In April, trade experts and government representatives met for a Commonwealth-led workshop in Zambia’s capital Lusaka to discuss the progress of the Hub and Spokes II programme.
In April, trade experts and government representatives met for a Commonwealth-led workshop in Zambia’s capital Lusaka to discuss the progress of the Hub and Spokes II programme. The programme enhances trade capacity in Africa by placing advisers in national ministries and regional organisations.
Helping to improve trade for African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, the Hub and Spokes II programme is joint initiative run by the European Union, the ACP Group Secretariat, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.
The objective of the workshop was to take stock of the programme’s key achievements in the region, highlight best practices and outline future activities. It is one in a series of regional planning workshops held in the Pacific and Caribbean, which have taken place, so far, in Nadi, Fiji and Kingston, Jamaica.
During the Africa workshop, Nagla El-Hussainy, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Ambassador, set out that Africa’s future strategy for development and trade is set to play a major role in delivering its long-term development objectives. This includes deepening trade integration within the continent as envisaged under the Africa Agenda 2063.
The Ambassador also noted the important process underway under the Tripartite Free Trade Area. The agreement was signed in June 2015, bringing together the Regional Economic Communities of COMESA, the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). She highlighted the need to promote economic transformation in the region by “moving human, financial and other resources from low to high value added activities”.
Representing the delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Zambia and COMESA, Arend Biesebroek, stressed the important contributions the programme has made to formulating, negotiating and implementing trade policy in the region. Participants called for the programme’s extension into a third phase beyond 2016.
The COMESA and EAC Secretariat advisers outlined the support provided to the European Partnership Agreements (EPAs) negotiations, which aim to replace the pre-existing EU preferential trade agreements.
Dorica Phiri, EAC Secretariat adviser, also noted technical assistance during the EAC-US Cooperation Agreement on Trade Facilitation, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and Technical Barriers to Trade. The agreement will provide cooperation support in implementation of the relevant World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreements.
COMESA adviser, Yusuf Abdalla, highlighted support provided to the Tripartite Free Trade Area negotiations and Gainmore Zanamwe, the SADC Secretariat adviser outlined assistance in the launch of the Southern African Business Forum. This initiative aims to facilitate discussions on the challenges of doing business in the region and identify practical solutions.
The advisers from domestic ministries in eastern and southern Africa also presented achievements made under the programme; Hub and Spokes advisers have supported the drafting and updating of national and sectoral trade policies in Botswana, Burundi, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi and Uganda, as well as facilitating national consultations on these policies.
Yvonne Chileshe from the Botswana Ministry of Trade pointed to the revisions to the Control of Goods, Prices and Other Charges Act, which will provide the Government with oversight on the import and export of goods, including in the quality and standard of goods.
Participants also discussed courses and workshops that have been provided to various public and private sector stakeholders in the region on trade-related issues. These include trade capacity building, training on the awareness of opportunities arising from trade agreements and awareness-raising on trade policies. Following positive feedback, the training on auditing requirements in Lesotho will now be made available to higher level management staff.
For more information on the Africa Regional Planning Workshop and the programme, see the Hub and Spokes website. For Twitter coverage from the Workshop search #HubandSpokesII
