#IOM – APN Collaboration Social Media Communication Campaign on Popularization of FMP

#FreedomOfMovement

#freemovementinAfrica

on @apniom

by E K Bensah Jr

Deputy Executive Director -- AfCFTA Policy Network /

Country Champion -- Agenda 2063 Media Network

 

 

Proposed tweets

will be referring to articles 2, 3, 5 and 6 in a THREAD over two tweets for coming week.

 

Acc 2 Article 2 of AU FMP, Objective of Protocol is to facilitate implementation of African Economic Community (AEC) by providing for progressive implementation of free movement of persons, right of residence and right of establishment in Africa.

As per article 3, it shall be guided by principles guiding AU provided in article 4 of AU's Constitutive Act. It shall be guided by non-discrimination; transparency.

Acc 2 Article 5 of AU FMP, Free Movement of Persons, right of residence and right of establishment shall be achieved progressively through 3 phases:  @NicholeEsparon @IOMatAU @UNmigration @_AfricanUnion @AU_HHS @AmiraDSA @mashanubian @KojoAbroba @afcftapolicyGH

 

• phase 1: during which State Parties shall implement the right of entry and abolition of visa requirements

• phase 2: during which State Parties shall implement the right of residence 

• phase 3: during which State Parties shall implement the right of establishment

Article 6 concerns itself with right of entry. There are 3 provisions: 

• nationals of a Member State shall have right to enter, stay, move freely, and exit territory of another MS in accordance with laws, regulations and procedures of hist MS.

@NicholeEsparon @IOMatAU @UNmigration @_AfricanUnion @AU_HHS @AmiraDSA @mashanubian @KojoAbroba @afcftapolicyGH

 

• MS shall implement right of entry by permitting nationals of MS to enter into their territory without requirement of visa.

• right to enter territory of MS shall be enjoyed in accordance with articles 7

 

@NicholeEsparon @IOMatAU @UNmigration @_AfricanUnion @AU_HHS @AmiraDSA @mashanubian @KojoAbroba @afcftapolicyGH

 

 follow us on www.twitter.com/apniom 

ENDs

COMING UP ON NEXT EDITION OF AGENDA 2063 TV SHOW -- an interview about African Medecines Agency

(Still in the business of making history)...in a *CONTINENTAL EXCLUSIVE*, Agenda 2063 TV Show is the ONLY media programme to interview key staff working on *African Medecines Agency* to help unpack the AMA after reaching its proverbial 15 ratifications. In an age of *vaccine nationalism*, and a public health pandemic in covid-19, what future portends for the AMA to disrupt Africa's health narrative?

 I shall be speaking to Dr Ndomondo from NEPAD- *AU Development Agency* for way  forward. #AfricanHealthWeWant #AfricaWeWant #Agenda2063

AAU TV is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Agenda 2063 TV Show

Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87514673646?pwd=WnNtVmRmUXcrMkZNamhhNHQyNHVKQT09

Meeting ID: 875 1467 3646

Passcode: 578044

One tap mobile

+12532158782,,87514673646# US (Tacoma)

+13017158592,,87514673646# US (Washington DC)

Dial by your location

        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)

        +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)

        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

        +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)

        +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)

        +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)

Meeting ID: 875 1467 3646

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kB6hqeQ7i

Next Edition of Agenda 2063 TV Show: Celebrating Doreen Nawa (Zambia)

In next edition of *Agenda 2063 TV Show*, I will be interviewing *Doreen Nawa*, who was nominated by her peers in the official NEPAD-AUDA *Agenda 2063 Media Network* as one of the most hard-working journalists promoting Agenda 2063 from Zambia.

I am doing two things with this interview -- helping celebrate hard-working reporters promoting Agenda 2063, and giving visibility to the Agenda 2063 Media Network, which was established in 2018 by NEPAD-AU Development Agency to bring together journalists across the Continent to champion Agenda 2063. 

Ghana's country Champion is the host of the Show and is also a proud member of the Network. 

This is *dedicated to all reporters* doing their best to unpack Agenda 2063 narratives: the space is here!😁🔥

AAU TV is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Agenda 2063 TV Show

Time: Aug 11, 2021 02:30 PM Africa/Accra

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87050633631?pwd=TGRsbEwycWJjdWNESk1hYTZQZFJjZz09

Meeting ID: 870 5063 3631

Passcode: 713548

One tap mobile

+13462487799,,87050633631# US (Houston)

+16465588656,,87050633631# US (New York)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: TENDER FOR PREPARATION OF A PRIVATE SECTOR BILL OF RIGHTS TO ENHANCE IMPLEMENTATION OF AFCFTA

Accra, 7 August, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

TENDER FOR PREPARATION OF A PRIVATE SECTOR BILL OF RIGHTS TO ENHANCE IMPLEMENTATION OF AFCFTA

We are pleased to announce a consultancy for the preparation of a Private Sector Bill of Rights to Enhance Implementation of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

This tender is one of the three outcomes of an MoU that was signed between Association of African Universities (AAU) and Pan-African Chamber of Commerce (PACCI) in March 2021. 

