WT/ACC/37  
WT/GC/224  
WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
4 December 2020  
(20-8749) Page: 1/21 
  Original: English  
 
THIRD REGIONAL DIALOGUE ON WTO ACCESSIONS  
FOR AFRICA  
ADDIS OUTCOME: DEEPENING ECONOMIC INTEGRATION IN AFRICA THROUGH WTO MEMBERSHIP 
AND AFCFTA IMPLEMENTATION  
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 12 -14 February 2020  
 
The following submission , dated 3 December 2020,  is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of Ethio pia*, as host of the Third Regional Dialogue on WTO Accessions for Africa . 
 
_______________  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
* WTO Observer  WT/ACC/37 • WT/GC/224 • WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
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  1  INTRODUCTION  AND OVERVIEW  
1. The Third Regional Dialogue on WTO Accessions for Africa took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 
from 12 to 14 February  2020 (hereinafter: Third Regional Dialogue) . The event was organized by 
the WTO Secretariat in partnership with the Government of Ethiopia,  the Africa n Union (AU) 
Commission, the International Trade Centre (ITC) , the United Nations Economic Commission for 
Africa (UNECA), and the World Bank.  
2. Under the theme "Deepening Economic Integration in Africa through WTO Membership and 
AfCFTA Implementation" , the discussions at the Dialogue focused on: (i) Africa and the multilateral 
trading system ; (ii) assess ment of  the economic impact of market opening ; (iii) maximizing the 
benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)  through WTO Accession ; (iv) WTO 
Accession and the AfCFTA: building synergies on substance  and process; and (vi)  engagement with 
domestic and international stakeholders . The programme of the Third Regional Dialogue is annexed 
to this document.  
3. Over 70 participants took part in the Dialogue. These included representatives from seven 
acceding  governments,1 international organizations and development partners .2 In addition, private 
sector representatives from the acceding governments and e xternal exp erts were present.3  
4. Participants engaged in an open, informative and interactive dialogue, based on presentations 
made by representatives of the major stakeholders, followed by open discussions.  
2  AFRICA AND THE MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM  (HIGH -LEVEL OPEN ING SESSION)  
5. This high -level session, moderated by Ambassador Alan Wm. Wolff, WTO Deputy Director -
General , officially opened the Third Regional Dialogue . The session was dedicated to Ambassador 
Chiedu  Osakwe (1955 -2019) who made unique contributions in strengthening the multilateral 
trading system and helped African countries harness the benefits of international trade.4 Speakers 
for the session included: Mr Melaku Alebel , Minister of Trade and Indust ry of Ethiopia;  Mr Albert M. 
Muchanga,  Commissioner for Trade and Industry, African Union Commission (AUC) ; Mr Stephen 
Karingi , Director for Regional Integration and Trade,  UNECA; Ambassador Amina Mohamed, Cabinet 
Secretary for Sports Culture and Heritage of Kenya ; Mr Axel Addy , former Minister of Commerce and 
Industry of Liberia ; and Dr Patrick Low , former WTO Chief Economist .  
6. Opening the session, DDG  Wolff highlighted the  results of WTO accessions in the last 25 years 
that included three African countries  becoming Members:  Cabo Verde (2008), Seychelles (2015) and 
Liberia (2016). There remained nine African countries  in the process of accession: Algeria, Comoros, 
Libya, Equ atorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Sao Tomé & Principe, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan . 
The African continent, that had the highest concentration of acceding governments in the world, was 
a priority for the WTO in pursuit of universality of membership. He emphasize d that at a time when 
the WTO was under heightened scrutiny, the efforts undertaken by acceding governments to join 
the organization were a force for change and a reaffirmation of the value of the multilateral trading 
system. While Members we re embarking o n debates about  WTO Reform  to improve its functioning, 
no one appreciated the real value of WTO membership, as a tool to advance free and fair trade, 
more than WTO acceding governments, including ones from Africa . He assure d African acceding 
governments th at their contributions through accession negotiations would strengthen  the 
multilateral trading system , making it  more relevant and inclusive. He further noted that a s WTO 
Members were working towards achieving concrete outcomes at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference  
 
1 Algeria, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan.  
2 African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Union, Japan, Department for International 
Development (DFID)  of the United Kingdom , and the United States Agency for International Development 
(USAID).  
3 Including Mr Axel Addy, former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Liberia; Dr Patrick Low, former WTO 
Chief Economist; Mr Nelson M wangi Ndirangu, Chairman, Competition Authority, Kenya; Dr Kato Kimbugwe, 
Managing Partner and Founder, Dynamic Analysis; and Ms Leyou Tameru, Founder, I -Arb Africa, and others.  
4 Ambassador Osakwe played key roles in the international trade community as a Nigerian delegate to 
the GATT/WTO (1993 -1998), a senior staff  of the WTO Secretariat (1998 -2016) and  as Nigeria's Chief Trade 
Negotiator (2016 -2019) , particularly as Chair of  the AfCFTA Negotiating Forum which led to the conclusion of the 
AfCFTA Agreemen t in March 2018.  WT/ACC/37 • WT/GC/224 • WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
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  and African countries were preparing to implement the AfCFTA , the discussions at the two levels of 
trade governance would shape the future of African Trade Policy .  At the same time, negotiations 
would need to address pressing questions that had arisen  with respect to the relationship between 
the AfCFTA and  WTO membership, including matters related to their  complementarity  and support  
towards achieving the implementation of the AfCFTA.  
7. In his opening remarks, Minister Alebel of Ethiopia stated that the Regional Dialogue was a 
timely activity for his country that had just held the 4th meeting of the WTO Accession Working 
Party on 30 January 2020.5 His Government had unveiled its plans for a wide -ranging economic 
reform, that incl uded a strong commitment to enhance the role of the private sector in the economy 
and to create a favourable investment and business climate.  Ethiopia was actively enhancing its 
trade relations regionally and multilaterally. The  WTO accession  was a key tool to consolidate and 
anchor the reform and to help secure predictable and secured market access for exports . As a 
founding member of the AfCFTA, Ethiopia had actively participated in the negotiations and had 
ratified the Agreement. These were clear manife stations of Ethiopia's commitment to regional and 
global economic integration.  
8. Speaking on WTO Membership and the AfCFTA implementation, AU  Commissioner Muchanga 
underlined Africa's two -way contribution to the multilateral trading system : through the accession 
of African countries to the WTO and the formation of the AfCFTA . This contribution was even more 
important at a time when protectionism and retaliatory trade measures were on the rise.  When all 
AU members signed and ratified the AfCF TA,6 it would become the largest trading bloc in terms of 
the number of participating countries after the WTO.  He highlighted the opportunities offered by the 
AfCFTA for acceding countries to trade across Africa  and to prepare for WTO accession.  Referring  to 
the 2002/2012 LDC Accessions Guidelines,  he urged African accessions be expedited. He expressed 
his appreciation for the technical assistance provided by the WTO Secretariat for AfCFTA 
negotiations.   
9. Mr Karingi of UNECA, speaking on behalf of UNECA's Executive Secretary Vera Songwe,  
indicated  that  the adoption and ratification of the AfCFTA , despite the widespread perception of an  
economic globalisation crisis,  reaffirmed Africa's confidence in a rules-based system  of economic 
liberalization  as a to ol for inclusive and people -centred development. He noted that, in spite of the 
challenges fac ed by  the multilateral trading system, almost half of the 22 countries currently 
negotiating WTO accession were from Africa. Testing as these negotiations may be,  it was notable 
that these countries were drawing on the successful accession experiences of three African countries 
that had already  joined the WTO (Cabo Verde, Seychelles and Liberia ). Synergies between the WTO 
accession process and participation in the AfCFTA needed to be harnessed, for the benefit of the 
people. He highlighted three points of a cross -cutting nature: (i) both systems shared 
complementary, if not identical, objectives; (ii) the success of the AfCFTA was an essential pre -
condition to lift Africa out of its current state of dependency on the West; and (iii) capacity building 
and support providers had to work together, to avoid duplication and maximise the developmental 
impact.  
10. Ambassador Amina Mohamed, Cabinet Secretary for Sports Culture an d Heritage of Kenya, in 
her written statement entitled "What can the WTO do for Africa and what Africa can do for the 
WTO?" , underlined that the AfCFTA  represented a bold and visionary step towards defining Africa 's 
place in the world trading community  embedded in "Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want ". In order to 
realise the potential for closer regional cooperation, African governments had to: (i) foster c loser 
links by increasing the flows of goods, services, capital and people across the continent; and (ii) 
align policy reforms.  The right balance between the conditions of competition among the AfCFTA 
countries and those with third parties w ere essential t o ensure growth and development.  Deeper 
African integration provided the scope for speaking with a stronger, more unified African voice, and 
an opportunity to shape the rules-based multilateral trading  system , that provided baseline rules on 
non-discrimina tion, to be more responsive to Africa 's needs , and to participate more fully in defining 
the WTO 's agenda and vision.  It could bring its growing influence to bear on renewing the WTO as 
 
