As part of the implementation of its component of the GGSP-COTONI Project, the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) will organize a two-day technical workshop on 23–24 July 2026 in Cotonou, Benin. The project is funded by the European Union under the Global Gateway Initiative and implemented in partnership with Enabel and TradeMark Africa (TMA).
The workshop will present the findings of UNCTAD's technical missions and stakeholder consultations conducted since May 2026 and discuss the first technical orientations for the implementation of the UNCTAD component of the project. It will also provide an opportunity for national stakeholders to validate the updated diagnostic, confirm priority areas for intervention and establish a common understanding of the reforms to be pursued in the areas of Transit, Transport and their Digitalization (TTD).
Building on more than five years of UNCTAD's work supporting transit, transport and trade facilitation reforms in West Africa, the workshop forms part of the implementation of the Déclaration quadrilatérale de Niamey and its accompanying roadmap. It reflects UNCTAD's commitment to supporting nationally owned reforms while promoting greater regional regulatory convergence, improved institutional coordination and enhanced interoperability of digital systems along the Cotonou–Niamey Corridor.
Objectives
The workshop seeks to:
present the results of UNCTAD's consultations and technical diagnostic missions carried out in Benin;
validate the preliminary mapping of transit procedures, institutional interactions and digital systems supporting transit operations;
identify and confirm priority reforms relating to transport, transit and digitalization;
discuss opportunities to strengthen institutional coordination and interoperability between existing digital platforms;
identify priority capacity-building activities for both public institutions and private sector stakeholders; and
agree on the main priorities that will guide the implementation of the UNCTAD component of the GGSP-COTONI Project during the next phase of activities.
Key themes
Discussions over the two days will focus on:
implementation of the Déclaration quadrilatérale de Niamey and its roadmap;
governance of Transit, Transport and their Digitalization (TTD);
mapping and analysis of transit procedures from the Port Autonome de Cotonou (PAC) to the border with Niger;
regulatory convergence for road transport and transport intermediation;
interoperability between digital systems, including the Guichet Unique du Commerce Extérieur (GUCE), SIGMAT, SYGFR and related information systems;
recommendations to improve the efficiency, transparency and predictability of transit operations; and
the implementation roadmap for the UNCTAD component of the GGSP-COTONI Project from July to December 2026.
Participants
The workshop will bring together representatives from key public institutions, the private sector and development partners, including the Ministère du Tourisme et du Commerce Extérieur, the Comité National de Facilitation des Échanges (CNFE), the Direction du Transport Terrestre et de l'Automobile (DTTA), the Agence Nationale des Transports Terrestres (ANaTT), the Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects (DGDDI), the Port Autonome de Cotonou (PAC), SEGUB, Webb Fontaine, representatives of professional transport organizations and the private sector, as well as the European Union, Enabel, TradeMark Africa (TMA) and UNCTAD experts.
Expected outcomes
The workshop is expected to establish a shared understanding of the current state of transit, transport and digitalization procedures along the Cotonou–Niamey Corridor and to validate the principal findings of UNCTAD's technical assessment. The discussions will contribute to identifying priority reforms, strengthening coordination among national institutions and development partners, and defining a common roadmap for the implementation of the UNCTAD component of the GGSP-COTONI Project.
Through its participatory and inclusive approach, the workshop will reinforce national ownership of the reform process and contribute to improving the efficiency, transparency and interoperability of transit, transport and trade facilitation systems, thereby supporting the competitiveness of the Cotonou–Niamey Corridor and regional economic integration in West Africa.