The second is for the establishment of an Educational Trust Fund; and a corresponding working relationship between private sector and academia.

The AAU in collaboration with PACCI, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the European Union (EU) and the private sector, organized an African Private Sector Summit on, "Righting the Wrongs of Doing Business in Africa" in March 2021. This summit brought together stakeholders from industry, governments, academia, and civil society. 

Attended virtually by three Presidents: Botswana, Rwanda (represented by a Minister) and Niger (represented by a Minister), one of the outcomes of the week-long event was a call for a Model Bill of Rights for an Enabling Business Environment in Africa to Enhance Implementation of AfCFTA. This is premised on the notion that an enabling operational environment for the private sector in Africa would help support the implementation of AfCFTA. The final Bill will be validated by stakeholders, including member States, universities, and civil society organisations (CSOs) for validation. 

The key objective of the Bill of Rights is intended to address pertinent issues for the seamless implementation of the RECs and AfCFTA protocols.  It is to help Universities produce a skill-set for private sector.

In this respect, it forms a cardinal part of the conversation triggered by the meeting for a concerted and sustained conversation between African private sector, academia, consumer organisations and citizens.

Funded under an EU/ECA project on advocacy and sensitization of AfCFTA, the following should, at a minimum, be explored and covered in proposing the Model Bill of Rights:

1. National trade policies

2. National monetary and fiscal policies

3. National investment policy 

4. The enabling environment for doing business in Africa in the context of judicial system.

5. Capacity constraints of businesses in Africa 

6. Role of multilateral and other international organizations in promoting business in Africa (WTO, UN/UNECA, AU, RECs, ITC, IMF, WB, Lending Institutions, etc.)

You can find more details in the link below:

https://careers.un.org/lbw/jobdetail.aspx?id=160911

In the meantime, we wish to notify the public that Series II commences in hybrid format here in Accra from 19-22 October, 2021. Series III will take place in Rwanda from 16-19 November under the theme "Action Plan for Implementation". 

FOR MORE INFORMATION & INTERVIEWS

E.K.Bensah Jr

Head of Communications Unit

Africa Private Sector Summit

Mobile: +233.268.687.653 / +233.55.833.85.47

Twitter: @ekbensah / @BizWrongs

Instagram: @ekbensah

www.facebook.com/africaprivatesectorsummit

Issued by:

E K Bensah Jr

+233.833.85.47

   

*MAIDEN REPORT OF #WAMKELESPEAKS*

*MAIDEN REPORT OF #WAMKELESPEAKS*

by _E.K.Bensah Jr_

*August 2021*

*Introduction*

On 24 June, 2021, Secretary-General of Afcfta made a 26-minute presentation at a "Summit", which was organised by regional integration think-tank, AfCFTA Policy Network, to assess the "State of AfCFTA Trading Six Months On". 

As part of continuous monitoring of Agenda 2063 and its seven aspirations, Deputy Executive Director of APN, E K Bensah Jr, undertook to examine his speech and identify the extent to which his speech reflected 7 aspirations of Agenda 2063. To this end, Bensah put his speech through an "APN-ometer".

*Methodology*

The 26-minute video was divided into five videos of around 4.5 minutes each to make it easier to pay greater attention to the rhythm of the speech and how closely Mene was sticking to Agenda 2063 aspirations. The 7 aspirations were tabulated against the videos and we measured which aspiration Mene was referring to in each video.

*Results*

In video 1, Mene refers to "market integration" and "seamless movement of goods and persons". This a reference to aspiration 2 that speaks to an "integrated continent". 

Video 2 also refers to market integration (aspiration 2), but touches on aspiration 1 when Mene argues that Africa has never had.this.opportunity before as a continent. This opportunity is consistent with aspiration 1, which calls for a prosperous continent. 

Video 3 also calls our attention to aspiration 1, which is a prosperous continent when Mene draws our attention to Africa's industrial capacity to be celebrated. It also refers to aspirations 6 and 7, when he announces that there will be a protocol in women and for a dynamic young population that will be "a huge market." Mene also announces there will be an Afcfta Business Forum for private sector and CSOs.

In Video 4, Mene refers to Pan-African Payment Settlement Systems platform, and how that will resolve the cost of currency convertibility. He also speaks to availability of an Adjustment Fund. These are consistent with aspirations 1 and 2. Aspirations 6 and 7 are revisited when Mene talks about the African Trade Gateway, where SMEs across the Continent can speak to each other; and how tariff will be an industrial tool. 