5 See: https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news20_e/acc_eth_31jan20_e.htm .  
6 As of February 2020, 54 AU members have signed the AfCFTA (including 44 African WTO Members and 
nine WTO  acceding governments), and 29 have ratified it (including three WTO acceding governments: Equatorial 
Guinea, Ethiopia and Sao Tomé & Principe ). WT/ACC/37 • WT/GC/224 • WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
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  an effective instrument of international cooperation. In turn, the vib rant WTO could help to create 
the conditions for profitable African trading opportunities with the rest of the world.  
11. Dr Low addressed some of the main aspects of the ongoing WTO Reform debate  that was 
driven by a shared purpose to restore some of the cent ral elements of the WTO that it had lost in 
the recent years. WTO has been given more urgent focus by the recent developments that include 
the US -China trade war, and the crisis of the WTO dispute settlement function. The WTO Reform 
package included discus sions on: (i) the negotiating function where the notion of consensus had 
increasingly been turned into a veto, which had led to the emergence of the Joint Initiatives in 2017; 
(ii) the discussion on special and differential treatment  – that should be enabl ing, not exempting; 
and (iii) the procedural issues of transparency and notification.   
12. Minister Axel Addy highlighted the benefits of Liberia's WTO accession in 2016 , which was 
largely a "re -branding" exercise,  and noted the role of the AfCFTA in boosting regional trade. 
The new opportunities  brought by Liberia's WTO membership  included trade mainstreaming, reforms 
undertaken for the private sector and greater attractiveness of FDIs.  While some institutional and  
human capacity constraints remained, these could be overcome with strong internal coordination 
and targeted assistance and support through regional integration initiatives such as the AfCFTA.   
3  MAXIMIZING THE BENEFITS OF THE AFCFTA THROUGH WTO ACCESSION  (SESSION 1)  
13. The WTO accession process provides a unique opportunity for governments to engage in an 
across -the-board domestic reform process, including through the alignment of legal frameworks to 
WTO rules and principles. All nine African countries that ar e currently in the process of WTO accession 
are engaged in the AfCFTA. Moderated by Mr David Luke, Coordinator of the African Trade Policy 
Centre, Regional Integration and Trade Division, UNECA, this session explored the key parameters 
that these countries  needed to consider in their engagement in the se parallel processes, to maximize 
benefits .  
14. Mr Million Habte, Senior Expert on Trade in Services on Regulatory Issues, AU Commission , 
provided an overview of the state of play on the AfCFTA negotiations and its implementation.  
The AfCFTA was to be seen in the context of Agenda 2063 that was founded on the AU vision of "an 
integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own ci tizens and representing a dynamic 
force in the international arena".7 The objectives of the AfCFTA included: (i) creation of a single 
market for goods and services, facilitated by movement of people in order to deepen the economic 
integration of the Afric an continent; (ii) building on the initiatives and developments in the state 
parties and Regional Economic Communities (RECs); (iii) laying the foundation for the establishment 
of a Continental Customs Union at a later stage; (iv) attaining sustainable and  inclusive socio -
economic development, gender equality and structural transformation; and, (v) resolving challenges 
of multiple and overlapping memberships. As per the Abuja Treaty signed in 1991, the next phases 
of the AfCFTA , includ ing a Customs Union, a Single market, a Monetary Union and an African 
Economic Unity, were to be implemented by 2029.  
15. The scope of the AfCFTA negotiations and implementation consisted of: (i) Phase 1 that had 
covered areas of trade in goods and services; (ii ) Phase 2 that cover ed areas of investment, 
intellectual property rights and competition policy; (iii) Phase 3 under which negotiations were to be 
conducted on e -commerce after one year of deliberations and capacity building. The outcome of the 
negotiation s held in 2016 -20188 included adoption of: (i) the objectives and guiding principles for 
the AfCFTA negotiations; (ii) modalities for tariff liberalisation and for liberalisation of trade in 
services; (iii) the Agreement Establishing the AfCFTA, together with three Protocols;9 and (iv) 
 
7 Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want (see: https://au.int/en/agenda2063/overview).  
8 Key meetings included: 12 meetings of the AfCFTA Continental Task Force; 18 meetings of the AfCFTA 
Negotiating Forum (NF);  7 meetings of the Committee of Senior Trade Officials (ST O); 10 meetings of the African 
Union Ministers of Trade (AMOT); four dedicated sessions of the Chief Negotiators; and two meetings of the 
Council of Ministers of state parties. These were supported by various meetings of the Technical Working Groups 
(TWGs)  and workshops on specific technical areas. On average, seven TWGs held five meetings each; the TWG 
on Rules of Origin held 11 meetings. In parallel, stakeholders' events were organized.  
9 Adopted by the AU Assembly on 21 March 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda . WT/ACC/37 • WT/GC/224 • WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
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  12 Annexes to the Protocols. To date, the AfCFTA Agreement had 54 signatories.10 Twenty -nine AU 
Member States had ratified it to become State Parties.11 Outstanding work and Phase II Negotiations 
to be finalised in the comi ng months included: (i) adoption of Schedules of Tariff Concessions and 
Schedules of Specific Commitments on Services; (ii) Rules of Origin for the AfCFTA; (iii) adoption of 
Regulatory Frameworks on five priority services sectors12 and conclusion of negoti ations on seven 
other sectors; and (iv) dismantling of tariff.  
16. The implementation of the AfCFTA included: (i) operational instruments; (ii) establishment of 
the AfCFTA  Secretariat; (iii) appointment of the AfCFTA Secretary General and other necessary staf f 
members. 7 July of each year would be designated as "the Africa Integration Day". The AfCFTA 
implementation in 2019 -2020 included adoption of Appendix IV to Annex 2 on Rules of Origin;13 the 
launch of the African AfCFTA online negotiation portal and mobi le application and the African Trade 
Observatory; and the launch of the Pan African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS).  
17. Ms Maika Oshikawa, Director, Accessions Division, WTO,  provided an overview of the state of 
play on the African WTO Accessions. She h ighlighted the benefits from joining the WTO .  
These  included wide -ranging  domestic reforms, non -discrimination, enhanced rule of law, 
transparency and policy predictability, re -branding, participation in the multilateral rule -making; and 
use of trade as a  tool for peace building. Referring to the experiences of the 36 WTO accessions 
concluded to date, including three African ones,14 she demonstrated proof that Article XII WTO 
Members had performed better than the rest of the world in terms of growth rates of merchandise 
and services imports and exports, FDI inward stocks and improvement of the business environment.  
18.  The nine ongoing WTO accessions in Africa included: Algeria (1987), Comoros (2007), 
Equatorial Guinea (2008), Ethiopia (2003), Lybia (2004), S ao Tomé & Principe (2005), Somalia 
(2016), South Sudan (2017) and Sudan (1994).15 Comoros had been identified for possible 
conclusion in 2020. Work was underway to advance  the accession process of Ethiopia, that had  its  
4th Working Party  meeting on 30 January, following 8 years of dormancy; South Sudan, that had its 
1st Working Party  meeting in March 2019; and Sudan, that had its last, 4th Working Party  meeting 
in July 2017. Equatorial Guinea and Somalia were making efforts to start the W orking Party  process 
with the submission of their respective Memoranda on the Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR). The 
accession processes of Algeria, Lybia and Sao Tomé & Principe were currently inactive. In parallel, 
these governments participated in Regional Ec onomic Communities (RECs),16 while three – Ethiopia, 
Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tomé & Principe – had signed and ratified the AfCFTA. Given that all nine 
acceding governments were involved in the AfCFTA negotiations and were part of various Regional 
Economi c Communities in Africa, creating synergies between the different  regional integration 
initiatives and the WTO accession processes w ere considered crucial.  
19. Mr Melaku Desta, Principal Regional Advisor, Regional Integration and Trade Division, UNECA , 
outline d issues related to accession to the AfCFTA Agreement. He noted that the accession languages  
in both the WTO and AfCFTA Agreements were similar. They did not provide detailed guidelines for 
the process but left it to parties to navigate 'on terms to be agr eed'. This, in the WTO experience, 
 
