Technical Assistance to Ethiopia on the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement

The Team Europe Technical Assistance Facility to support the AfCFTA and Continental Economic Integration (TE-TAF) has supported the Ethiopian Government to develop a comprehensive and practical Training Manual on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement.

The objectives of the project are precisely to enhance capacity to prepare and conduct the remaining AfCFTA negotiations and to strengthen the technical capacity of selected African countries and institutions to successfully implement the AfCFTA and manage the next steps towards a single market.

Ethiopia ratified the AfCFTA agreement in March 2019. Currently, preparations for Phase II negotiations and implementation of commitments under the AfCFTA are undergoing. Given the country’s history of a fairly controlled market, there is a significant gap in knowledge and practical experience, which poses a challenge to the implementation of the agreement at a national level.  EU-TAF has assisted the Ethiopian Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration (MoTRI) to develop an AfCFTA training manual, which aims to equip the Ministry with the necessary knowledge and skills to share with their stakeholders to effectively implement the AfCFTA.

To this end, a technical review workshop has been organised with the technical and financial support of the Project Management Unit (PMU).  At the workshop, the draft of the AfCFTA Training Manual has been presented to the Ministry and to experts from various fields representing government institutions, civil society organisations, academia, the private sector and development partners. The event has served as a platform for knowledge sharing and learning among the participants who attended to contribute to the development of a practical training manual. Participants openly engaged and provided input based on their perspectives to enrich the draft training manual.  Opening remarks for the event have been delivered by a representative of the Ministry and Thomas Huyghebaert, Head of Policy and Cooperation of the EU delegation to the African Union.

Upon finalization, the AfCFTA Training Manual will be an essential tool for building capacity and providing the necessary knowledge and skills for the ministry to use in the implementation of the AfCFTA in Ethiopia. The development of this manual is expected to serve Ethiopia as a significant stepping stone to advance its efforts in promoting regional integration, boosting intra-African trade and enhancing Ethiopia’s competitiveness in the African Market.