African Continental Free Trade Agreement

November 10, 2022

Investments for women in digital finance

While the economic importance of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is now settled, this blog highlights the significance of having a bold competition protocol to ensure that the potentials of an open market system are actualized, by protecting the consumers and small scale suppliers.

This blog appraises the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement that provides measures to protect animal or plant life or health within member territories, from risks, within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) context. It considers the salient obligations and features on equivalence and harmonisation of SPS measures in the SPS Agreement.

With the growth of e-commerce, a core human right concern pervading this “novel” form of trade is the right to privacy. This article makes a case for recognising privacy and its derivative, data protection in the AfCFTA’s E-Commerce Protocol and subsequent e-commerce-related agreements concluded by Africa’s Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and states members.

What role does context play for African countries under the African Continental Free Trade Area's (AfCFTA) IP Protocol? This blog argues that the IP Protocol provides an opportunity to systematically and comprehensively incorporate IP-related issues into the AFCFTA development-oriented agenda.

The AfCFTA aims to accelerate economic growth for member states. A critical aspect of this is collecting revenue spurred by income tax and value-added tax, supported by improved investment and consumerism. The AfCFTA seeks to eliminate tariffs between member states, which will deplete this source of revenue for member states, most of which are highly dependent on this form of revenue. To curtail the impact of this loss of income, member states need to have the capacity to effectively administer domestic tax policies to take advantage of this anticipated revenue from income tax and value-added tax. Member states' readiness in this area is of concern and must be addressed by providing adequate support to domestic institutions with expertise and knowledge.

The News and Events category publishes the latest News and Events relating to International Economic Law relating to Africa and the Global South. Every week, Afronomicslaw.org receive the News and Events in their e-mail accounts. The News and Events published every week include conferences, major developments in the field of International Economic Law in Africa at the national, sub-regional and regional levels, as well as relevant case law. News and Events with a Global South focus are also often included.

The News and Events category publishes the latest News and Events relating to International Economic Law relating to Africa and the Global South. Every week, Afronomicslaw.org receive the News and Events in their e-mail accounts. The News and Events published every week include conferences, major developments in the field of International Economic Law in Africa at the national, sub-regional and regional levels, as well as relevant case law. News and Events with a Global South focus are also often included.

The News and Events category publishes the latest News and Events relating to International Economic Law relating to Africa and the Global South. Every week, Afronomicslaw.org receive the News and Events in their e-mail accounts. The News and Events published every week include conferences, major developments in the field of International Economic Law in Africa at the national, sub-regional and regional levels, as well as relevant case law. News and Events with a Global South focus are also often included.

The African Union (AU) has reached its twentieth year, and this milestone offers an opportunity to reflect upon African agency and agenda-setting regarding the development of continental norms and practices within the AU's public health sphere of competence. This is particularly relevant in view of the current global pandemic. This paper argues that the establishment of the Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) under the Statute of the Africa CDC, its mechanisms and processes, especially in the AU's continental response to COVID-19, advances African agency and agenda-setting in public health. Importantly, some of the actions of the AU, as part of its continental response to COVID-19, require attention not only because they form the central argument of this paper but also because of the scant attention paid to the AU's continental response to the pandemic by scholars and others, in this regard.