10 All AU Member States have signed the AfCFTA, except Eritrea.  
11 Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Congo Republic, Djibouti, Egypt, eSwatini (former Swaziland), Ethiopia, 
Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast (Côte d 'Ivoire), Kenya, Mali, Mauritania , Mauritius, 
Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Saharawi Republic, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, The 
Gambia, Togo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.  In total, countries that had ratified the AfCFTA had nearly 693 million 
population (57% of the Afric an population), while their economies amounted to US$ 1,29 trillion (nearly 40% of 
the African economy).  
12 Business services, communication services, financial services, transport services and tourism.  
13 Adopted and launched by the African Union Heads of S tate and Government at the 12th Extraordinary 
Summit held on 7 July 2019, in Niamey, Republic of Niger.  
14 Cabo Verde (acceded to the WTO in July 2008), Seychelles (acceded to the WTO in April 2015) and 
Liberia (acceded to the WTO in July 2016).  
15 The yea rs in brackets indicate the year of establishment of the respective GATT/WTO Accession Working 
Parties.  
16 Algeria (UMA), Comoros (COMESA, SADC), Equatorial Guinea (CEMAC, ECCAS), Ethiopia (COMESA), 
Lybia (UMA), Sao Tomé & Principe (ECCAS), Somalia (COMESA) , South Sudan (EAC, COMESA) and Sudan 
(COMESA).   WT/ACC/37 • WT/GC/224 • WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
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  has resulted in different accession practices. As the WTO itself has become more complex, so has 
the accession exercise. The  language used in the AfCFTA Agreement said that an African country 
could become party to the AfC FTA by ratification or accession, without elaborating on  the terms. 
Reportedly, the underlying reasoning was to create a universal institution , ultimately, for all African 
countries to become members. Once the AfCFTA Agreement entered into force, the requi red 
commitment of the liberalization of 90% of tariffs could be viewed as a threshold to be met for 
joining the AfCFTA without further negotiations. However, the issue of exclusion lists, sensitive lists 
and liberalization of services  would be considered when the AfCFTA members would be setting 
conditions for others to join. Currently, there did not seem to be a legal basis to go through a 
negotiating process other than the existing  provision 'on terms to be agreed'. This issue would have 
to be addressed at  some point.  
20. In the discussion that followed, participants agreed that greater trade and economic 
integration w ere necessary to boost the share of African trade. In order t o achieve this, commitments 
at the regional level had to be in line with WTO obligat ions, while the latter needed to provide  the 
necessary S&D flexibilities. WTO -associated reforms were crucial. The questions and answers session  
also touched upon the specific benefits that c ould be derived from WTO Accessions, especially for 
post-conflict  countries,  and the role of WTO accession s in poverty reduction.  
4  ASSESSING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF MARKET OPENING  (SESSION 2)  
21. The economic impact of market opening through trade liberalization was well documented in 
the literature. For centuries, trade liberalization ha d lifted millions  of people  out of poverty, spurred 
economic growth, improved standards of living and increased the chances for peace and stability. 
As African leaders engage d in the implementation phase of the AfCFTA, efforts were being made 
towards assessing the impact of market opening, particularly for countries that were engaged in the 
WTO accession process and th e implementation of the AfCFTA. This session, moderated by Dr Patrick 
Low, explore d the impact of market opening from various angles.  
22. Mr Mustapha Sadni Jallab, Head of Training and Research Division, IDEP/ UNECA , provided 
perspectives on  structural transfor mation through market opening . Empirical evidence confirmed 
that greater openness had the potential to enhance growth17 and that economic growth after trade 
liberalization tended to be more rapid. Trade agreements and multilateral environment could lead 
to increased trading opportunities , especially through intermediate goods which were key for 
industrialisation and structural transformation . In addition, the economic literature indicates that 
WTO accession ha d favourable effects on growth by committing countries to policy reform ,18 which 
was supported by the p erformance of Article XII WTO Members.19 The AfCFTA, in turn, could increase 
trade flows and is projected to increase the value of intra -African trade .20 Adopting trade facilitation 
measures can help to double the share of intra -African trade in African trade in the short term .21 
Other benefits from the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and the AfCFTA implementation included: 
(i) economic transformation and export diversification; (ii) greater customs collection and mitigation 
of impact of tariffs revenues shortfalls; (iii) enhanced participation of implementing countries in 
regional and global value chains ; (iv) increased participation of SMEs in internation al trade; (v) more 
FDIs, especially in the production sector.  
23. Mr Paul Brenton, Lead Economist, Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment Global Practice, 
World Bank Group , shared his views on the poverty impact of trade liberalization. While global 
poverty had  fallen, it was still deep in key regions (including Sub -Saharan Africa).22 Trade could be 
a strong driver of inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction. However, the benefits of trade 
reforms might have not reach ed the poor, if they were not connected to markets. Trade reforms 
 
17 "Trade reforms have a positive impact on economic growth, on average, although the effect is 
heterogeneous across countries ." (Irwin, NBER, 2019).  
18 Tang and Wei, 2006 . 
19 Success of trade policy reform depended on policies in other areas, such as infrastructure, functioning 
of domestic markets, macroeconomic conditions and quality of institutions and education.  
20 "An Empirical assessment of AfCFTA Modalities on Goods" (UNECA, 2018).  
21 UNECA/IDEP,  2019.  
22 WBG Global Monitoring Report , 2015.  WT/ACC/37 • WT/GC/224 • WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
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  could create new opportunities but could also i nvolve adjustment costs for the poor. Trade had to 
be part of a wider effort, and WTO Accession and other trade policy reforms had to be integrated 
into a broader development strategy. Additional government policies were required to accompany 
WTO accession, to assist the poor in adjusting to any negative consequences and to remove barriers 
that prevent the poor from benefiting from new opportunities created through trade.23  
24. As an example, he  referred to the case of Ethiopia  (please see Box 1 below) .  
Box 1 - Case of Ethiopia  
Ethiopia remained primarily a rural and agriculture -based economy, with 80% of the population 
living in rural areas. Agriculture accounted for more than ¾ of employment, 40% of output and a 
third of total exports. More than 20 m illion Ethiopians remained in extreme poverty. The majority 
of the poor resided in rural areas and engaged in agriculture. The poor depended on agriculture. 
Overall, at least 80 percent of household heads from poor families have their main occupation in 
agriculture or livestock farming. Creating jobs in rural areas (where the majority of the youth 
population lived) was therefore of  utmost importance.  
i. The key economic objectives of the government of Ethiopia were to create sufficient high 
productivity jobs a nd drive agricultural and rural development to reduce poverty. This 
included: (i) increasing the role for the private sector; (ii) emphasizing industrialisation 
and increasing exports; (iii) raising efficiency in the provision of key backbone services 
through increased competition; and (iv) supporting additional value added and higher 
quality/standards of goods and services. Growth, in this context, was likely to increase 
the demand for low -skilled labour in the manufacturing sector, including agro -processi ng, 
to increase productivity in agriculture and so be pro -poor;  
ii. Trade and greater integration into the global economy could support this development 
strategy. Exploiting opportunities in overseas markets for increased exports could 
increase demand and allo w an increase in firm scale while access to critical imported 
intermediate inputs, technology and investment could enhance productivity throughout 
the economy.  
Access to affordable medicines was critical, especially for those marginalised by poor health. W TO 
accession could impact health outcomes by: (i) influencing access to medicines through imports 
and investment in local drug production facilities; (ii) reducing exposure to counterfeit drugs; (iii) 
influencing investment decisions by providers of health  care services; (iv) raising standards and 
the quality of medicines and health care; and (v) providing greater competition in financial 
services that delivers health insurance to a wider population. Hence, the need was identified to 
link WTO accession comm itments and transition periods to Ethiopia 's health strategy, capacities 
for legal reform and for effective regulation and to commitments from WTO Members to deliver 
the necessary financial and technical assistance.  
However, positive impacts from WTO acces sion for all could not be guaranteed. Additional 
measures might have been required to assist specific groups of the poor and other marginalised 
groups to adjust to new opportunities and greater risks. Issues to be addressed included:  
a. Impact of different op tions regarding tariff reform on poverty (consumption and 
employment effects) and government revenues;  
 
23 Key questions on the WTO Accession impact on the poor included:  (i) how will border prices change 
and how will these be passed onto the poor as consumers, producers and/or workers ; (ii) w ill poor consumers 
get access to a wider range of goods and services and poor producers' access to a wider range of inputs ; (iii) w ill 
changes from WTO accession affect members of households differently , especially women and children ; (iv) w ill 
WTO accession increase the risks  that the poor face as consumers, producers and workers ; (v) will the structure 
of any growth induced by WTO Accession be equalizing or unequali zing; (vi) w ill impacts be concentrated on 
particular areas or activities that are of particular relevance to th e poor ; (vii) w ill WTO accession affect the 
government 's revenues from trade and ability to fund programs that support the poor ; (viii) w ill 
transitional/adjustment costs for the poor be higher than for the non -poor; (ix) w ill WTO Accession improve 
governa nce and the rule of law? The poor are most adversely affected by corruption and weak institutions  (based 
on Winters (2002 ). WT/ACC/37 • WT/GC/224 • WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
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  b. The impact of commitments in services on competition and efficiency and access 
to key services for the poor (improving access throughout the country, lab our 
retrenchment in state -owned enterprises, etc.);  
c. The potential trade -offs in the TRIPS Agreement and the implications for the 
access of the poor and those with health issues and for investment and jobs in 
the pharmaceutical sector;  
d. Impacts of WTO commit ments, including the SPS Agreement, on the agriculture 
sector and rural development including the development of the agri -business 
sector;  
e. Ensuring that commitments were implemented at all levels of government so that 
benefits from improved governance were captured throughout the economy and 
across all regions.  
25. Based on this example, the following general recommendations could be made:  
a. To design a trade strategy that link ed trade policies and WTO accession to the 
country 's development objectives ; 
b. To develop a WTO Accession Roadmap with an explicit poverty lens , i.e. to  
synchronize main challenges with financial and technical assistance required for 
successful implementation of WTO commitments ; and  
c. To define a monitoring framework for trade policy and WTO accession that link ed 
trade policy changes to expected development outcomes.  
26. Ms Maryla Maliszewska, Senior Economist, Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment Global 
Practice, Wo rld Bank Group , focused on the empirical assessment of the e conomic and distributional 
effects  of the AfCFTA.24 She assessed that, while the global economy was slowing, and commodity 
prices were likely to remain stable , the creation of the AfCFTA vast regi onal market was a major 
opportunity to help member countries diversify their exports, grow faster and attract FDI s. Benefits 
in terms of poverty reduction and higher wages would be significant, especially for low -skilled 
workers and women. Real income gain s from tariffs liberalization under AfCFTA would be significant  
too, but the main gains would come from the reduction of non -tariff barriers  (NTBs)  and trade 
facilitation measures. Achieving AfCFTA 's full potential would depend on agreeing and implementing  
an ambitious tariffs liberalization, strong reduction in NTBs and aggressive trade facilitation 
measures. Potential income gains through FDI could be very significant and a game -changer for the 
continent, but only if the AfCFTA  remained  ambitious and was implemented consistently across 
countries , creating a large market with transparent and predictable set of rules for investors.  
27. Mr Simon Mevel, Economic Affairs Officer, Regional Integration and Trade Division, UNECA,  
added  that, based on the recent empiri cal assessment of AfCFTA modalities on trade in goods , 
Africa 's GDP and exports would also increase . These global gains  would  remain relatively modes t.  
With the AfCFTA, African countries would  trade more between them selves  and less with the rest of 
the world . The benefits from the AfCFTA  were for the most part centered on intra -African trade  (IAT). 
The expected impacts included s ignificant gains from IAT in all main sectors , with strong potential 
to promote industrializatio n.25 Despite the decrease in tariff revenues,26 the welfare of Africa would 
slightly increase . Substantial additional gains were expected beyond liberalization of trade in goods  
 
