Movement of people critical to AfCFTA’s success – UNECA

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has said Africa should focus more on the movement of people within the region for the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) to succeed.

Ms. Thokozile Ruzvidzo, Director, Gender, Poverty and Social Policy Division, UNECA said this during the media conference on the Africa Regional Review of the Implementation of the Global Compact For Migration being hosted by Morocco on Tuesday.

Ruzvidzo said the aim of the regional review of the GCM was to help Africa in migration data collection and assist in the implementation of the continent’s integration.

“This year’s leading role in the the GCM review and its other related initiatives all aim to help Africa retain skills, improve migration data collection and assist in the implementation of the continent’s integration through facilitating portability of skills and qualifications as well as trade through the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA).

“The AfCFTA cannot succeed if we do not look at the movement of people.

“We cannot only look at the movement of goods and services without looking at the movement of people. Therefore, the Global Compact for Safe and Orderly Migration (GCM) is critical if the AfCFTA is to succeed,” she said.

According to Wikipedia, the GCM is an intergovernmental negotiated agreement, prepared under the auspices of the United Nations, that describes itself as covering all dimensions of international migration in a holistic and comprehensive manner.

It was formally endorsed by the UN General Assembly in Dec. 2018 and is not an international treaty and will be non-binding under international law.

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