ACC20-1

The WTO Secretariat, in partnership with the International Trade Centre (ITC), the World Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Union Commission will organize the third Regional Dialogue on WTO Accessions for the Greater Horn of Africa on 4 – 7 February 2020 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, under the theme "Economic transformation through WTO membership and the implementation of the AfCFTA" . The dialogue will aim to promote a discussion among key trade policy stakeholders from the Horn of Africa on three key dimensions:
(i) Identify how WTO accession can help countries in the region to diversify their economies and export baskets with a view to strengthening their resilience to adverse shocks;
(ii) Ensuring policy synergies between the simultaneous pursuit of WTO accession and AfCFTA implementation.
(iii) Highlight how the process of WTO accession stands to benefit from strengthened engagement with the international community.