24 The scenario assumptions included: (i) continuation of past trends simulated over 2014 -2035; (ii) t ariff 
liberalization scenario in line with AfCFTA  modalities starting in 2020 -2035; (iii) NTBs on both goods and services  
were reduced on a n MFN basis by 50  %; and (iv) i mplementation of trade facilitation measures  was in line with 
the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) leading to halving of trade costs . It was  thus identified that the real 
income in Africa could increase by 7%, biggest gains being from reduction in trade costs. African trade would 
significantly increase, especially intra -regional trade in manufacturing. Share of intra -AfCFTA exports would grow 
in total exports. Impact on tariff revenue was expected to be negative and small in the short -run, but positive in 
the long -run. The AfCFTA would lift an additional 30 million people out  of extreme poverty, 67.9 million people 
could be lifted out of moderate poverty. There would be better opportunities for unskilled workers, and wages 
would grow faster for women.  
25 Largest increases (i.e. over 25%) in intra -African exports (Africa total) for industrial sectors were found 
in textile, wearing apparel, leather, wood and paper, vehicle and transport, electronic, as well as other 
manufacture.  
26 Ranging between -6.5% and -9.9% for Africa as a whole, depending on the ambition of the liberalizatio n. WT/ACC/37 • WT/GC/224 • WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
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  (e.g. trade facilitation could more than double trade gains from removal of ta riffs under AfCFTA ).27 
For gains to be maximized, exclusion lists should be kept to a minimum , and s maller economies 
should not fear the AfCFTA -related reforms.  However, the expected benefits could  only materialize 
if the AfCFTA reforms were effectively implemented . A strong emphasis needed to  be placed on 
education and skills development in Africa , and the r ole of the private sector to harness trade for 
Africa 's development . The right sequencing of trade policy reforms matter ed substantially : Africa 's 
top priority should be to establish the AfCFTA  along with complementary reforms . Then, Africa would 
be in better position to open up to outside partners and improve its position in the global and rapidly 
evolving trade landscape.  
28. Commenting on trade liberalisation and economic transformation, Dr Kato Kimbugwe, 
Managing Partner and Founder of Dynamic Analysis, observed that, reforms on their own – whether 
in terms of foreign trade, WTO Accession or the AfCFTA implementation  – would  not be enough. 
They had  to be supported by a coherent set of policies related to  infrastructure and linked to other 
sectors  (e.g., agriculture, cross -border trade), to make sure that they affected the majority of the 
population and addressed poverty reduct ion. Evidence was highly important for policymakers to 
understand the potential impact s. Based on such evidence, there was a clear case for linking the 
AfCFTA implementation with the WTO accession process which  would reinforce the net impact for 
African gr owth and development.  
29. The session proceeded with the Round table discussion on WTO Accession and AfCFTA 
implementation as a pathway for economic development. WTO acceding governments provided 
updates and raised specific questions on their respective WTO ac cession processes and engagement 
with the AfCFTA:   
a. Algeria  informed that the new Government had established a Committee to analyse 
all international treaties signed by Algeria, with a view to ensure synergies in the 
implementation of all agreements, inclu ding future WTO and AfCFTA obligations;  
b. Comoros  indicated that the customs reform remained the last pending issue in its 
WTO accession  process,  due to the sensitivities linked to lost customs revenue, while 
the customs tariff had to be re -arranged to encourage economic development . At 
the reginal level, Comoros was part of COMESA. It had signed the AfCFTA but had 
not ratified it, as a result of t he political agenda;  
c. Equatorial Guinea  reported on its readiness to submit the MFTR. Its p olicies  were 
aligned with the those of the African Union (AU), the legal framework was to follow. 
By implementing the AfCFTA, the Government hoped to gain first -hand experience 
on how to act at the multilateral level , to be better prepared for the WTO  accession;  
d. Ethiopia  re-confirmed that its Government was committed to the AfCFTA. It had 
started the implementation and invested in outreach activities, including transla tion 
of the AfCFTA agreement to the local languages;  
e. Somalia  reported that it was ready to submit its MFTR and, thus, kick off the fact -
finding stage of the WTO accession process. Donor support was crucial for moving 
this process forward. Separately, it highlighted free movement of people as one of 
the key points in facilitating trade relations. In this co ntext, it welcomed the new 
policies of Ethiopia allowing the free movement of Somalia citizens;   
f. Sudan  underlined that the main challenge remained to align legislation. This included 
drafting of new AfCFTA and WTO -consistent legislation. It took time for the 
legislation to be approved by the National Assembly;  
 
27 See Mevel & Karingi, 2013 . WT/ACC/37 • WT/GC/224 • WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
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  g. South Sudan  noted that the country understood the value of trade liberalization and 
the necessity to remove trade barriers to facilitate trade. As an utmost priority, Juba 
focused on "silencing the g uns" which was also the theme of the 33rd AU Summit.28   
5  WTO ACCESSION AND AFCFTA: BUILDING SYNERGIES ON SUBSTANCE  (SESSION 3)  
30. Joining the WTO was a complex process which require d: (i) the examination of the foreign 
trade regime of the acceding government by WTO Members and multilateral negotiations on the 
acceding government's commitments on matters covered by WTO rules; and, (ii) the bilateral market 
access negotiations between the acceding government and interested WTO Members on goods and 
services. In parallel, regional integration efforts involve d trade negotiations on the same matters 
and similar approaches were likely to be adopted for the accession of African countries that were yet 
to ratify the AfCFTA Agreement. This session , moderated b y Dr Patrick Low,  examined the synergies 
that could  be built around key aspects on trade negotiations at the multilateral and regional level.  
31. Ms Anna Varyanik, Legal Affairs Officer, and Ms Mariam Soumaré, Trade Policy Analyst, 
Accessions Division, WTO , presented the WTO Secretariat 's perspectives on the synergies between 
WTO Accession and the AfCFTA on rules. Synergies were necessary between these two 
complementary integration  processes, at the global and regional level, that involved an overlapping 
set of  members,29 with the aim to achieving maximum net impact of WTO Accession and the AfCFTA 
implementation on trade and economic growth . Highlighting the benefits from WTO Accession,30 
they observed that similar benefits, at the regional level, could be deriv ed from the AfCFTA. As a 
pre-requisite for this, s olid and efficient institutional and legal frameworks had to be built to ensure 
the full implementation of the WTO and the  AfCFTA commitments. WTO Accession s could serve as  a 
vehicle to achieve this.  Region al integration had been  part of the GATT / WTO from the outset .31 
Article XXIV of GATT 1994  provided that the purpose of a customs union or of a free -trade area 
should be to facilitate trade between the constituent territories and not to raise barriers to the trade 
of other contracting parties with such territories . Forty -four AfCFTA signatories were WTO 
Members.32 As the AfCFTA architecture was in harmony with WTO Agreements,33 no diminishing of 
the existing WTO commitments of these Members could be expect ed.  
32. The WTO accession negotiating processes of nine African WTO acceding governments, 
however, had to be run in parallel with the evolvement of the AfCFTA. These governments were at 
different stages of their WTO accession processes34 and could potentially  face different challenges. 
These were challenges associated with the processes of progressive alignment with the overlapping 
legal frameworks of the AfCFTA and the WTO, and the evolving nature of the AfCFTA that was 
scheduled to progress to a deeper level  of integration.35 The WTO accession process and the AfCFTA  
implementation were moving targets that would not always move in parallel, while regional and 
multilateral negotiations on rules would be pursued at the same time. Based on the experiences of 
other Article XII WTO Members and acceding governments,36 recom mendations could be made to 
align the WTO accession and the AfCFTA implementation roadmaps, and to run the two integration 
processes in a coordinated and transparent manner, where the same negotiating team were to 
handle both multilateral and regional trad e negotiations. Commitments at the regional and 
multilateral levels should be built on broader development objectives, i.e., supporting opening up 
 
