useful information and links

African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)

An important initiative approved by Congress in 2000 that provides trade preferences for quota- and duty-free entry into the United States for certain goods.

Business Action for Africa letter to Director-General, World Trade Organisation

Read the letter sent by Business Action for Africat to Pascal Lamy, WTO Director-General, World Trade Organization

Business Action for Africa position on trade

Business Action for Africa spelt out its position on trade in a letter to The Independent, published just before the December 2005 WTO trade talks in Hong Kong.

Business Action for Africa Presentation by William Kalema

Presentation by the former Commissioner, Commission for Africa, at the FCO trade event, 29 November 1005.

Business Action for Africa submission to IDC Trade Inquiry

Submission to UK Parliament’s International Development Committee inquiry. 

DATA – Debt, AIDS, Trade Africa

DATA aims to raise awareness about, and spark response to the crises swamping Africa: unpayable Debts, uncontrolled spread of AIDS, and unfair Trade rules which keep Africans poor.

Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs)

This TRALAC EPA project aims to address specific challenges that ACP countries will face during their negotiations with the EU, and in implementation of EPAs. Specifically, the project will include analysis of key issues where there are negotiating opportunities, training of negotiators, government officials, and other stakeholders in the private sector and civil society organisations, public-private dialogue and awareness building as well as dissemination of analytical output to support the negotiating process.

Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI)

The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) is an alliance of companies, non-governmental organisations and trade union organisations. They exist to promote and improve the implementation of corporate codes of practice which cover supply chain working conditions. Their ultimate goal is to ensure that the working conditions of workers producing for the UK market meet or exceed international labour standards.

Fairtrade

The FAIRTRADE Mark is an independent consumer label which appears on products as an independent guarantee that disadvantaged producers in the developing world are getting a better deal.

FCO Trade Event

Conference on "Africa: More Trade, Fair Trade" hosted by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Rome, 29 November 2005.

G8 2007 Declaration on Trade

Statement from the 2007 G8 on trade.

International Development Committee Trade Inquiry

UK Parliament’s International Development Committee inquiry on “Making Trade Work for Development: The WTO Hong Kong Ministerial”.  Read the Business Action for Africa submission to the IDC inquiry.

International Development Committee Fair Trade and Development Inquiry

While agreement on a development round in the WTO may be the most important gain for developing countries, the IDC inquiry will examine how effective fair trade is in reducing poverty and how donors – in particular the UK’s Department for International Development – can support fair trade in their development assistance.   Read the Business Action for Africa submission to the IDC inquiry.

International Trade Forum

The magazine of the International Trade Centre (ITC). It focuses on trade promotion and export development, as part of ITC’s technical cooperation programme with developing countries and economies in transition.

Making the Doha Round count for Africa

Developing countries, and especially Least Developed Countries, were promised a World Trade Organisation (WTO) ‘Development Round’ at Doha in 2001, but Sub-Saharan African countries have gained little so far, seeing the discussions as irrelevant to them. This paper explores the reasons for this and argues that, if the Round is revived, Africa could benefit from the Round through a more aggressive stance on preferences.

Oxfam – Trade Issues

Oxfam works with organisations around the world to shift global trade rules so they start to work for poor people and communities as well as rich.

Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference, Hong Kong

Briefing notes, ministerial speeches and day-by-day reports.

Southern African Global Competitiveness Hub

The Hub’s primary objective is enhancing the competitiveness of Southern Africa products and services, which play a key role in reducing poverty. The Hub was established in June 2002 by USAID's Regional Center for Southern Africa.

The Southern and Eastern African Trade Information and Negotiations Institute. (SEATINI)

This is an African initiative to strengthen Africa's capacity to take a more effective part in the emerging global trading system and to better manage the process of Globalisation. It deals specifically with issues and debates around the World Trade Organisation and Africa's relationships to it.

Trade Law for Southern African Countries (TRALAC)

This not-for-profit organisation, helps build trade law capacity in the southern Africa region; in governments, the private sector and civil society.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

UNCTAD attempts to increase understanding of the economic development problems of Africa and to promote action required at the national, regional and international levels for acceleration of African development, as well as African countries’ fuller participation in and positive integration into the world economy.

World Bank Guides on the Doha Trade Round

Various publications from the World Bank

World Bank Africa Region - Trade

The World Bank’s Africa Region uses a range of instruments—analytical, advisory, and operational—to improve trade performance in Africa and thereby integrate African countries into regional and world economies

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