Brussels Development Briefing 47: Regional Trade in Africa: Drivers, Trends and Opportunities

The 47th Brussels Development Briefing will focus on Regional Trade in Africa: Drivers, Trends and Opportunities. Recent developments have seen trade and regional integration rise to the top of the political agenda globally, with scores of countries pursuing trade agreements under various configurations. There is a renewed focus on reducing and eliminating trade barriers in order to encourage more trade, investment and ultimately boost economic growth. The nexus between trade, integration and development is recognised to hold immense potential for sustainable growth and poverty reduction, and provides opportunities for enhancing the welfare of producers and consumers, provided that governments are able to develop and enforce policies to this effect. Under the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the role of trade in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is recognised in a number of areas. Target 2.b of SDG2 calls for the correction and prevention of trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, whereas targets 17.10 to 17.12 of SDG 17 also highlight the importance of trade, particularly for the least developed countries