The Very First Annual Consultation Meeting between Japan International Cooperation Agency and AfCFTA Secretariat held on February 6

On February 6, 2024, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat held its first annual consultation meeting in hybrid manner (at AfCFTA Secretariat HQs in Accra / online), and discussed the way how to further deepen its cooperation in 2024. During the meeting, the participants reviewed their efforts in 2023 and discussed plans for 2024.

JICA and AfCFTA Secretariat signed a MOC (Memorandum of Cooperation) in December 2022 and agreed to strengthen cooperation in four priorities, namely, 1) Trade Facilitation and Corridor Development, 2) Industrialization and Value Chain, 3) Learn from ASEAN/ Japan’s Experiences, and 4) Capacity Development and Advocacy (see below ※ for more details).

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is the world’s largest free trade area bringing together more than 50 countries of the African Union (AU) and 8 Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to create a single market for the continent. The aim is to enable the free flow of goods and services across the continent and boost the trading position of Africa in the global market. 

The AfCFTA Secretariat was established in 2020 as a sub-organization of the AU to promote and coordinate the effort to establish African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

At the beginning of the seminar, Mr. Matsumura, Director of the Planning and TICAD Process Division, Africa Department of JICA, and Ms. Suzuki, Chief Representative, JICA Ghana Office, expressed appreciation for AfCFTA Secretariat for their effort to further deepen cooperation between the two organizations and hoped that two organizations collaborate further to contribute to a single market for the continent.

In the meeting, each JICA representative reviewed the achievements in each of the four areas of collaboration during 2023, followed by feedbacks from the AfCFTA secretariat.

At the end, Mr. Sebahizi, Director of the Directorate of Institutional Matters and Programmes Coordination of AfCFTA Secretariat, expressed his hope to see many more collaboration between JICA and AfCFTA Secretariat in 2024.