African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC II)

Results achieved as of March 2013 include: The African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) played a key role in the preparatory work that led to the adoption of the Boosting intra-African trade agenda of the African Union (AU). Following the AU Summit ATPC was mandated to provide strategic guidance and technical support to AU Commission in coordinating the implementation of this African trade agenda. Other activities undertaken by ATPC involved training workshops and seminars studies and technical advisory services to RECs and Member States in areas such as Trade and Environment Economic Partnership Agreements WTO Negotiations Aid for Trade the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and Trade Facilitation as well as Trade and Gender. ATPC also supported the trade work of Member States such as by producing a study on Export Diversification and Trade Facilitation for the Government of Malawi and the developing a Regional Integration Strategy for Swaziland. ATPC supported the creation of two new important African platforms: 1) the African Alliance for e-commerce (AACE) and 2) the African Alliance for Corridor Management (AACM). While the AACM is only starting up its operations the AACE is reaching its consolidation phase. AACE promotes the concept of national and regional single windows initiatives to boost the development of inter- and intra- regional trade in Africa and make businesses more competitive and ready to meet the challenges of globalization. ATPC also successfully hosted two Africa Trade Forums in November 2011 and September 2012 respectively. As endorsed by the AU Summit the principal role of the ATF is to serve as a multi-stakeholders platform for dialogue on issues relating to the African trade agenda. Through this dialogue and the resultant recommendations from the Forum to the Policy Organs of the African Union the African agenda of a Continental Free Trade Area and Boosting Intra-African Trade is expected to enjoy broad ownership and legitimacy