Technical Assistance Facility to the African Union - Phase I
Supporting the economic integration of the continent

print
Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Business environment and regional integration
Democratic, economic and financial governance
Published on 21/07/2020

Objective

This project supports the African Union’s efforts to become a key player in promoting economic integration at the continental level.
  • € 1,5m
    BUDGET
  • 24 months
    DURATION
    PROJECT FUNDED BY
  • Agence française de développement (AFD)
    PARTNERS
  • African Union (AU)

The African continent: a challenging space to integrate

Integration is a particularly steep challenge for a heterogeneous continent like Africa. Yet, it remains an essential endeavour to engage with other integrated economic powerhouses dominating international trade. Emerging countries should stand ready to develop integration strategies and effective tools and implement common trade policy instruments, such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The challenge has become all the more important with the development of the digital economy, especially e-commerce, for which Africa lags behind other continents. 

A strategic dialogue between the African Union and France

The African Union and France have engaged in a strategic dialogue since the signing of a declaration of intent on June 8th 2018. In order to substantiate this dialogue and to enshrine it in the long term, a funding of 1.5 million euros has been granted by the French Development Agency (AFD) to Expertise France in the form of a 24-month technical assistance and capacity-building Facility. The latter will support the AU on issues within its area of expertise, in line with the priorities set by the Agenda 2063 for the transformation of Africa into a world power.

Objectives and implementation strategy

The overall objective of the project is to support the African Union’s efforts to become a key player in promoting economic integration at the continental level by providing:

•  Technical support to support the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)

•  Support dedicated to the implementation of priorities in terms of digital transition, especially regarding the development and governance of the e-commerce sector
 

The Facility will promote strategic thinking and common positions among AU Member States by conducting studies, capacity building and awareness raising activities.

This will be achieved through the mobilisation of French and international specialists from academia, sectoral ministries, agencies or public companies and from international organisations.

 

1 - Technical support for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)

Support the finalisation of the current negotiations in the framework of phase I (products’ rules of origin, among others) to facilitate the implementation of the free trade agreement
Study the establishment of redistribution mechanisms to anticipate the effects of tariff dismantling on Member States and promote fair economic integration within the area
Support the implementation of the action plan of the Trade and Industry Department aimed at promoting the development of SMEs within the AfCFTA
Contribute to defining a sectoral strategy for the African Union for the development of e-commerce in Africa


2 - Support to digital transition in Africa

Support the financial data collection on the e-commerce sector to better understand the fiscal potential for AU Member States
Strengthen the integration of all African Union Member States within the ongoing multilateral discussion on the taxation of digital actors led by the OECD
Study and enhance existing initiatives to digitise African postal services serving as logistic bases for e-commerce

 

Find out more about the second phase of the project

    Related field of activity

  • $altText

    Business environment and regional integration
    Expertise France implements international technical cooperation projects to support sustainable economic development and the mobilisation of sustainable domestic resources, which are essential to finance the main public basic services and contribute to the stabilisation of a country. Through its action, it especially aims to develop the private sector to promote a sustainable and inclusive growth.

    Associated documents / related documents

  • Technical Assistance Facility to the African Union
    Document pdf, 656 Kb
    Download

Activities

  • Technical support for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
  • Support dedicated to the implementation of priorities in terms of digital transition, especially regarding the development and governance of the e-commerce sector