SRO-SA-Consultant Publication on Regional Integration in Southern Africa: Accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area in Southern Africa Building on acquis of

Result of Service The main objective of the consultancy assignment is to produce a robust, analytical, and well-informed report on accelerating the implementation of the AfCFTA in Southern Africa through the application of the acquis provisions of the Agreement and related Protocols as they relate to the FTA regimes of the RECs covering the region. The intent is to promote a complementary implementation of the continental FTA and the RECs FTAs in order to foster regional economic integration and contribute to accelerating the realization the objectives of the African Economic Community

Work Location LUSAKA

Expected duration 6 (six) months

Duties and Responsibilities PROJECT BACKGROUND: The Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) during its eighteenth Ordinary Session held in Addis Ababa in January 2012, adopted a decision to establish a Continental Free Trade Area. The resultant African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), considered one of the flagships of Agenda 2063 seeks, inter alia, to “create a single market” and to “lay the foundations for the establishment of a Continental Customs Union”. The Agreement establishing the AfCFTA, including protocols on trade in goods and services and dispute settlement was adopted in March 2018 and entered into force on 30 May 2019 for the 24 countries that had deposited their instruments of ratification by that date. It was launched at the twelfth Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Niamey, Niger, in July 2019. Commencement of trading under the AfCFTA was 1 January 2021.

The AfCFTA principles include among others those that refer to “RECs’ Free Trade Areas (FTAs) as building blocs for the AfCFTA” and “preservation of the acquis”. Therefore, the role of the RECs is critical for the implementation of the AfCFTA. According to Tralac (2021), the notion of the acquis became part of the African integration vocabulary during the negotiations to establish the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA). It was adopted as a Guiding Principle for those negotiations and was defined as follows: Building on the acquis of the existing REC FTAs in terms of consolidating tariff liberalisation in each REC FTA: Acquis is a French term meaning “that which has been agreed”. In the context of the Tripartite Free Trade Agreement, it means that the negotiations should start from the point at which the COMESA, EAC and SADC trade negotiations have reached. Another mention of acquis in the AfCFTA Agreement appears in the Protocol on trade in services, under Part V, Progressive Liberalisation. Article 1 addresses broadly the principle of progressive liberalization; Article 2 stipulates that “State Parties shall negotiate sector specific obligations through the development of regulatory frameworks for each of the sectors, as necessary, taking account of the best practices and acquis from the RECs, as well as the negotiated agreement on sectors for regulatory cooperation.

The interplay between AfCTA and the RECs is complex, and needs to be fleshed out for better understanding and effective implementation of the Agreement as it relates to the RECs’ FTAs. The present study shall build on the findings of the continental level study, ECA (2021), on “Governing the African Continental Free Trade Area–Regional Economic Communities Interface”, which among other key questions, aimed to understandthe feasibility of leveraging the implementation mechanisms of various REC-FTAs in implementing the AfCFTA. The study report proffers high-level recommendations on how to make the interface between these two levels most productive. The present study on implementing the AfCFTA building on the acquis of the RECs’ FTAs will provide an indepth analysis of the issues as they pertain to the application of the acquis principle with a focus on the Southern Africa region.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under the general supervision of the Director of the ECA Sub-Regional Office for Southern Africa, and the direct supervision of the Chief of the Subregional Initiatives Section; the successful candidate shall:

1. Prepare an inception report detailing among other things, the work to be undertaken, the conceptual framework, the methodology, work plan and annotated outline of the report; 2. Submit the inception report to ECA-SRO-SA for review, and finalize based on the comments and inputs provided; 3. Review past and current literature, key analytical frameworks, methodologies and other documents relevant to the study;

4. Prepare and administer a questionnaire survey to stakeholders identified jointly with ECA-SRO-SA, undertake a desk review to collect data and information relevant to the assignment, and carry out interviews and other necessary consultations as required;

5. Analyze data and information gathered to inform the drafing of the report using appropriate methodologies and tools;

6. Assess progress in the implementation of the RECs FTAs and review key projects and activities of RECs that have contributed to implementing the regional economic integration agenda of Southern Africa;

7. Identify success stories, best practices and lessons in the implementation of the RECs FTAs, and highlight key drivers of implementation;

8. Informed by the experiences of RECs in the implementation of the FTAs, examine how their acquis could be built upon to accelerate the implementation of the FTAs, as well as how the AfCFTA could address implementation challenges of FTAs. Identify the optimal pathway for complementary implementation;

9. Identify challenges and opportunities for advancing the regional economic integration agenda of Southern Africa and the complementary implemetation of the AfCFTA and RECs FTAs;

10. Analyze capacity requirements related to the implementation of the AfCFTA building on the acquis of the FTAs, as well as their complementaty implementation in Southern Africa;

11. Based on the study findings, make robust conclusions and advance recommendations and measures to accelerate the implementation of the AfCFTA building on the RECs FTA acquis, and the broad regional economic integration agenda in Southern African.

12. Prepare and submit for review by ECA-SRO-SA, a robust, analytical and well-informed draft report on the implementation of the AfCFTA in Southern Africa building on the acquis of the RECs FTAs;

13. Provide substantive support in the organization of the Adhoc Expert Group Meeting (AEGM) for the validation of the draft report;

14. Finalize the report based on comments and inputs provided at the workshop, as well as subsequent comments that may be provided by ECA-SRO-SA and relevant stakeholders;

15. The report shall cover, but not limited to the issues identified above and have an outline including the specified issues, an executive summary, key messages, introduction including the analytical framework for the report, references and annexes.

Qualifications/special skills Advanced university degree (at least a Masters Degree or equivalent) in economics, international development, trade, political science, or related discipline is required. A First Degree with Two additional years of experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced University degree. A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience at the national and/or international level in planning or policy development-related work. Experience in research/analytical work on regional economic integration and trade in the context of Africa, either in the academia or in private, public or civil society organizations is highly desirable

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consultancy assignment, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French or Portuguese is an advantage.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.