High-level workshop and event on the West Africa project on transit, transport, and trade facilitation for a better value chain participation - Geneva event

West African trade in world trade remains relatively low, whether for coastal or landlocked countries. Intra-regional trade must also improve as it represents less than 10% of each country's trade. According to UNCTAD'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.

The Diagnostic Trade Integration Studies (DTISs) conducted in Benin, Burkina Faso, and Niger (beneficiary countries) how a weak implementation of regional and bilateral instruments on transport, transit and trade facilitation, significantly impacting the competitiveness and economic and social development of these countries. In parallel, the DTIS carried out in the beneficiary countries of the project have illustrated the many opportunities for better participation of these three countries into the value chains.

The event marks an important step forward along a journey that initiated in 2014 when UNCTAD organized a brainstorming 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 transit, transport and trade facilitation.

In fact, the concept and vision of this West African project resides in the grass roots findings of the DTIS studies that UNCTAD has carried out in the West African region that have identified transit, trade and related procedures as a key developmental problem.

The event welcomed H.E. Dieudonné W. Désiré Sougouri (Ambassador of Burkina Faso) and H.E. Laouali Labo (Ambassador of Niger). The president of the National Trade Facilitation Committee of Niger, Mr. Ibrahim Abdou, also participated. Lastly, the EIF Focal Points: Mr. Kocou Zéphiryn Pognon (Benin), Mr. Seydou Illboudo (Burkina Faso), and Issaka Moussa Raouf (Niger); and national coordinators: Mr. Euloge Houngbo (Benin), Mr. Pierre Soulemane Sodre (Burkina Faso), and Mr. Adamou Abdou (Niger) joined the activity. Leading the event's opening ceremony were Mr. Paul Akiwumi, the Director of Africa, Least Developed Countries, and Special Programmes of UNCTAD, and Mr. Ratnakar Adhikari, the Executive Director of EIF.