Features

Ahead of the current AfCFTA operationalisation timeline of 1st January 2021 thanks to the decision of African leaders on fast-tracking of processes leading to the commencement of trade under the Agreement, the African Union says outstanding AfCFTA negotiations must move online too.     However, AU member states have outlined…

The world will Wednesday celebrate the International Youth Day 2020 under the theme, “Youth Engagement for Global Action”, which seeks to highlight how the engagement of young people at subnational, national and global levels is enriching national and multilateral institutions and processes, as well as draw lessons on how youth…

Two key partnerships will be negotiated in 2020 between the European Union (EU) and Africa, making this a crucial year for both continents. One is the post-Cotonou agreement within the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, and the other is the Africa-EU strategy.     In relation to the…

Africa’s youth are confronted with an increasingly complex socio-economic and political context which is hindering their development. Youth are facing extensive poverty, limited access to education, lack of employment opportunities, limited benefits from globalisation, water scarcity, peace and security challenges, violent extremism, sexual violence, corruption, and forced migration, to name…

As a mark of their commitment to the African Union’s Silencing the Guns in Africa campaign, the continental secretariat of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and the APRM Youth Network, launched the APRM Youth Webinar Series on the Impact of COVID-19 on Political Governance, Peace and Security in Africa…

African states have failed to protect women and children from violence amid the coronavirus pandemic.     In the last few months, as the coronavirus has spread across the world, African countries have registered a surge in cases of domestic violence and sexual violence, which has provoked public outrage. In…

Participants at the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD) webinar on Africa’s Integrated High Speed Railway Network Project (AIHSRN), Wednesday called on African leaders to fast-track the implementation of the continental high-speed rail network.     AIHSRN seeks to facilitate the movement of goods, services and people as well as reducing…

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) represents a major opportunity for countries to boost growth, reduce poverty, and broaden economic inclusion, a new World Bank report has found. If implemented fully, the trade pact could boost regional income by 7% or $450 billion, speed up wage growth for women, and lift…

The African Union helped spearhead a coordinated response to the pandemic     The global struggle against the coronavirus pandemic has prompted some governments to close their borders and retreat from multilateralism, and instead implement protectionist policies and trade restrictions. African countries are taking a different approach. To combat the spread of infection while minimizing social and…

The global community is set to Thursday commemorate the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, as proclaimed by the UN General Assembly, under the theme “Committed to the Cause – Working on the Frontline to End Human Trafficking.”     The theme is celebrating the efforts of first responders to…