As African leaders gear up for the 36th ordinary session of the African Union (AU) Assembly that starts on Saturday in Ethiopia, international anti-poverty activists have called on them to enable free movement of people, goods and services, as a sure way of ending extreme poverty on the continent.
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Dorine Nininahazwe, the AU and East Africa Director of ONE Campaign, a global movement campaigning to end extreme poverty and preventable diseases by 2030, said that there is need for improvement of cross-border management by simplifying trading requirements, digitalization of administrative procedures, and having one-stop border posts.
Nininahazwe was upbeat that the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty on the continent.
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"The importance of the AfCTFA cannot be overstated, given the low proportion of inter-African trade when compared with other regions. Although Africa may be burdened with many challenges, the AfCTFA is a vital opportunity to build an integrated, prosperous and dynamic Africa driven by its leaders and citizens and represent a dynamic force in the global arena,” Nininahazwe said.
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Rwanda in October last year exported its first consignment of goods under the AfCFTA agreement to Ghana. Rwanda is among seven countries selected to participate in the pilot phase of the AfCFTA initiative on Guided Trade.
In a ONE Campaign statement sent to media on February 16, the organisation listed a number of action points they need worked on, which include; adopting, ratifying, and implementing the AU protocol on the free movement of people across the continent; adding that every young African deserves an African passport. ONE Campaign further requested them to make it easy and affordable for Africans to do business, and to produce goods and services.
"Enact and enforce a consolidated national start-up law, like the Nigerian Startup Act, to improve the business environment. The laws should establish equity and guarantee funds to de-risk investment. It should also seek to protect intellectual property rights, simplify and automate administrative procedures, harmonize tax administration, and make information readily available through one-stop digital platforms,” the statement reads in part.
The statement further called on the leaders to support the urgent implementation of the G20 independent expert panel recommendations for Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) optimization to unlock additional resources and reform how the banks work to be fit for today’s challenges, with clear demands for the needed reforms, investment priorities, and conditionalities.
Other action points include; adopting the recommendations of Dakar 2 declaration on food sovereignty and resilience.
"The AU should urge member states to finalise the development of their Country Food, and Agriculture Delivery Compacts, mobilise adequate resources to finance it and establish Presidential Delivery Councils to oversee the implementation of the compacts. They should Incentivise foreign and domestic investment flows to provide reliable and affordable power to businesses and to expand road & transport networks, ensuring rural and regional connectivity,” the statement adds.
ONE Campaign called for building of resilience to the devastating impact of climate change, adding that Africa is on the frontline of a climate emergency it did not create and is currently facing a financing gap of US$41 billion a year for adaptation.
The AU was also presented with the need for them to urge high income countries to deliver on their promises of adaptation finance, which means delivering on the goal of $100 billion a year for any year in 2020-2025, addressing any shortfalls through increased contributions in subsequent years, and setting out a delivery plan for the commitment to double adaptation finance as agreed at COP27.