Community (EAC), as well as the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
Following the successful event, and given the complexity of RoO, and the overall level of expertise of the participants, further technical training to support the negotiation process will be conducted throughout the year.
The Workshop and technical assistance were delivered in both English and French. Simultaneous translation was available during formal sessions in Arabic, English, French, and Portuguese.
