The 2024 tralac Annual Conference was held in Lusaka, Zambia, on 16-17 May.

The topics discussed at tralac’s annual conferences usually cover, in broad terms, trade and integration-related developments on the African continent, in the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and in the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Important global events and their implications for Africa are addressed. We also provide feedback on research and studies undertaken by tralac.

Certain themes and issues need to be looked at on a regular basis. We will do so again during this year’s tralac Annual Conference. We will discuss the negotiations to complete the legal and institutional aspects of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), developments in selected Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and the jurisprudence of the Courts of Justice in the RECs.

Each Annual Conference has a specific theme, indicating a special topic addressed during the introductory session. The 2024 tralac Annual Conference takes place under the theme, “African Integration – new challenges of responding to economic risk, uncertainty and geopolitics”.

All conference material and Presentations are available in our Annual Conference Newsletter

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Presentations

Session 2: Why are we discussing international trade dispute settlement in Africa? Case Law from Regional Economic Community Courts

Does the AfCFTA protect the rights of Private Parties? - Gerhard Erasmus

Why are we discussing international trade dispute settlement in Africa? The Regional Economic Community Courts - Dawid van Wyk

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Session 3: Update on the AfCFTA and the Guided Trade Initiative

Update on the AfCFTA Negotiations and the Guided Trade Initiative - Gerhard Erasmus and Trudi Hartzenberg

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Session 4: Africa’s industrialisation

Africa's Industrialisation and Value Chain Participation in AfCFTA Context - John Stuart

Addressing the Challenges MSMEs Face: Focus on Zambia – tralac Survey data analysis - Emily Pender

Africa’s industrialisation: Trade policy instruments, value chains and industrialisation – the case of Rules of Origin - Eckart Naumann

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Session 5: The vocabulary of trade law and policy – are we all on the same page?

Vocabulary of Trade Law and Policy: AfCFTA Terms and Clarifications - Gerhard Erasmus and Trudi Hartzenberg

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Session 6: Digital trade and IP: Focus on the creative economy

Digital Trade: Update, Opportunities, Challenges - John Stuart

Intellectual Property and the creative economy, digital trade and other new frontiers - Abrie du Plessis

Africa’s Creative Economy - Maria Immanuel

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Conference Notes

pdf The Implications for Africa of a collapsing international order (1.21 MB)

pdf Updates on developments in the AfCFTA (2.10 MB)

pdf Directive 1/2021 of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers: The legal and operational basis of the Guided Trade Initiative (1.19 MB)

pdf The REC Courts, trade dispute settlement and integration (1.31 MB)

pdf Overview of the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade (2.31 MB)

pdf Digital Trade in Africa: Update, Opportunities and Challenges (2.57 MB)

pdf Scope and Details of the Annexes to the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade (2.21 MB)

pdf Links between the AfCFTA Protocols on Trade in Services and Digital Trade (2.09 MB)

pdf Update on the AfCFTA Protocol on Investment: Review of Articles 19 and 21, and the Development of the Annexes (2.09 MB)

pdf Does the AfCFTA protect the rights of private parties? (2.10 MB)

pdf Protection and Progress in the Clothing and Textiles Sector in Africa (2.55 MB)

pdf Industrial performance in North Africa: Comparing Egypt, Algeria and Mauritania (3.46 MB)

pdf MSME Challenges: tralac Survey results for Zambia (1.64 MB)