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UN mobilizes support for African Union initiative to boost intra-African trade and lift millions out of poverty.

Press Release

 

New York, 1 May – The United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, the African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations, and their partners are launching the 2023 edition of the Africa Dialogue Series (ADS 2023) from 1 to 24 May, including a virtual segment from 1 to 19 May and a High-level Policy Dialogue to be held in a hybrid format in New York from 22 to 24 May.  Titled “Market and Scale: Unlocking Industrialization through Intra-African Trade,” the event is an interactive platform for stakeholders to come together and look into Africa’s challenges and opportunities in harnessing trade to fast-track industrialization and formulate implementable policy recommendations for the continent’s development. 

Building on the African Union’s theme of the year, which is focused on accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the ADS 2023 explores how the AfCFTA could boost Africa’s development through industrialization. This is underpinned by the recognition that the ongoing crises exposed the vulnerability of African economies to external shocks, highlighting the need for their fundamental transformation. Also, that robust intra-African trade could be a driver to improve the socioeconomic conditions of the population across the continent, bringing prosperity and durable peace.

By facilitating trade between African countries, the AfCFTA aims to establish a 1.3 billion consumer-strong unified market comprising countries with a total GDP of US $3.4 trillion. This free trade agreement could lift more than 30 million people out of poverty and increase income across the continent to US $450 billion by 2035, accelerating progress towards achieving the promises of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

Launching the event, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General said the AfCFTA is the only way to deliver industrialization in Africa “by providing market and scale for a revamp of intra-Africa trade.” She called on African countries to focus on science, technology, and innovation, increase access to reliable energy sources, boost regional integration, and implement effective institutions to usher in the continent’s industrialization. This holds enormous potential, including the availability of 12 million new jobs annually that young people could aspire to get without leaving the continent.

For her part, the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission hailed the unprecedented pace at which the AfCFTA is being operationalized in her opening message. “This is a monumental achievement,” she says, and a testament to “African leadership and political will.” While outlining the next steps in implementing the AfCFTA, she also recognized the contribution of women and young people to the process. “Africa’s population is predominantly youth and women,” she mentioned, and they drive transformational change on the continent, including on the AfCFTA implementation.

A key outcome of the ADS 2023 will be the formulation of forward-looking ideas and actionable policy recommendations derived from three sub-themes, namely: 1) Boosting Trade Facilitation and Rethinking the Foundations of Africa’s Export Diversification; 2) Growing Middle Class and Continental Import Substitution: Connecting the Dots to Unlock Made in Africa; and 3) Digital Service Trade: Great Potential but Regulatory Frameworks Are Urgent.

These sub-themes will be explored at the technical level during three international webinars on 3, 10, and 17 May. Youth voices will feed into this outcome through interactive discussions held around the same sub-themes via the Twitter Spaces platform on 4, 11, and 18 May.  The event will culminate with a High-level Policy Dialogue attended by high-level participants from Member States, the United Nations System, the African Union, and other entities, including the Regional Economic Communities.

 

Organizing Entities

The Africa Dialogue Series 2023 is organized by the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) and the African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations () in partnership with the African Continental Free Trade Area () Secretariat, the Common Fund for Commodities (), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa () and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization ()

Key Links:

  • ADS 2023 programme and website
  • Participate in the international webinars and the “Youth Voices” segments

Sub-theme

International Webinar

Youth

Voices

Boosting Trade Facilitation and Rethinking the Foundations of Africa’s Export Diversification

Growing Middle Class and Continental Import Substitution: Connecting the Dots to Unlock Made in Africa

Digital Service Trade: Great Potential but Regulatory Frameworks Are Urgent

 

  • Follow the High-level Policy Dialogue on 

Social Media:

Hashtags: #ADS2023, #AfricaDialogueSeries, #AfCFTA

UN Office of the Special Adviser on Africa

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African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations

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African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat

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 Common Fund for Commodities

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 UN Conference on Trade and Development

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UN Economic Commission for Africa

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UN Industrial Development Organization

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Contacts:

United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa