Cross-cutting Aid-for-Trade Issues

1
Cross-cutting Aid-for-Trade Issues

• Regional Planning Mechanisms Financial
  Instruments

2
Why is the regional dimension of capacity
building important?

• African countries
• Supply-side constraints -gt regional and
  cross-border activities
• Landlocked, Small Fragmented economies
• Capacity building must enhance regional planning,
  coordination financing mechanisms

3
Why is the regional dimension of capacity
building important?

• Public sector needs to be strengthened to
  mainstream trade policy in development strategies
  and to enhance trade and investment.
• Strengthen private sector and support
  organisations chambers of commerce, producer
  organisations, manufacturers, etc.
• Public-Private Partnerships needs to be developed
  and supported develop projects together.

4
Why is the regional dimension of capacity
building important?

• It is important to map the needs for capacity
  building.
• Regional institutions should be strengthened to
  support regional trade integration.
• Regional banks, other financial institutions and
  regional organisations could play a role.
• Capacity will also be developed by implementing
  projects and role players will learn by doing
  Lets be pragmatic!

5
How to improve cooperation, Regional Integration

• Develop and fund multi-national projects such as
  road, rail, waterways power networks.
• Develop Spatial Development Initiatives links
  to agriculture, agro-industrial, tourism
  industry.
• Develop links to local, regional export
  markets.
• Enhance public-private partnerships (in countries
  across borders) improve export capacity, SPS,
  custom regulations, etc.
• Improve coordination between development agencies
  ITC, UNECA, UNIDO, UNDP, WTO, NGOs, etc.

6
Restructuring Finance to Address Regional
Integration Issues

• RECs can play a leading role to develop
  multi-national projects.
• Consultants could be financed to assist RECs in
  developing need analysis.
• Regional bodies can play an important role to
  develop in developing trade networks.
• RECs can be financed on a project basis in
  developing tangible outputs.

7
Way Forward

• Promote understanding of AfT
• Prioritise trade needs in Africa
• Facilitate capacity transfer skills
• Assist RECs with AfT Action Plans
• African AfT Network to implement plans
• Develop a report mechanism
• Assist with multi-national project plans
• Finance regional projects roads, rail, power,
  agro-industrial trade / market networks