São Paulo – The 2nd African Trade Forum (ATF) should take place starting on Monday (24) and ending on Wednesday (26), in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, under theme "Providing incentives to intra-African trade and creating a continental free trade area”. The objective of the forum is to discuss local trade in the region and a future free trade zone for circulation of goods.
The first edition of the meeting also took place in Ethiopia, in November last year. The forum included the presence of high-level government employees and representatives of the private sector, the civil society, academia, as well as politics, inform the organizers of the ATF. It also served as preparation for the region’s summit, which took place in January this year.
The meeting is an initiative of the Economic Commission for Africa (Uneca), connected to the United Nations (UN), the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Development Bank (ADB). Trade between the countries in the region represents just 10% to 12% of their total trade, and the organizers believe that by strengthening this trade, Africa will develop further and have greater weight in global trade.
*Translated by Mark Ament
