Welcome to this installment of the DevDispatch Podcast! In this episode, Olusegun Olutayo - a member of the technical team that supports the National Action Committee in Nigeria, delves into the intricacies of establishing and operating National Implementation Committees within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The reference publication for the discussion is "AfCFTA National Implementation Committees: Scoping Options and Support Mechanisms," released in 2023 by the ...
In this episode, we are joined by Labor Activists Prince Asafo-Adjei and Florence Taruvinga to discuss implications of the AfCFTA for the manufacturing sector in Ghana. The discussion draws from Chapter 5 and 6 of the report 'Implications of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement for the manufacturing sector in Ghana,' published in November 2021 by the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa). It focuses on the potenti...
This podcast episode features Emily Mburu-Ndoria - Director, Trade in Services, Investment, IPR and Digital Trade - AfCFTA Secretariat, who joins our hostRumbidzai Venge to discuss the report titled Digital trade regulatory environment: Opportunities for regulatory harmonization in Africa. Some of the main themes of the report include: The significance of domestic policies, such as data and consumer protection laws, in creating a favorable environment for digital trade. The role o...
This podcast episode features Susan Nakaleya, a business analyst at the Uganda Revenue Authority. The discussion centers on Chapter 4 of the publication The Engine of Trade in Africa Report: Amplifying the Voices of Women Across Africa, which focuses on the challenges facing women in trade. It is a joint publication of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Women. The objectives of this episode include: To co...
This episode focuses on a 2023 policy brief from the School of Transnational Governance at the European University Institute, titled 'Movement of person opening up Africa for Africans: A proposal in support of the protocol for the free movement of persons.' The policy brief examines significant obstacles to implementing the Free Movement of Persons Protocol (FMP) in Africa. Guests include co-author of the brief, Silindile Nanzile Mlilo and Kachi Madubuko, Senior Policy and Liaison Offic...
This edition of the DevDispatch AfCFTA Podcast is centred on the publication "Making the AfCFTA Work for Women in the Agri-food Sector." The AfCFTA aims to boost economic growth and development by creating a single market for goods and services across Africa. However, for success to be realised, the Agreement must be inclusive and responsive to the needs of all, including women and youth. Our host Rumbidzai Venge is joined by Customs and International Trade Expert Edna Mudzin...
In this podcast episode, our guests Dr. Bruce Byiers (Head of African Economic Integration at ECDPM) and Prachi Agarwal (Senior Research Officer at the International Economic Development Group, ODI) discuss the global business and investment landscape in Africa, under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Broadcaster and Lawyer Rumbidzai Venge serves as the moderator for the episode.The discussion draws from the publication 'AfCFTA: A New Era for Global Business and Investment in ...
This episode is centered on a discussion on the Guidelines for developing AfCFTA national strategies with a focus on Malawi's AfCFTA implementation strategy. Featured guests include Entrepreneur, Strategist and Business analyst Charles Henry Nyekanyeka, and Batanai Chikwene who is a Programme Management Officer at the African Trade Policy Center, with Tanatsiwa Dambuza from the DevDispatch serving as the host.The discussion draws from the publication "AfCFTA National Implementation Comm...
We invited Director of ODI's International Economic Development Group Dr Dirk Willem te Velde to share his insights on UK trade investment in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area ( AfCFTA) with our host Rumbidzai Venge. The discussion is centered on the ODI publication titled Africa’s economic integration and prospects for UK investors, which he co-authored. You can access the publication hereWe hope you enjoy this episode!
In this episode, Cynthia Nyam from the DevDispatch hosts Trade Policy, Regional Integration and Digital Economy expert Beru Lilako, and Trade Law and Policy Advisor for GIZ Ethiopia and Djibouti, Biruh Gemeda Gage, to break down the report titled Conditions for Success in the Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement by AUDA-NEPAD.On Success Conditions for AfCFTA Implementation, they discuss:Political LeadershipTariffs under the AfCFTA Harmonizing with RECs and the W...
In this episode, SADC Trade Facilitation expert Tshengi Ndlovu, Country Engagement Specialist for Anglophone-Africa at the NDC-Partnership John Kasiita Ssemulema and International Trade Analyst and Development Economist, Eugene Schneider Ornella Jernigan -episode moderator- discuss UNCTAD's Trade and Environment Review 2021 focusing on Trade-climate readiness for developing countries.You can access the report at: https://bit.ly/3JULaGx
On 1 January 2021, trading under the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) took effect. The Protocol on the Trade in Goods is aimed at creating a liberalised single market for the free flow of goods within the African continent but SMEs have are struggling to understand what the Agreement means to them. In this episode, Ivan Ojakol, a legal consultant at LECTRAD-Africa (Uganda) and Juliet Aigbe, owner, creative head, T. V Chef, Bakery and Sugarcraft Coach at Cakeflair (Nigeria), br...
