10022598-Short-Term Expert Pools to support negotiations and implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)

Background: Although many of the world"s fastest-growing economies are in Africa, trade among African countries remains limited. The continent mostly exports raw materials and agricultural products, while it imports machinery, equipment, and food mainly from outside Africa. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is one of the African Union"s (AU) flagship projects for the implementation of its Agenda 2063, aims to change this. It is expected that, with the introduction of the free trade zone, intra- African trade will be 15% to 25% higher by 2040 (UNECA). The AfCFTA agreement has been signed by 54 of the 55 African Union Member States (MS) and became effective under international law in May 2019. The full implementation of the AfCFTA will lead to a continental single market of more than 1.4 billion people with an aggregate GDP exceeding USD 2 trillion. Our Approach: The GIZ implemented project "Support to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) II" cofinanced by the BMZ and the EU, seeks to improve framework conditions for the realisation of the AfCFTA and supports the outstanding negotiations and the implementation of the AfCFTA. For this, the programme supports the African Union, specifically the Department for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry, Minerals (ETTIM) and the AfCFTA Secretariat at the continental level in the coordination of AfCFTA implementation. On the regional level the programme cooperates with Regional Economic Communities (RECs), specifically EAC (East African Community), ECOWAS (Economic Community for West African States) and SADC (South African Development Community, plus additional RECs based on request). The programme also supports Member States (Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tunisia, Zambia, plus additional Member States based on request) by working with national institutions, like trade ministries and customs, to implement the agreement. Lastly, the programme works closely with private sector and civil society actors to increase trade under the AfCFTA. Together with the named partners, the programme covers interventions across all technical areas of the AfCFTA. The EU co-financed part of the programme, the EU Technical Assistance Facility, operates as a multi-partner contribution agreement between the European Commission, GIZ (lead implementing agency), Expertise France, and FIAP. A Project Management Unit, which is housed in the AfCFTA Secretariat, oversees the implementation of the programme and the execution of activities.