Briefing on AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade

On April 11, CCA and the US Chamber hosted a briefing on the Protocol on Digital Trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Secretary General Wamkele Mene of the AfCFTA Secretariat walked companies through the 50 articles of the Protocol, which had received final approval just days before. SG Mene prefaced his remarks by underscoring the landmark nature of this achievement, given that the WTO has been negotiating various approaches to foster digital trade for most of the last two decades, so far without success. SG Mene explained the importance of this protocol for the broader AU project of promoting industrialization and job growth, and the integral relationship that agreement on digital trade has with fostering trade and investment under the AfCFTA. He pointed out the articles that had generated the most discussion, and also explained the nature of the eight annexes that will need to be negotiated to provide more operational detail on issues like cross-border data transfer and payments, as well as digital identity and security. The SG noted that Trade Ministers have set a deadline of the end of June to negotiate the annexes so they can be finalized by Ministers in November. This was the first detailed briefing for any U.S. audience of the digital protocol, and follows up on the briefing provided on the main themes of the protocol in February in Addis Ababa, just after Heads of State had approved its final text. Special thanks to the Chamber of Commerce for the photos.