28 The 33rd AU Summit entitled “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa 's 
Development” took place on 9 -10 February 2020 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  
29 54 signatories  of the AfCFTA  includ ed 44 WTO Members and  nine WTO acceding  governments.  
30 See: https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/10thi_e/10thi00_e.htm .  
31 See: (i) Article XXIV of GATT 1994; (ii) Addendum to Article XXIV and its updates; (iii) Understanding 
on the Implementation of Article XXIV of the GATT 1994; (iv) Articles V and V bis of GATS; and (v) Decision on 
Differential and more favourable treatment reciprocity and fuller participation of developing countries (The 
Enabling Clause, Decision of 28 November 19 79).  
32 Including three Article XII WTO Members: Cabo Verde (2008), Seyche lles (2015), and Liberia (2016).  
33 E.g., the Annex  4 to the AfCFTA on Trade Facilitation drew mainly from the WTO Agreement on Trade 
Facilitation  (TFA) , with which it was aligned.  
34 See para. 17.  
35 See para. 13.  
36 I.e., the establishment of the Eurasian Ec onomic Union (EAEU), and the EU and ASEAN accessions.  WT/ACC/37 • WT/GC/224 • WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
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  by coherent domestic policies, to ensure benefits for the economy and taking account of the capacity 
building  needs, and focusing on concrete outcomes. Domestic reforms achieved in the context of the 
AfCFTA could be used to move the WTO accession processes forward.  
33. Mr Rodgers Mukwaya, Economic Affairs Officer, Sub -regional Office for Eastern Africa, UNECA  
addressed the synergies in trade negotiations. He noted that the WTO Accession was complex and 
time consuming compared to that of the AfCFTA. African countries had limited resources and limited 
analytical capacities required for complex accession negotiat ions, at the WTO or the regional level.37 
The effect from the WTO on the structural transformation was positive overall, although benefits 
were skewed away from the industrial sector. At the same time, the benefits from the AfCFTA and 
regional trade agreem ents were skewed towards the industrial sector. Thus, the AfCFTA was critical 
for industrialisation in Africa, while the WTO was considered key for Africa's trade with non -African 
countries.  
34. Ms Leyou Tameru, Founder of I -Arb Africa , spoke on the AfCFTA di spute resolution mechanism  
that was similar to the one envisaged by the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU). 
She highlighted the parallels between arbitrating trade disputes in Africa and the WTO, noting that 
financial barriers existed regarding the  usage of both mechanisms. At the same time, she believed 
that the WTO could learn from the AfCFTA dispute settlement that took account of the countries ' 
development status and provided detailed guidance with respect to retaliation. She also urged for 
more African panellists to be included in the WTO panel roaster.  
35. Mr Lisanework Gorfu, Director General of Trade Relation and Negotiation, Ministry of Trade 
and Industry, Ethiopia , elaborated on Ethiopia's engagement in trade negotiations. In addition to  
the WT O accession process, that was resumed with the 4th Working Party  meeting on 30 January, 
Ethiopia was a member of COMESA38 and the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA), negotiated an 
Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the EU, and participated in the Agr eement establishing 
the Inter -governmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Its import/export trade was mostly with 
non-African countries. Negotiations were ongoing on market access on goods and services under the 
WTO and the AfCFTA. Both these processes w ould provide Ethiopia with the opportunity to realize 
its economic growth and diversification aspirations and bring more investment to address supply 
side constraints. With respect to the AfCFTA, he noted that, by removing import duties on 90% of 
tariff li nes, the AfCFTA was expected to make African products more competitive in the African 
market. For Ethiopia, the increase in imports would be significant across most manufacturing sub -
sectors.39 On services, there was a chance of further opening up at the m ultilateral level, once the 
AfCFTA negotiations were concluded. Since the principle goal of both the WTO and the AfCFTA was 
to increase trade among countries, regionalism was considered complementary to multilateralism.  
36. The participants agreed that there w ere merits in running both WTO and the AfCFTA processes 
in parallel , supported by coherent domestic policies . Where possible, these processes should be fast -
tracked, to facilitate faster growth and deeper integration.  At the same time, technical assistance  
and capacity building  were critical for deriving benefits from both processes,40 while the lack of data  
(including on African success stories)  posed a big problem.  Among other challenges, the participants 
referred to the need for significant investment in infrastructure and building human capacity, 
including training of trade negotiators. On the settlement of trade disputes, it was observed that, 
currently, the major ity of decisions in Africa were taken at the political level. N onetheless, access to 
the dispute settlement mechanisms was one of the essential benefits  resulting  from the WTO and 
the AfCFTA membership. In the WTO, such access could be ensured through fina ncial and expert 
assistance provided to developing and least developed countries, e.g., by the Advisory Center on 
 
37 E.g., in Eastern Africa, the GTAP CGE database for trade analysis covered only 6 out of 14 countries. 
There was no sufficient data on services trade.  
38 Although it ha d not yet joined the COMESA FTA which had been  established in 2000 .  
39 However, d ue to limited capacity in administering rules of origin , there was a risk that goods  coming 
from non -African countries could be disguised as African goods , so as to qualify for duty -free movement across 
borders of African countries. For Ethiopia, t his risk was high , as 94% of its imports come from the rest of the 
world.  
40 E.g., views were expressed that WTO acceding governments should benefit from the TA mechanisms 
provided by the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.  WT/ACC/37 • WT/GC/224 • WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
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  WTO Law (ACWL) , while alternative settlement mechanisms were also available (good offices, 
conciliation, mediation, arbitration) .41  
6  WTO ACCES SION AND AFCFTA: BUILDING SYNERGIES ON PROCESS (SESSION 4)  
37. Having heard the perspectives on substance, WTO acceding governments shared their 
thoughts on ensuring inter -agency coordination to deal with policy synergies resulting from the 
simultaneous pursui t of WTO accession and AfCFTA implementation. These views were 
supplemented by the perspectives of private sector representatives. This session was moderated by 
Mr Charles Kunaka, Lead Specialist on Connectivity, Macroeconomics, Trade & Investment, World 
Bank Group, and Mr Giles Chappell, Trade Policy Advisor, Trade Facilitation and Policy for Business, 
ITC. In th e session:  
a. Algeria  informed that, while i nter-ministerial coordination exist ed, the  legislative 
framework was no less  important . The work was und erway on the amendments of 
legislation where business associations played an important role;  
b. Comoros  informed about the work of the National Committee on Trade Negotiations 
that comprised public and private institutions and civil society , as well as members 
of the Parliament (technocrats). The Trade Minister was to deliver messages to the 
President and had an important role to play, while the r epresentation in Geneva was 
critical for the coordination within the Government;  
c. Equatorial Guin ea informed about the inter -agency coordination framework in place. 
The framework included the National Committee for Trade Integration which was 
responsible for liaising with the sectoral institutions. The Committee, chaired by the 
Secretary General of th e Ministry of Commerce and Promotion of SMEs, consisted of 
the representatives of governmental departments and institutions, parliament, 
chamber of commerce, civil society and the private sector. Assisted by a Technical 
Committee, it reported to the Vice -Minister for Commerce as the Chief Negotiator. 
This decision -making and approval process had led to the quickest ratification of the 
AfCFTA. At the same time, the Government lacked structures, platforms and support 
in terms of capacity building. This constr aint was evident during the negotiating 
process and the implementation of the AfCFTA, especially in the fulfilment of the 
obligations to provide lists for liberalization on goods and services;  
d. Ethiopia  explained the mechanisms in place to ensure inter-agency coordination, led 
by the Ministry of Trade and Industry. These mechanisms included the National 
Steering Committee, consisting of all stakeholder ministries and institutions, and the 
Technical Negotiating Team running the AfCFTA and the WTO accession pr ocess, in 
a coordinated fashion. Thus,  ensuring that all stakeholders were on board and could 
bring their issues to these processes. As there were competing interests, the Chief 
Negotiator was consulting with stakeholders to get support from all institutio ns. In 
addition, the  private sector, academia, and media representatives also participated 
in this process;  
e. Somalia  informed that the WTO Accession Chief Negotiator was part of  the 
President 's team. Effectively, the President was leading on the accession, however, 
political changes could sometimes disrupt the process. Support of Ministries and the 
private sector was important, while there existed a lack of capacity that had to be 
addressed;  
f. Sudan  reported on the efforts to ensure coherence between the negotiations on the 
AfCFTA and the WTO Accession, under the umbrella of the Ministry of Trade. The 
High Committee was responsible for the preparation of the documentation for the 
WTO accession. The C hamber of Commerce was also involved;  
g. South Sudan  agreed that coordination between institutions on WTO accession and 
the AfCFTA was critical. The Ministry of Trade was responsible for the coordination 
 