Finally, in video 5, Mene harks to aspiration 2 (an integrated continent), when he admonishes Africans on needing to implement daily challenges and difficulties, failing which we will not succeed. He concludes AfCFTA will benefit women in trade and SMEs, which speaks directly to aspiration 6, which calls for an inclusive and people-centred Africa where women and youth are included.

In the videos, there was no reference to aspirations 3 (good governance); 4 (peaceful and secure Africa); 5 (Africa with a strong, cultural identity). 

For us, Mene does very well speaking most of the time to aspirations 1, 6 and 7, but his speech needs to be more reflective of all 7 aspirations. Because of this, we will give him 4/7, just under 50%.

___________

*About #WamkeleSpeaks*

As part of innovating education on Agenda 2063, the office of Deputy Executive Director of APN in collaboration with AAUTV is introducing *#WamkeleSpeaks*

#WamkeleSpeaks is the start of an all-important project seeking to identify the extent to which speeches by the Secretary-General of AfCFTA  go to *streamlining 7 aspirations of Agenda 2063*

#WamkeleSpeaks will help continue the spirit of challenging people on education of 7 aspirations by getting them to think *how truly AfCFTA Secretariat is incorporating all 7 aspirations of Agenda 2063* and walking the talk of the AfCFTA being a flagship project of Agenda2063

*About Agenda2063 TV Show*

_As part of AfCFTA Policy Network's pioneering work on sensitization of AfCFTA, Deputy Executive Director E K Bensah Jr started hosting the Show in January 2020. He was headhunted by Association of African Universities (AAU) to host the uniquely-named Agenda 2063 Show on AAUTV.  It remains the only Show of its kind in Ghana, West Africa, and the Continent telling authentic stories about Africa's integration on a weekly basis, with a specific focus on reminding audiences about the centrality of Agenda 2063. You can view all videos on-demand at http://TV.aau.org/category/agenda-2063_

Ensuring THE NEW FREE TRADE AREA HAS RULES OF ORIGIN THAT HELP GROW INTRA-AFRICA TRADE

Ensuring THE NEW FREE TRADE AREA HAS RULES OF ORIGIN THAT HELP GROW 

INTRA-AFRICA TRADE

Accra, Wednesday 17 February 2021 ---

How will African countries ensure that the rules that determine the nationality of goods and services traded under the new free trade agreement are transparent, business friendly and simple? 

The AfCFTA Policy Network (APN) is hosting a Zoom webinar with a high-powered panel of Ghanaian and international guests who will address this issue. The panelists include the Assistant Commissioner (Tariff and Trade) Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority, Fechin Akoto, the Morocco Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Imane Ouaadil, the  Head of Programs AfCFTA Secretariat, Dr. Francis Mageni, Trade Rules of Origin Expert, Unami Tlhole, the Director of Manufacturing (Quality and Engineering ) General Motors, Shady El Safty, the Managing Director Bank of Africa (Ghana) Mr. Kobby Andah, the Commissioner of Customs Excise and Preventive Service, Ghana Revenue Authority, Col. Kwadwo Damoah Rtd. The event will be held on Saturday 20 February at 2pm.

The forum is organized by the AfCFTA Policy Network in partnership with the Bank of Africa, Group BMCE Bank.0

The Executive Director, AfCFTA Policy Network, Mr. Louis Yaw Afful, said: "The rules of origin are vital to the successful operation of the new African free trade area. In this webinar we hope to hear from experts in public and private sectors about the road map for achieving a set of rules that will stimulate exponential growth in intra-African trade from the current rate of 15 per cent to the predicted rate of 30 per cent."

What is the AfCFTA?

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement has created the largest free trade area in the world measured by the number of countries participating. The pact connects 1.3 billion people across 55 countries with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) valued at US$3.4 trillion. It has the potential to lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty but achieving its full potential will depend on putting in place significant policy reforms and trade facilitation measures. The free trade pact commenced on 1st January 2021

About AfCFTA Policy Network (APN)

The AfCFTA Policy Network was established in 2019 as the lead and largest international non-governmental organization (NGO) focused primarily as a think tank on African Continental Free Trade Area implementation.

Our Vision 

To be the premier information, communication service and governance network representative of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement within Ghana and the Diaspora, leading the secretariat and wider, policy network with a globally relevant, continental perspective.

Our Mission

To create, develop, and deliver relevant and superior resource, information streams and systems that attract, engage and impact the biggest audience and positively impact the continental network of traders, regulatory authorities, policy makers and lifestyles to assure maximum value.

