ECOWAS to hold 2nd forum for National Trade Facilitation Committees in Abidjan

Abuja, Nigeria, March 15, 2021. The ECOWAS Commission will hold the 2nd Forum for National Trade Facilitation Committees from March 16th to 18th, 2021 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

The 3-days meeting is aimed at strengthening the National Trade Facilitation Committees as a central platform for institutional coordination and implementation of trade facilitation initiatives resulting from regional and international obligations including the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The forum will specifically update participants on the implementation of the WTO TFA in the ECOWAS region, identify assistance for the implementation of Category C provisions of the TFA, exchange and identify Capacity Building for the implementation of provisions related to transparency obligation, exchange, and update on the implementation of ECOWAS COVID-19 Guidelines by NTFCs and consideration of Trade Facilitation Committees in various agreements, among others.

Participants are expected from Ministries responsible for Trade in Member States, Representatives from Customs Administrations, and from the Organised Private Sector.