International trade and supply chains briefly collapsed in the first half of 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the planet. In Europe, Asia and North America trade has picked up again buoyantly since the middle of 2020, despite recurrent social distancing measures and lockdowns. In Africa, there were hardly any signs of meaningful international trade resumption as of mid-2021, according to the latest WTO quarterly trade figures.
This panel tries to assess how trade policies supported by the WTO could help build better resilience to external trade shocks for Africa’s most vulnerable groups, with a special focus on how to promote women’s participation in trade and create more resilience. Enabling women who trade become partners in Africa’s economic future is one of the best ways to ensure success in the continent.
The panel will focus on the following topic areas:
Digitalization of services, e-commerce-based business solutions
Trade facilitation and paperless trading
Synergies between on-the-ground solutions and current WTO initiatives (e.g. JSIs on e-commerce, services domestic regulation, women’s economic empowerment, MSMEs).
AfCFTA implementation phase in Covid-19 times
The panel will be composed of Africa-based experts with the on-the-ground experience of women’s trade activities and of trade policy solutions found on the ground which the WTO could support.
Panelists
Marta Bengoa, Professor of International Economics, City University of New York and University of Johannesburg
Tshengi Ndlovu, President, The Organization of Women in International Trade
Phyllis Mwangi, International Consultant SME Trade Development
Raúl Torres, Counsellor, Development Division, World Trade Organization
Moderator: Iana Dreyer, Founder, Borderlex