In this episode, Violette Uwamutara, Regional Advisor Africa for Digital Opportunity Trust Rwanda and Emmanuel Ametepey, Executive Director of Youth Advocates Ghana, reviewed and contextualised the 2020 World Youth Report on Youth Social Entrepreneurship and the 2030 Agenda to youth development in Africa.Taking from the content of the report, discussions centered around the role of the youth in achieving the SDGs, the opportunities and barriers faced by young social entrepreneurs and th...
Show NotesFor this episode, we invited African CSO stakeholders to review and discuss the just released report " Impact of COVID-19 on African CSOs". This report is the result of a survey of over 1,000 CSOs across 44 countries on the continent and is produced by EpicAfrica and AfricanNGOs. The report is accessible at https://bit.ly/3axNrFW The guest reviewers on this episode are:Philip Mbithi,Program Development Manager, HIVOLorenzo Davids, CEO Community ChestSarah Mukasa, Deputy Director OSIEADavid Kode, Advocacy and Campaigns Lead, CIVICUSNqobile Q Moyo, Head of Programmes, AU - Economic Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) Zimbabwe ChapterOur guest reviewers analysed and contextualised the content of the report drawing from the statistics around CSO challenges as well as opportunities emanating from the survey. If you enjoyed this session, do subscribe to our podcast and check out our previous episodes. Our other work are available on https://developmentdispatch.com/ as well as on our social media pages.If you are interested in our Reading Club, the link to the survey is https://forms.gle/SBButwB6LCP5F5rv7
On this episode of the DevDispatch podcast, we review the Synthesis reports of the Voluntary National Reviews for 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. This episode will focus entirely on highlighting the progress and challenges at country level for each SDG as submitted by the 35 African countries that have participated in the VNRs since 2016.Links: VNR Synthesis Report 2016 https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/127761701030E_2016_VNR_Synthesis_Report_ver3.pdf VNR Synthesis Report 2017https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/17109Synthesis_Report_VNRs_2017.pdfVNR Synthesis Report 2018https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/210732018_VNRs_Synthesis_compilation_11118_FS_BB_Format_FINAL_cover.pdf VNR Synthesis Report 2018https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/252302019_VNR_Synthesis_Report_DESA.pdf Author: Division for Sustainable Development (DSD), Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), United NationsPublication Year: 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019Questions for consideration1. At the turn of the decade we are dubbing "the decade of action for the SDGs", how much of this planned action has taken stock of the progress, successes and challenges of the last four years?2. How much of the content of the VNRs influence program development, communication, advocacy and decision making around the SDGs?3. How can social innovators turn the challenges reported during the VNRs into opportunities to contribute to achieving the SDGs in the next 10 years?
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On this episode of the DevDispatch podcast, we review the UN Women Discussion Paper titled "What Will It Take? Promoting Cultural Change to End Sexual Harassment. This publication has been selected by the DevDispatch podcast in commemoration of the 2019 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.Link: https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/library/publications/2019/discussion-paper-what-will-it-take-promoting-cultural-change-to-end-sexual-harassment-en.pdf?la=en&vs=1714Publisher: UN WomenAuthor: Purna Sen, Executive Coordinator and Spokesperson on Addressing Sexual Harassment and Other Forms of Discrimination for UN Women.Publication Year: 2019Questions for considerationWhat does it mean when do-good organisations, education institutions and companies declare "zero tolerance for sexual harassment"?How can leadership practically encourage a victim-centred approach and an organisational culture that makes sexual harassment obsolete?How do we put "zero tolerance for sexual harassment" into action?Who is the publication for?This paper is tackling the issue of sexual harassment at institutional level whether private or public. On page 11 you will find an expanded selection of target audience but in my opinion, I think this publication is relevant to management and leadership of education institutions, public and private sector entities and companies, their human resource personnel as well as their legal team. I say this because this discussion paper is in earnest a practical guide for taking zero tolerance from a phrase into action.Please subscribe on our website https://www.developmentdispatch.com/ and leave us a review or feedback on this episode. We would love to hear from you.If you have a publication you would like us to review, please drop us a message on email: info@developmentdispatch.com and hit us up on twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.
On this episode of the DevDispatch podcast, we review the UN Women Discussion Paper titled "What Will It Take? Promoting Cultural Change to End Sexual Harassment. This publication has been selected by the DevDispatch podcast in commemoration of the 2019 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.