41 Articles 5, 25 of the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU).  WT/ACC/37 • WT/GC/224 • WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
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  for WTO accession  and the AfCFTA . The National Steering  Committee, consisting of 
focal points from responsible ministries and the private sector, helped to identify 
regulations that needed alignment. However, availability of necessary data, and the 
lack of expert knowledge and sensitization on the WTO presente d a challenge.  
38. The representatives of  the private sector42 agreed that regional and global integration 
provided valuable opportunities, including on market access, reduced tariffs, predictability, enabling 
environment for business and investments, better competitiveness and enhanced profitability and 
growth. They supported expedition of their countries ' respective WTO accessions and the AfCFTA 
implementation. This would require a profound amount of domestic work, and further studies were 
necessary on the s pecific implications of these processes. Public private partnerships could help 
governments drive the reforms, taking account of the interests of businesses, and manage the 
AfCFTA and WTO accession and membership. They highlighted a number of challenges fa ced by 
businesses that limit their capacity to compete on the international arena: low -level technologies, 
human capacity constraints, costs of production, distorted market conditions, logistics infrastructure, 
absence of international exposure. Neverthele ss, businesses would be able to compete on the 
international market, if capacity was built in specified sectors and appropriate support was received.  
39. On the role of the private sector's involvement in both processes, all participants, including 
representat ives of the private sector,43 observed that it was extremely important. The reforms 
associated with WTO Accession and the AfCFTA had to provide an enabling environment for 
investments. Businesses should be the main beneficiaries and the main drivers of the  reforms. 
Their needs should be reflected in the development of negotiating strategies . The format of their 
involvement in the design of trade negotiating strategies should be clearly identified, given the 
vested interests.  The costs of doing business, how ever, remained a challenge, as well as building 
capacity of the chambers of commerce and specific business and professional associations. 
Mechanisms had to be put in place to ensure a regular and more effective dialogue with the private 
sector, including n ecessary studies and fact sheets on the benefits from the WTO accession and the 
AfCFTA for specific sectors that would help to get businesses on board. Technical assistance from 
the WTO and other international organizations was necessary. The confidence bu ilding exercise with 
the private sector could also include their participation in the work of the inter -ministerial committees 
and in the actual negotiations, including as part of the delegation for meetings of the WTO Accession 
Working Parties.  
7  ENGAGEMENT WITH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS  (SESSION 5)  
40. This session , moderated by Mr Nelson Mwangi Ndirangu, Chairman  of the  Competition 
Authority of Kenya , examine d best practices in: (i)  engagement of  domestic and international 
stakeholders in trade policy making ; (ii) public -private partnerships; (iii)  establishing an effective 
communication strategy with domestic stakeholders; and (i v) mobilizing technical assistance and 
political support.  
41. Dr Kato Kimbugwe, Managing Partner and Founder of Dynamic Analysis , presented his 
thoughts on  the engagement of domestic and international stakeholders in trade policy making.  
He made specific points on the engagement of domestic stakeholders that included: (i) 
understanding of local context; ( ii) alignment with the national government strategy;  (iii) creating  
strong coalitions with key stakeholders (government, private sector, beneficiaries and international 
organizations that support ed trade reforms);  (iv) inclusion of all vested parties in co nsultations; (v) 
development of  evidence -based policy positions; (vi) highlight of n ational/regional/international 
examples of excellence;  and (vii) clear digestible messages for the multitude of stakeholders (target 
audience). On the engagement with inte rnational stakeholders, he highlighted the importance of 
mapping the donor landscape and making the case, i.e., identify ing the gaps and opportunities in 
the existing trade policy and develop ing proposals  on how these  can be addressed . Coalitions with 
TA/CB partners had to be built to ensure coherence and maximise funds  available  to support  the 
implementation  of policy  and reforms . However, provision of technical assistance itself was not 
 
42 Chamber of Commerce and Sectorial Assoc iations of Ethiopia; Business Consortium of Equatorial 
Guinea; IBS Bank, Somalia; National Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of South Sudan; Chamber 
of Exporters of Sudan; Cotton Growers and Exporters Association of Sudan.  
43 Chamber of Commerc e and Sectorial Associations of Ethiopia; Business Consortium of Equatorial 
Guinea; IBS Bank, Somalia; National Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of South Sudan; Chamber 
of Exporters of Sudan; Cotton Growers and Exporters Association of Sudan.  WT/ACC/37 • WT/GC/224 • WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
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  enough: implementing policy in the African setting require d support for physical  infrastructure  
investments , many  of which  were beyond  national  government  budgets . Based on the experience of 
Rwanda, he proposed the following effective pathways:  
a. Evidence facility: would help  domestic and international stakeholders  answer 
questions that could undermine the reform effort , and could be used to strengthen  
the case for AfCFTA  implementation  and WTO accession ; 
b. TA fund : would  support the review of national trade strategies by identify ing gaps, 
opportunities and  areas  of convergence  with the AfCFTA  and WTO accession ; 
c. Capital  investment  programmes : would ensure  that the TA fund and the Evidence  
facility  were aligned  to trade infrastructure investment programmes. This would 
maximise outcomes and the long -term impact  of the AfCFTA  and WTO accession  
process . 
42. Ms Vidya Nathaniel, Trade Policy Advisor, Trade Facilitation and Policy for Business, ITC,  
focused on public -private partnerships.  She highlighted that, essentially, trade policy making44 was 
an interaction of private sect or interests, public sector policy (i.e., interaction with multiple agencies 
and institutions) and international commitments (multilateral, regional and bilateral). Public -private 
partnerships (PPPs) should be integral throughout the process of policy maki ng that should be 
evidence -based and include a structured dialogue on the development of workable reforms. 
This included stages of diagnostics, solution design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. 
She referred to examples of other countries45 that had institutionalised the use of public -private 
sector collaboration for national development. This included e stablishment of consultative panels  
with public -private membership in each Ministry, chaired by senior  policy  makers ; regular 
consultations org anized at a national level ; and follow up on the matters decided by such panels.  
43. Mr Axel Addy, former Minister of Commerce and Industry of Liberia,  elaborated on the optimal 
communication  strategy for trade negotiations ,46 based on the experience of the WTO accession of 
Liberia. He assumed that a successful trade negotiating strategy would be based on a government's 
national development agenda and trade policy, supported by political commitment at the highest 
level, where a  Chief Negotiator had been appointed and a core negotiating team constituted to 
implement the national strategy. The team led by the Chief Negotiator should be constituted of 
technical focal points: on legal issues, goods, services and agriculture. The neg otiating team should 
communicate actively with all stakeholders involved in the negotiating process: Government, civil 
society, private sector and donors/partners. Messages should be delivered to people on specific 
elements that would benefit their lives: e.g., transparency, investment, market access, as well as, 
consistently, within and outside the country: to the Head of State, in Geneva (to the group of 
"Friends of Accession"/partners), the WTO LDC Group, the WTO African Group, Geneva 
Ambassadors, and th e WTO Accessions Division. A momentum should be built around each of the 
messages sent. This included the establishment of a designated website, communications through 
the social media, as well as local and international media, and special meetings with st akeholders. 
He concluded his presentation by stating that "Joining the WTO is for you, not the WTO!".  
44. Responding to question from Mr Addy, WTO acceding governments indicated the main driving 
force for their respective accessions (see Box 2, below).  
 
