Notizie

Free movement of persons of persons in Africa: one step ahead, two steps back

Giovedì 04 Aprile 2024 17:07

There are no translations available.

The Africa Migration Report is a joint report of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The first edition was published in 2020. The second edition (AMR II), just released, notes that the high mobility of African population is a cultural behavior that is deeply rooted in ancient nomadic activities and practices, justified by economic reasons, that still today are widespread in the continent. The main ones are indicated in pastoralism and small-scale cross-border trade, where huge masses of people every day crisscross borders in search of trading opportunities (profiting from the price differentials among African countries due to different application of customs duties and taxes on traded goods) or of pasture for their livestock. These activities and practices, the report notes, have been exacerbated by conflicts and climate change, which push entire communities to continually move from one territory to another in search of opportunities capable of guaranteeing a livelihood for themselves and their families.

African Credit rating Agency starts taking shape

Giovedì 28 Marzo 2024 14:39

There are no translations available.

During the 6th Ordinary Session of the African Union’s Specialized Technical Committee on Finance, Monetary Affairs, Economic Planning and Integration (STC-FMAEPI) held from 20 to 21 July 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya, the Committee adopted a declaration to initiate works for the establishment of a private sector-driven African Credit rating Agency based on self-funding and sustaining. STCs are Committees of Ministers or senior officials that work in close collaboration with the various Departments of the African Union (AU) Commission, providing inputs to support the work of the AU Executive Council (a body that, in turns, works in support of the AU Assembly), with regard to thematic areas that fall within their areas of competence. The criteria and the roadmap for the establishment of the African Credit Rating Agency (ACRA) have been discussed by the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in a two-day retreat in Lusaka, Zambia, that started yesterday, 27 March, and ended today. This represents a very first step in the direction in the establishment of such Agency.

UNECA publishes AfCFTA implementation strategies synthesis report

Martedì 26 Marzo 2024 15:53

There are no translations available.

The United Nation Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has recently published a report which provides a snapshot of AfCFTA implementation strategies in the continent, with a list of the countries and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) that have adopted them and a description of their core elements, the process by which they were developed, and experiences of some African states in their implementation.

Trade in borderlands and role and role that cross-border markets can play in increasing Intra-Africa trade

Venerdì 22 Marzo 2024 08:59

There are no translations available.

To facilitate cross border trade between Zambia and Malawi and other neighboring countries, COMESA has announced the launch of the construction works of a cross-border market for small-scale cross border traders in Chipata, in the Eastern Province, at the frontier with Malawi. The construction of border markets is particularly important in Africa due to the fact that borders are areas of high intensity of trade, because of an historical reason.

Free movement of people: can Africa try something different?

Giovedì 07 Marzo 2024 07:59

There are no translations available.

An interesting article published on the Brookings Africa Foresight 2024 titled “The whys and hows of the mobility of Africans in Africa” raises the importance for African States to guarantee greater personal mobility across national borders for their citizens, as a condition for the successful implementation of the AfCFTA, and in particular of the Protocols for trade in services and investment, which explicitly require such mobility. The article notes that in Africa there is a lack of enthusiasm for the African Union’s free movement protocol mainly because of the fear, by the wealthiest countries, that masses of economic immigrants from poorer countries will relocate in their territories, in a time when they are already facing social issues, such as poverty and high unemployment. The risk is that such a large influx of low-income people will turn into a "social bomb" capable of causing social welfare systems in these States to collapse.