Southern Africa youth consultative workshop on AfCFTA set for Windhoek
The Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade (MIT) in collaboration with the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service and the National Youth Council will host a two-day Southern Africa Youth Consultative Workshop on the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade, from 22 to 23 June.
In partnership with the AfCFTA Continental Secretariat, Youth for Tax Justice Network Africa, and with the support of the United Nations Development Programme and European Union Delegation to Namibia, the Consultative Meeting will bring together young people and women in business, Government officials, and youth leaders across the SADC region to, among others, galvanise action and mainstream youth voices towards a common voice on the AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade and foster a deeper awareness of challenges faced by young
entrepreneurs, producers, and traders across the region.
The objective of the workshop is to further generate issues for Inclusion in the Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade and e-Commerce as well as to enhance access to economic opportunities for the youth at national and regional levels through sustainability in youth priority sectors.
It also aims to build skills and knowledge of the youth on key AfCFTA processes at national and regional levels; inform the negotiations on the AfCFTA protocols on Women and Youth in Trade and E-Commerce; brainstorm and share information on gaps and opportunities for the youth in the AfCFTA process and how these can be harnessed; and foster a deeper awareness of the challenges that youth entrepreneurs, producers, and traders face when engaging in intra-regional trade and how these challenges can be effectively addressed.
The workshop which will be officiated by the Minister of Industrialisation and Trade, Hon. Lucia Iipumbu, will deliberate on matters relating to Value addition and innovation; Support mechanisms for formal and informal traders; Intellectual property and rights; Barriers to entry and effective participation; Discriminatory customs and practices; Capacity building; and Standards and Origin certification, to name a few.
The outcome and recommendations derived from the workshop will culminate into a Report containing strong policy and programme recommendations that will inform the design of national policies and complementary measures to address and remove systematic barriers so that women and youth share in the gains of the AfCFTA Agreement.