End

Zoom Meeting Details

 

Meeting ID: 864 8741 5950

Meeting Code: 804657

--

*****************************************************
E.K.Bensah Jr, 
*Deputy Executive Director -- AfCFTA Policy Network-Ghana & Diaspora

*AU Department of Trade & Industry Media Network on Africa's Industrialization
*Agenda2063 Media Network Member
*APRM Communicators Network
*M-D, EcowasBusinessNews.blogspot.com
*Head of Comms & Research & Host -- "Africa in Focus Show" /AIFTV
*former Exec Producer -- XYZ Africa News Bulletin@8

#####
http://www.twitter.com/ekbensah | 
*TEL:+233.268.687.653 / +233.233.311.789 / +233.243.111.789
*eml: ekbensah@gmail.com | africainfocusshow@gmail.com
*Telegram/Whatsapp:+233.233.311.789
AFRICA IN FOCUS: africainfocusshow.blogspot.com
________________________________________________________________________________
EKBENSAH DotNet: Regional integration Intelligence| West Africa-ECOWAS | Communications | Civil society 
_________________________________________________________

WEEK-LONG AFRICAN PRIVATE SECTOR SUMMIT: “RIGHTING BUSINESS WRONGS HEADS” TO TRANSFORM THE AFCFTA NARRATIVE FROM 8-12 MARCH 2021

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WEEK-LONG AFRICAN PRIVATE SECTOR SUMMIT:

“RIGHTING BUSINESS WRONGS HEADS” TO TRANSFORM THE AFCFTA NARRATIVE FROM 8-12 MARCH 2021

Arguably the biggest and most innovative Pan-African initiative to hit all Afcfta-watchers sideways is "Righting Business Wrongs" (#RightingBizWrongs) that seeks to help remind Africans to press policy-makers of an enabling environment, where African business can thrive and prosper; and where Afcfta can work equitably for #TheAfricaWeWant.

The Summit is organised by an impressive galaxy of Pan-African superstar organisations, including

• Federation of West Africa Chambers of Commerce & Industry

Www.fewacci.com

• Great Lakes Region Private Sector Forum

www.twitter.com/ICGLR_PSF

• Pan-African Chamber of Commerce & Industry

www.pacci.org

• East African Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture

www.eastafricanchamber.org

• Association of African Universities

www.aau.org

• Global Institute of Planning & Sustainable Development

https://www.globalinstitutepsd.org

• Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA)

www.twitter.com/CoDA_Africa

• Wealth Masters Group

https://wealthmastersgroup.com

• AfCFTA Policy Network

www.afcftapolicy.net

UNECA, CoDA, CIPE are proud supporters of the programme and Afcfta Policy Network is a proud partner having produced a Communications strategy, which it is rolling out the whole month of February.

Here is how veteran private sector activist and key lead Wendell Addy puts it:

"The Righting the Wrongs of Doing Business in Africa is  an umbrella private sector  initiative that seeks strong partnership with the public sector for the genuine *transformation of  the continent under the RECs  and AU trade treaties and protocols such as AfCFTA*.  Let us hold together for the realization of the Africa we want and must have"

This is a summit not to be missed.

We guarantee it will be the talk of town for many months to come.

KEY OUTCOMES:

 1. Produce a policy reform document for the  enabling business environment at the national, regional and continental levels

2. Draft A MODEL LAW Bill of Rights for an Enabling Business Environment in Africa. 

African Business and Law Schools with the participation of their students are invited to compete for prizes for the first draft of the Model Law to help formulate the way forward. 

The competition exercise shall offer institutional knowledge base to develop special curriculum on RECs, AfCFTA, WTO, trade policies.

3. Produce A Handbook on "the Ease of Doing Business Under RECs and AfCFTA Trade Integration Policies".

African Business and Law Schools with the participation of their students  are invited to compete for prizes for the Draft of the Model Law  to help formulate way forward on the Summit.

Powered by Wealth Masters Group

Call for Papers

https://www.africaprivatesectorsummit.org/event/2a849062-0400-41c1-ab5e-66dc7f44328e/websitePage:89fbd737-edae-4283-87fa-9ba4344260fc

Survey:

https://forms.gle/McrUKNsnfdsy9CNa6

Register here: www.africaprivatesectorsummit.org

Follow updates on twitter on www.twitter.com/BizWrongs

FOR MORE INFORMATION & INTERVIEWS

E.K.Bensah Jr

Head of Communications Unit

Africa Private Sector Summit

Mobile: +233.268.687.653 / +233.233.311.789

Twitter: @ekbensah / @BizWrongs

Instagram: @ekbensah 

Issued by:

Emmanuel.K.Bensah Jr

Head of Communications

Africa Private Sector Summit

@ekbensah / @BizWrongs

Accra

TEL:+233.268.687.653 / +233.233.311.789

ENDs