Day 5 – FRIDAY, 23 OCTOBER 2020

SIDE EVENT 3: Towards the Pan-African Dream? African Feminist Considerations for the AfCFTA (Afrifem Macroeconomics Collective)

Panellists: 

Ms Memory Kachambwa Director, FEMNET

Ms Chenai Mukumba Policy Research and Advocacy Manager, Tax Justice Network, Africa

Ms Fatimah Kelleher, International Women’s Rights Strategist/Adviser Moderator: Ms Crystal Simeoni, Director, Nawi – AfriFem Macroeconomics Collective

Key Takeaways:

1. The AfCFTA is promising with regards to the pan-African dream, but we need to question what this means for women in Africa
2. Trade is not gender-neutral, and the potential for women’s equal participation and benefit in the economy under the AfCFTA is not automatic-it requires concerted mechanisms to be put in place
3. In countries without social protection schemes in place, how do we ensure that women and other vulnerable populations don’t lose out as part of the short and medium-term adjustment costs of implementing the AfCFTA. How do we buffer the shock to the funding of essential services (which women rely on disproportionately) as tax and related revenues are affected?

4. The agreement makes no reference to women’s rights or gender equality. The onus is on Member States implementation plans to ensure to address this gap
5. African feminists need to be engaged and involved in the AfCFTA process, to shift the narrative that women are confined to micro-level dialogues and have a voice to influence macro-level issues.

SESSION II, The AfCFTA and Conflict Transformation

Panellists: 

H.E. SRSG Hanna Tetteh, UN Special Representative to the African Union (UNOAU)

H.E. SRSG Mankeur Ndiaye, Special Representative and Head of MINUSCA 

USG Ms. Cristina Duarte, Special Adviser on Africa to United Nations Secretary‑General, Cape Verde 

H.E. Mr Rémi Maréchaux, Ambassador of France to Ethiopia and Representative to the African Union

Moderator:  Ms. Faten Aggad, Adviser to the AU High Representative on Relations with the EU 

Key Takeaways:

1. The AfCTA needs to be conflict-sensitive by recognizing that the root causes of conflict are economic i.e. underdevelopment, poverty, the inadequacy of national responses, and competition for resources.
2. Post-conflict countries suffer from a human capital and infrastructure deficit that must be redressed through affirmative action of AfCTA is work evenly across the continent.
3. Peace, security, and development are intertwined we cannot solve all the problems before moving to integration.
4. We should not be too optimistic about the AFCFTA being a factor in reducing conflict over the short term. It will be very difficult for the landlocked countries to benefit from the AFCFTA in the short term.
5. AfCFTA demands a lot of sacrifice from all the Member States i.e. partial surrender of sovereignty, accepting and transferring skills and authorities but “The fact that something is difficult does not mean it cannot be done”

SIDE EVENT 4 Peace And Stability: A Recipe for Successful AFCTA Implementation (Humanity United)

Key Takeaways:

“Prioritize stabilization alongside integration”

1. Reposition youth to be at the core of AfCFTA implementation and process – The involvement of youth and grassroots organizations is critical for AfCFTA
2. Stimulus packages for post-COVID recovery are critical for setting the groundwork for AfCFTA implementation
3. Local peacebuilders and knowledge needs to be elevated, and analyzed, studied, and capacitated
4. Cyber-security, navigating issues of sovereignty will determine how optimally African can leverage technology/digital platforms to accelerate AfCFTA implementation and benefits
5. AfCFTA requires free and safe freedom of movement, and there is currently only a handful of Member States that have ratified the Freedom of Movement Protocol