Why this project?

With AfCFTA negotiations set to resume in early 2019, work undertaken in the coming year will be a unique opportunity to influence talks and bring the SDGs into a critical area of future growth for the continent: E-Commerce. Sound provisions and commitments will be needed to harness the sustainable development potential of e-commerce across the continent. Besides embracing critical SDG areas such as gender inclusiveness, discussions on e-commerce at the continental level should draw lessons from developments elsewhere and at the multilateral level, where the issue is expected to gain more prominence in the run-up to the next WTO ministerial conference set for June 2020.

How we support

CUTS will undertake a series of studies and dialogues in Geneva and Africa, towards informing upcoming AfCFTA discussions on e-commerce. In particular, the project will help them: (i) Draw upon the experiences derived from e-commerce provisions in Regional Trade Agreements and their implementation; (ii) Know avenues for better gender inclusion in e-commerce, particularly through trade policy and regional frameworks; (iii) Have access to an AfCFTA-specific set of policy options and avenues for African continental integration to harness the sustainable development potential of e-commerce.