Continental Task Force meets to discuss upcoming CFTA talks

The fifth Meeting of the Continental Task Force (CTF) on the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) at the Experts level was held recently in Abuja, Nigeria.

The three-day meeting was orchestrated by the Department of Trade within the Africa Union Commission (AUC) as a precursor to CFTA negotiations in December. In attendance were representatives from the AUC, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

“We need to think outside the box to envision the way to achieve this mandate and meet the schedule set to us by our leaders," Treasure Maphanga, director of the AUC's Department of Trade and Industry. "We are very keen to work with you in order to synchronize and share some of the lessons learned on the Tripartite and other Regional Economic Communities."

The role of the CTF is to act as a liaision between the AUC and the Regional Economic Communities to keep CFTA negotiations on track and on schedule.

The assembled representatives discussed several issues, including technical documents that will be used in the December negotiations, drafts of which were finalized at the meeting.

Maphanga encouraged representatives from different organizations and regions to share their experiences and expertise to be sure all voices were heard during the negotiations.

The meeting concluded with a debate about CTF's Rules of Procedure, which will be presented at the CFTA negotiations.