(Part 1) AfCFTA: Unlocking Africa's Potential…

In 2018 Africa Heads of State signed an agreement that brought in the African Continental Free Trade Area ( AfCFTA ) – a game-changer in African regional and international trade. The world in which the AfCFTA came into force was a markedly different one from which it was conceived. The economic destruction caused by COVID 19 manifested unprecedented health and financial crisis, which has reversed developments and slowed the region's growth prospects.

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The event will bring together representatives of Governments, UN Agencies, and development and Trade partners and encourage the exchange of views, sharing of experiences, and settling of common goals and targets in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly those related to health, Trade, and partnerships.

Accordingly, the event is expected to provide a platform for participants to:

• Highlight challenges Africa faces with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on Trade and AfCFTA.
• Articulate possible solutions to unreliable infrastructures and their impact on E-commerce.
• Reflect on how to ensure that the effect of COVID-19 on SMEs is nonpermanent.
• Make connections among various development frameworks, including Africa Agenda2063, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ( in particular Goals 8, 9, 11, 12 and 17 )