Actors in the East African business ecosystem stressed the need to include small business owners in AfCFTA negotiations on the Protocol for Women and Youth.
The International Trade Centre, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Women collaborate with the East African Business Council to engage business support organizations in the region on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The workshop, held from September 20 to 22, 2022, saw over 70 representatives from the region who learned about the AfCFTA and its implementation progress.
The workshop provided business support organizations with a comprehensive toolkit to tailor their services to small businesses and drive business competitiveness in a new liberalized African market.
Small businesses, especially women and youth entrepreneurs, will benefit once Africa’s institutions in the business ecosystem are strengthened to respond to their emerging needs and advocate for their interests.
“We need to improve the calibre of East African businesses in preparation for greater competition brought about by the AfCFTA and to boost productivity in the region.” Adekemi Ndieli, Deputy Country Representative, UN Women, said.
The conference is the first collaboration between the three UN Agencies to engage regional and national stakeholders on the continental trade area. The Kampala workshop kicks off a series of joint trainings expected to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in taking advantage of the AfCFTA.
ITC’s corporate programme that aims to promote regional integration on the continent is steadfast to unlock 22 billion USD in intra-African export potential and empower small businesses, women and youth to access meaningful business opportunities under the AfCFTA, said Ashish Shah, Director, Country of Programmes, International Trade Centre
“Women and youth engaged in cross-border trade continue to face challenges and obstacles that limit their competitiveness and make their businesses less productive. We need to understand the priorities of women and youth and equip them with knowledge, skills, and information. This is incredibly important to empower them to participate in intra-African trade.’
The International Trade Centre is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations that aims to assist micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in developing countries to be competitive in global markets in order to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
