Happy shoppers at the #GhanaExpoinKE - May 2023

Faire des promesses de la ZLECAf une réalité pour les femmes et les jeunes

Le PNUD soutient la mise en œuvre de la ZLECAf au niveau national, régional et continental. Il apporte notamment une assistance directe aux pays, organise des formations pour les petites et moyennes entreprises (PME), facilite la mise en relation entre PME de différentes régions, mène des activités de recherche et soutient le développement de technologies pour le commerce.

Le 29 mars 2021, le Secrétariat de la ZLECAf et le PNUD ont signé un partenariat stratégique qui vise à promouvoir le commerce comme moteur de la reprise socio-économique de l’Afrique suite à la crise de la COVID-19, ainsi que comme vecteur de développement durable, en particulier pour les femmes et les jeunes en Afrique, conformément à la vision commune des ODD et de l’Agenda 2063 pour le continent.

À propos de la ZLECAf

La Zone de Libre-Échange Continentale Africaine (ZLECAf) est la plus grande zone de libre-échange au monde. Elle a commencé ses activités le 1er janvier 2021, créant ainsi un marché de 1,2 milliard de personnes et devenant le huitième bloc économique mondial avec un PIB combiné de 3 billions de dollars, qui devrait plus que doubler d’ici 2050.

Mais la ZLECAf représente bien plus que cela. D’une part, elle constitue une étape majeure dans le processus d’intégration et de développement de l’Afrique. D’autre part, elle va servir de catalyseur pour favoriser l’émergence de nouvelles pratiques entrepreneuriales et de nouvelles manières de produire, de travailler et de commercer, aussi bien à l’intérieur du continent africain qu’avec le reste du monde.

La ZLECAf va faire de l’Afrique la plus grande zone de libre-échange au monde et faciliter le commerce intra-africain (les échanges commerciaux entre pays d’Afrique) en réalisant plusieurs objectifs majeurs et interdépendants, à savoir :  

  1. Créer un marché africain unique des biens et des services : la plupart des barrières commerciales seront éliminées et des politiques communes seront mises en place pour faciliter la circulation des biens, mais aussi des capitaux, des personnes, des entreprises et des services
  2. Faciliter le commerce pour les entreprises, en particulier les petites entreprises
  3. Éliminer les obstacles non-tarifaires, c’est-à-dire les mesures qui entravent les échanges commerciaux entre pays d’Afrique, comme les retards liés aux formalités douanières
  4. Développer une expertise africaine dans le domaine des droits de propriété intellectuelle, de l’investissement, de la concurrence et du e-commerce
  5. Baisser les taxes et tarifs entre pays membres
  6. Contribuer à l’élaboration de politiques qui facilitent les échanges commerciaux et autres services associés, tels que la construction de routes et l’amélioration de l’accès aux ports.

 

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Publications

The Engine of Trade in Africa

The report provides an in-depth reflection of the experiences of Africa’s women who trade across borders through micro-, small-, medium and large-sized enterprises in both the formal and informal sectors. The report fills the knowledge gap on Africa’s women in trade and how they understand and engage with the AfCFTA, offering a rare opportunity to understand women’s issues in trade, as expressed by the women themselves.

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Understanding the AfCFTA: Guide for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the ECOWAS Region

Understanding the AfCFTA: Guide for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the ECOWAS Region, was created to help small business owners, traders and producers, especially women, in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region understand how the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) works so that they can be in a position to make the best use of the business opportunities that can be found within the AfCFTA, including trading more easily across the continent and adding value to goods and services. The guide was produced by the ECOWAS Commission with support from UNDP.

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Futures Report 2021

With this product, government officials can target which sectors consist of opportunities for their nation's entry into the AfCFTA market, creating targeted trade capacity-building programmes that can strengthen exporter readiness.   Businesses are also in a better place to make sound decisions of where to invest to seize AfCFTA opportunities.  And those areas where further improvements need to be made are also pointed out - to create stronger chances for a Made in Africa Revolution.

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The Futures Report: Making the AfCFTA Work for Women and Youth

This report demonstrates that, beyond the numbers and negotiations, the realization of this promise will depend on decisive actions and the collective efforts of the African people. Concrete policy measures and investments are needed, in particular to ensure that women and youth, who account for the majority of the population, business owners and workforce, can be better integrated into the value chains, jobs and opportunities stemming from the  African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)

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Cover of "The One African Market Guide: Intellectual Property Rights" with orange background and triangles.

The One African Market Guide: Intellectual Property Rights

This guide explores intellectual property rights (IPRs) and their implications for the production and trade of goods and services within the emerging One African Market. IPRs are legal rights of ownership over processes and products granted to creators and inventors for a specific time period. Individuals and businesses can protect their processes and products, whether goods or services, using IPRs to ensure that they are not copied or used by others without authorization. IPRs can, therefore, contribute to businesses having a competitive edge in the marketplace – and securing revenue from their efforts, innovations and products.

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News articles

AfCFTA and UNDP announce new partnership to support largest trade area towards inclusive growth in Africa

The AfCFTA Secretariat and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) today have signed a strategic partnership to promote trade as a stimulus for Africa’s socioeconomic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis...

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Youth in Trade Challenge: propelling youth - led economic integration through the AfCFTA

UNDP, in partnership with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) secretariat, UN Women and the Government of Canada, have published a report titled Engine of Trade in Africa: Amplifying the voices of women across Africa...

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Africa's youth at the forefront of economic transformation

“I want a One African Market where I can make cross-border transactions in one African currency”, shared Vidhyasahar Thiyagarajan, founder of fintech company FUSE in the Seychelles...

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Blog
What the Fishery Industry can teach us about the AfCFTA’s implementation in the Regional Blue Economy Value Chains

The AfCFTA aims to strengthen regional trade and investment, promoting the development of robust fisheries value chains. Strategic policy support, infrastructure investment, and sustainable management are essential to unlocking the sector’s full potential.

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Blog
Scaling up intra-African trade through digital public infrastructure

UNDP is enhancing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to support MSMEs who face challenges navigating fragmented digital tools for cross-border trade.

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Woman with long braided hair working on a laptop outdoors, coffee cup beside her.
Blog
Trade intelligence tools to bridge gaps between African goods and markets

As AfCFTA grows, varying country conditions can impact access for "Made in Africa" goods. To benefit from reduced tariffs, businesses must comply with rules of origin and quality standards.

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