 
44 Trade policy  making included a range of  instruments applied at the border (tariffs, duty drawbacks, 
trade facilitation measures, application of rules of origin and custom valuation and, port services); behind the 
boarder (costs of infrastructure service s: regulatory systems, efficiency of service providers, market access to 
foreign service suppliers, competition policy; business environment: FDI openness, export -investment links, 
tariffs on capital goods, protection of property rights, good governance, l abour market; and compliance with 
SPS/TBT requirements: conformity assessment procedures, mutual recognition / equivalence agreements); or 
beyond the boarder (market access, export subsidies/domestic support on agriculture, non -tariff measures and, 
prefere ntial trade regimes).  
45 Malaysia Incorporated Concept , experience of Sri Lanka.  
46 The strategy may also be applied to negotiations at the regional level.  WT/ACC/37 • WT/GC/224 • WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
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  Box 2  – Driving forces for African WTO Accessions  
                                 Comoros:                                    Reform  
                                 Ethiopia:                                     Transparency  
                                 Sudan:                                        Integration  
                                 Somalia and South Sudan:            Peace  
45. In the ensuing discussions, participants agreed that, on trade negotiations, in most cases, 
stakeholders – whether the general public or high -level decision -makers – should be guided by 
expertise, to eliminate fears and misperceptions. The WTO and the AfCF TA had to be brought closer 
to practical realities. E.g., the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) provided a framework for 
simplification, modernization and harmonization of processes  for moving goods across borders . The 
work undertaken under this pilla r was critical "nationally, regionally, and continentally." Media 
representatives were considered important stakeholders that could help the public grasp complex 
things in an easy way. In multi -language jurisdictions, reaching out to the public should be 
undertaken in all national languages.  
46. The session continued with a round table on mobilizing technical and political support. 
Representatives of international organizations, development partners and donors participated in the 
round table.   
47. Ms Zodwa Mabuza,  Principal Regional Integration Officer, African Development Bank (AfDB),  
presented the activities of the Bank in support of regional and global integration in Africa. She 
highlighted the importance of technical and political support, and the  Bank's funding programs 
through trade finance partnerships. This support was necessary as the AfCFTA had reached a critical 
stage of implementation, while African countries were in dire need of support. There was still a need 
for building expertise to car ry out negotiations. At the same time, regional integration was a political 
project. Technical and political support had to be balanced. AfDB, in line with its strategic objectives, 
including on integrated Africa, had been active in financing hard (road co nstructions, ports and other 
infrastructure projects) and soft infrastructure development (Trade and Transport Facilitation Due 
Diligence Tool, data bases on regulations, etc.). It provided support to set up the AfCFTA Secretariat 
and helped develop instru ments of implementation.  Trade Finance Program sought to reduce the 
gap in trade finance in Africa and strengthen the local African institutions that were considered 
crucial in promoting trade on the continent. The Bank also had co -finance projects, engage d in 
partnership publications to promote regional integration on the continent.  
48. Mr John Patrick Brady, USAID Representative to the African Union and UNECA, and George I. 
Brown, USAID Program Development Specialist,  provided an overview of the USAID bilater al support 
programme . Over the last 10 years, it had been providing tailor -made assistance around WTO 
accessions.  In total, 14 Article XII WTO Members had received support, including Afghanistan and 
Liberia, as well as governments that were currently in ac cession (e.g., Ethiopia). This support 
focused on meeting WTO commitments and often included partnering with the private sector. It also 
included help on trade facilitation and customs modernization, NTBs, SPS/TBT, MSMEs, IPRs and 
trade promotion activitie s. It also provided support to the African Union (e.g., in trade scoping, IP).   
Participants interested in benefitting from USAID support were advised to  reach out directly to USAID 
missions in their respective countries.  
49. Mr Avi Bram, Economist, United Ki ngdom Department for International Development (DFID), 
elaborated on the  bilateral support provided by his Government, which was extensively implemented 
in African countries (e.g., in Malawi, Ethiopia,  and Somalia). Trademark East Africa (TMEA) was one 
of the components that focused on lifting barriers to trade in East Africa, building roads, examining 
ports for trade facilitation and ensuring compliance with international agreements. Currently, DFID 
was re -starting its work in Geneva and would be appointin g an international senior advisor. He 
highlighted the importance of public awareness  as a means to mobilize stakeholders in support of 
trade negotiations as had been the case with the campaign in Ethiopia . Participants were invited to 
get in touch with a D FID representative in their respective countries.  
50. Mr Masaki Morimoto, Deputy Chief of Mission of Japan to the African Union , on behalf of the 
Government of Japan, congratulated the African Union and its members on their efforts on the 
AfCFTA. Japan firmly  believe d in the role of a free and open trading system and WTO accession  as WT/ACC/37 • WT/GC/224 • WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
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  a means to  achiev e inclusive and sustainable growth. In the past, it had provided technical assistance 
to the WTO accession of Viet Nam and chaired the Working Party  on the WTO accession of Samoa. 
More recently, it had assisted the WTO accession of Sudan, including though the provision of funding 
to draft ac cessions -related documents and legislation, and by serving as a Working Party  Chair.  He 
introduced three initiatives that Japan had participated in as one of the Aid for Trade  donors and 
that contribute d to promoting inclusiveness and sustainable impact in  the WTO accession and post-
accession phase  including: (i) the development of quality infrastructure in Africa; (ii) trade 
facilitation; and (iii) human resource development in public and private sectors. These initiatives 
could also contribute to the impl ementation of the AfCFTA.  
51. The participants thanked donors for the available support programmes. They observed that 
TA/CB was needed by all WTO acceding governments, and such donor -beneficiary dialogue should 
take place more often. The WTO Chair Programme,  through the collaboration with the University of 
Nairobi, could bring TA closer to the region. Experience sharing between WTO acceding 
governments, that were at different stages of accession, was no less important, including on 
difficulties that may be en countered in the process. For this, a special forum/mechanism could be 
established, to exchange information and provide peer -to-peer support.  
8  CLOSING REMARKS AND CONCLUSIONS  
52. The Dialogue was jointly closed by its co -organizers and the host government . Taking note of 
the Regional Dialogue discussions, Ambassador Mesganu Agra Moach, State Minister of Trade and 
Industry, Ethiopia, urged the participants to follow up and devise implementable solutions based on 
shared experiences. The Dialogue 's effectiveness was not only measured by the range of participants 
but the extent of learning that the y took away and  would be  implement ing. 
53. Dialogue participants welcomed the Regional Dialogue as a unique regional forum for 
experience sharing and capacity building that s hould continue until all African WTO Accessions are 
concluded . Specifically, the y welcomed the focus of the Third Dialogue on deepening the economic 
integration in Africa through WTO accessions and the implementation of the AfCFTA, where greater 
synergies could be created for the benefit of the continent. The spill -over effect of this integration 
would go beyond trade and trickle down to address the many economic challenges that Africa face d 
today. The role of the Dialogue in building these synergies was in dispensable.  
54. Participants noted specific actions that could be implemented to build greater synergies, at 
the national, regional and global level. These included:   
a. Alignment of national laws with the AfCFTA and WTO Agreements;  
b. Alignment of the WTO accession and the AfCFTA Implementation Roadmaps, along 
with i nclusion of WTO accession commitments in the national AfCFTA implementation 
strategies;  
c. Appointment of one Chief Trade Negotiator responsible for WTO accession and the 
AfCFT A implementation;  
d. Establishment of mechanisms allowing for enhanced stakeholder participation in the 
process of WTO accession and the AfCFTA implementation, including from the private 
sector;  
e. Coordinated approaches including media and communication strat egies on WTO 
accession and AfCFTA implementation, including evidence -based outreach to all 
relevant stakeholders;  
f. Establishment of mechanisms for experience sharing and learning  among policy 
makers , to push WTO accession and AfCFTA implementation processes  forward;  
g. Collaboration on trade data collection and impact studies for different sectors; and,  
h. Monitoring of the implementation of the AfCFTA, including through the WTO Trade 
Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM).  
55. Specifically, participants urged the African Union (AU) and WTO Secretariat to organise an 
information session at the next AU Summit for Heads of State, to brief on the state of play, 
opportunities and challenges of WTO accessions.  
56. Participants also welcomed progress and pledged their collective suppo rt for the advancement 
and expedited conclusion of African accessions to the WTO . They called for conclusion of the WTO WT/ACC/37 • WT/GC/224 • WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
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  accession of Comoros, as early as possible, and welcomed the start of the Working Party process in 
