TATIC is excited to co-host the African International Economic Law Network (AfIELN) 7th Biennial (Bridge) conference in Dar es Salaam themed A Critical Appraisal of the Status and Implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement and its protocols. This conference will bring international lawyers and academicians from around the world to take stock of the AfCFTA after 6years have passed since the AU member States concluded the Agreement to establish the AfCFTA.The AfCFTA protocols are divided into phases;
phase I: Protocols on Trade in Goods, Trade in Services, and dispute resolution.
Phase II Protocols cover intellectual property rights, investment, and competition policy. Phase III covers digital trade and women and youth in trade. 47 countries have ratified the AfCFTA Agreement. The operational phase of the agreement was launched in July 2019, and in the new year of 2021, the trade officially commenced. There are requirements that States are required to meet before they start trading. There are five strategic instruments which have been adopted to operationalise the AfCFTA Agreement:
- The Pan African Payment Settlement System (PAPSS), a digital platform to facilitate cross-border payments
- A monitoring mechanism for non-tariff barriers
- the Africa Trade Observatory, a market intelligence tool
- The e-Tariff Book
- The AfCFTA Adjustment Fund to address anticipated short-term revenue losses.
This will be a critical conference for Tanzania as it evaluates the processes of the AfCFTA and its implementation.