Background

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is one of the flagship projects of the African Union Agenda 2063 and is expected to be a key driver for Africa to realise continental structural transformation and industrialisation, as envisaged in the AU Agenda 2063’s shared roadmap for inclusive and sustainable growth for Africa.

The Agreement establishing the AfCFTA was signed by forty-four (44) African countries on 21 March 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda. The Agreement entered into force on 30 May 2019, following the necessary number of 22 ratifications. On 1. January 2021, trading under those areas of the AfCFTA started, for which negotiations had already been concluded. As of October 2022, the Agreement establishing the AfCFTA has been signed by fifty-four (54) African countries and ratified by forty-four (44) countries.

GIZ, on behalf of the German government, supports the AfCFTA through the GIZ Support project to the AfCFTA (GIZ AfCFTA). GIZ AfCFTA supports the AU Commission (AUC) Department of Economic development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals (ETTIM) as well as the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra, Ghana in the AfCFTA negotiations and implementation. All activities of GIZ AfCFTA are closely coordinated across the continental, regional (East African Community (EAC), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)) and country (Cote d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Niger, Rwanda, Tunisia) level to ensure that all levels are appropriately linked.

In 2020, the AfCFTA Secretariat was established as a new AU Organ in Accra, Ghana to manage and oversee the establishment of the AfCFTA. To effectively manage the negotiation of AfCFTA commitments and prepare their implementation, the AfCFTA Secretariat and GIZ are seeking to recruit a Junior Consultant to support the National African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Implementation Committees with a focus on the implementation of the agreement.

The main objective of this assignment is to provide support to the AfCFTA Secretariat in ensuring national level preparedness for implementation of the Agreement and support the AfCFTA National Implementation Committees by providing targeted, intensive technical assistance.

Number of work days: 180

Period of assignment: From 01. December 2022 until 31. October 2023