the accessions of South Sudan, the re sumption of the accession of Ethiopia, and the upcoming 
submission of the Memoranda on the Foreign Trade Regime of Equatorial Guinea and Somalia.   
57. Acknowledging the importance of stakeholder inclusiveness in the accession process, 
participants expressed ap preciation to the ITC for ensuring the participation of private sector 
representatives in the Dialogue.  
58. Participants acknowledged the ongoing technical and financial support provided by 
development partners (AfDB, DFID, ITC, WBG, WTO, UNECA, USAID) , in order to enable African 
countries to fully realize the benefits of the AfCFTA and the WTO and appealed to development 
partners to increase their support. In this context, a ttention was called to the need for a follow -up 
to the Nairobi decision to establish a n African Centre of Excellence on the WTO , which  would be of 
benefit at the regional level on accessions and the WTO . 
59. Participants expressed their appreciation to the Government of Ethiopia for hosting the Third 
Regional Dialogue and its warm hospitality. They also expressed their appreciation to UNECA, the 
WTO Secretariat, the AU Commission, the ITC and the WBG for the excellent  logistical  arrangements.  
60. Participants requested Ethiopia to report on the outcome of the Third Regional Dialogue to the 
WTO membe rship, and to the AU Trade Ministers. The y requested that this Report be circulated as 
a WTO document of the Sub -Committee for Least Developed Countries and the General Council.  
_______________  
  WT/ACC/37 • WT/GC/224 • WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
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  ANNEX  
PROGRAMME OF THE REGIONAL DIALOGUE  
Day 1: Wednesday, 12 February 2020  
10:00 – 12:00 High -Level Opening Session: "Africa and the Multilateral Trading System " 
In honor of Ambassador Chiedu Osakwe (1955 -2019)  
Moderator:  Ambassador Alan Wm. Wolff, Deputy Director -General, WTO  
Welcome and Opening Remarks  
• Mr Melaku Alebel, Minister of Trade and Industry, Ethiopia;  
WTO Membership and the AfCFTA Implementation  
• Mr Albert M. Muchanga, Commissioner for Trade and Industry, African Union 
Commission (AUC) ;  
• Mr Stephen Karingi, Director, Regional Integration and Trade Division, United 
Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) ; 
WTO Reform and the Future of African Trade Policy  
• Ambassador Amina Mohammed, Cabinet Se cretary for Sports Culture & Heritage, 
Kenya ; 
• Dr Patrick Low, Former Chief Economist, WTO ; 
WTO Accession and Africa - Opportunities, Challenges and Support  
• Mr Axel Addy, Former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Liberia . 
Followed by Open Discussion  
14:00 – 15:15  Session 1 : "Maximizing the Benefits of the AfCFTA through WTO Accession " 
Moderator:  Mr David Luke, Coordinator, African Trade Policy Centre, Regional 
Integration and Trade Division, UNECA  
AfCFTA Negotiations and Implementation – State of Play  
• Mr Million Habte, Senior Expert on Trade in Services on Regulatory Issues, AUC ; 
WTO Accessions – State of Play  
• Ms Maika Oshikawa, Director, Accessions Division, WTO ; 
Accession to the AfCFTA Agreement – Issues and Reflections  
• Mr Melaku  Desta, Principal Regional Advisor, Regional Integration and Trade 
Division, UNECA . 
Round Table Discussion : "WTO Accession and the AfCFTA as a pathway towards 
economic development " 
• Mr Medani Abbas Medani Mohamed, Minister for Industry and Trade, Ministry o f 
Industry and Trade, Sudan;  
• Mr Domingo Mba Esono Nsang, Vice Minister of Commerce and Promotion of 
SMEs, Equatorial Guinea;  
• Mr Mamo Mihretu, Senior Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia and 
Chief Trade Negotiator, Ethiopia;  
• Mr Khaled Bouchela ghem, Director -General, Ministry of Commerce, Algeria ; 
• Mr Said Abdou Salime, Cabinet Director, Ministry of Economy, Comoros;  
• Mr Dalmar Hassan Kanyare, Special Advisor for Trade Development and 
Economic Policy in the Office of the President, Somalia;  
• Mr Kuo t Madhor Kuot, Director/WTO Focal Point, Ministry of Trade, Industry and 
EAC Affairs, South Sudan.  WT/ACC/37 • WT/GC/224 • WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
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  15:30 – 17:00  Session 2: "Assessing the Economic Impact of Market Opening"  
Moderator:  Dr Patrick Low, Former Chief Economist, WTO  
Structural Transformation through Market Opening  
• Mr Mustapha Sadni Jallab, Head, Training and Research Division, UNECA ; 
Poverty Impact of Trade Liberalization  
• Mr Paul Brenton, Lead Economist, Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment Global 
Practice, World Bank Group ;  
Empirical Assessment of the Impact of the AfCFTA  
• Ms Maryla Maliszewska, Senior Economist, Macroeconomics, Trade and 
Investment Global Practice, World Ba nk Group ;  
• Mr Simon Mevel, Economic Affairs Officer, Regional Integration and Trade 
Division, UNECA  
Commentator : Dr Kato Kimbugwe, Managing Partner and Founder , Dynamic Analysis . 
Followed by Open Discussion  
18:00  Reception hosted by the Government of Ethiopia  
Day 2: Thursday , 13 February 2020  
9:30 – 12:30  Session 3:  "WTO Accession and the AfCFTA: Building Synergies on Substance " 
Moderator:  Dr Patrick Low, Former Chief Economist, WTO  
WTO Accession and the AfCFTA : Synergies on Rules  
• Ms Anna Varyanik, Legal Affairs Officer ; Ms Mariam Soumaré, Trade Policy 
Analyst, Accessions Division, WTO ; 
• Mr Rodgers Mukwaya, Economic Affairs Officer, Sub -regional Office for Eastern 
Africa, UNECA ; 
• Ms Leyou Tameru, Founder of I-Arb Africa ; 
WTO Accession and the AfCFTA : Synergies on Market Access (Goods and 
Services)  
• Mr Lisanework Gorfu, Director General of Trade Relation and Negotiation, 
Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ethiopia ; 
• Ms Laura Páez, Chief of the Market Institutions Section, Regional Integration and 
Trade Division, UNECA . 
Followed by Open Discussion  
14:00 – 17:00 Session 4: "WTO Accession and the AfCFTA: Building Synergies on Process"  
Inter -agency Coordination in WTO Accession and AfCFTA Negotiations – Trade 
Negotiator's Perspectives  
Moderator:  Mr Charles Kunaka, Lead Specialist on Connectivity, Macroeconomics, Trade 
& Investment, World Bank Group  
• Mr Medani Abbas Medani  Mohamed, Minister for Industry and Trade, Ministry of 
Industry and Trade, Sudan ; 
• Mr Domingo Mba Esono Nsang, Vice Minister of Commerce and Promotion of 
SMEs, Equatorial Guinea ; 
• Ambassador Mesganu Arga, State Minister of Trade and Industry, and Deputy 
Chief Trade Negotiator, Ethiopia ; 
• Ms Maryan Hassan, Chief Trade Negotiator for WTO Accession at the Office of 
the President, Somalia ; 
• Mr Khaled Bouchelaghem, Director -General, Ministry of Commerce, Algeria ; 
• Mr Said Abdou Salime, Cabinet Director, Ministry of E conomy, Comoros ; 
• Mr Kuot Madhor Kuot, Director / WTO Focal Point, Ministry of Trade, Industry and 
EAC Affairs, South Sudan .  WT/ACC/37 • WT/GC/224 • WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
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  Commentator:  Mr Million Habte, Senior Expert on Trade in Services on Regulatory Issues, 
AUC. 
Consultation with the Business Community on the WTO Accession Process and 
AfCFTA Negotiations – Perspectives of the Private Sector  
Moderator:  Mr Giles Chappell, Trade Policy Advisor, Trade Facilitation and Policy for 
Business, ITC  
• Ms Faouziat Kamoula Mahamoud, Director -General of Entreprise/VP MOSEC 
(Patronat), Mouvement des Entreprises des Comores;  
• Mr Abderemane Ahmed Koudra, Secretary -General, Organisation Patronale des 
Comores;  
• Mr Benjamin Evita Oma, Secretary -General, Business Consortium, Equatorial 
Guinea;  
• Ms Maria  Luisa Mangue Ndumu Eyang, Administrator, Business Consortium, 
Equatorial Guinea;  
• Eng. Melaku Ezezew, President, Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectorial 
Associations, Ethiopia;  
• Mr Ahmed Mahat Mohamed, Chief Executive Officer, IBS Bank, Somalia  
• Mr Ange lo Lado Gore Tombe, General Manager, National Chamber of Commerce 
and Agriculture, South Sudan;  
• Mr Yowa Asholy Dia Soso, Chairman, Shippers Council, National Chamber of 
Commerce and Agriculture, South Sudan;  
• Mr Mohamed Suliman Mohamed Hussein, Businessman,  Chamber of Exporters, 
Sudan;  
• Mr Mohamed Ali Abdalla Ali, General Manager, Sudan Cotton Growers and 
Exporters Association, Sudan.  
Followed by Open Discussion  
Day 3: Friday,  14 February  2020  
09:30 – 12:30 Session  5: Engagement with Domestic and International Stakeholders  
Moderator:  Mr Nelson Mwangi Ndirangu, Chairman, Competition Authority of Kenya  
Engaging Domestic and International Stakeholders in Trade Policy Making  
• Dr Kato Kimbugwe, Managing Partner and Founder of Dynamic Analysis ; 
• Ms Vidya Nathaniel, Trade Policy Advisor, Trade Facilitation and Policy for 
Business, ITC ;  
Communication Strategy – Best Practices  
• Mr Axel Addy, Former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Liberia . 
Moderator:  Ms Maika Oshikawa, Director, Accessions Division, WTO  
Round Table on Mobilizing Technical and Political Support  
• Mr Giles Chappell, Trade Policy Advisor, Trade Facilitation and Policy for 
Business, ITC ;  
• Ms Zodwa Mabuza, Principal Regional Integration Officer, African Development 
Bank (AfDB) ; 
• Mr Johan Borgstam, Ambassador  of the European Union  to Ethiopia ; 
• Mr Masaki Mo rimoto, Deputy Chief of Mission/Counsellor, Mission of Japan to the 
African Union ; 
• Mr John Patrick Brady, USAID Representative to the African Union and UNECA ; 
George I. Brown, USAID Program Development Specialist ; 
• other Development Partners and WTO Members . 
Followed by Open Discussion  
14:00 – 15:30  Next Steps: Round Table Discussion  WT/ACC/37 • WT/GC/224 • WT/COMTD/LDC/28  
 
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  15:45 – 16:00  Closing session  
Closing  Remarks  
• Ambassador Misganu Arga Moach, State Minister of Trade and Industry, Ethiopia ;  
• Ms Maika Oshikawa, Director, Accessions Division, WTO ; 
• Mr Million Habte, Senior Expert on Trade in Services on Regulatory Issues, AUC ; 
• Mr Giles Chappell, Trade Policy Advisor, Trade Facilitation and Policy for Business, 
ITC;  
• Mr Stephen Karingi, Director, Regional Integration and Trade Division, UNECA ; 
• Mr Charles Kunaka, Lead Specialist on Connectivity, Macroeconomics, Trade & 
Investment, W orld Bank Group.  
16:00  Visit to Unity Park, Grand Palace, Niger Street and Menelik II Avenue, Addis Ababa 
https://unitypark.et/ . 
__________