The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) followed the
opening of the Centre for Trade and Regional
Industrialisation offices by Trade and Industry
Minister, Rob Davies, in March. The Department of
Trade and Industry (dti) and the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) have signed an MoU for
strategic collaboration in the implementation of
programmes of the Centre for Trade and Regional
Industrialisation.
The centre, which is located in Pretoria, is intended to
strengthen regional integration through dedicated
research to support Africaˇ¦s integration processes. It
is also aimed at building the capacity of Africaˇ¦s trade
negotiators in the ongoing Tripartite Free Trade Area
and Continental Free Trade Area negotiations. The key
objective is to promote the development of regional
value chains to encourage diversification and structural
transformation of the African continent.
ˇ§The main role of the centre will be to facilitate the
implementation of the development integration approach
that aims not only to promote trade but also regional
industrialisation and infrastructure development. This
implies that the centre will promote industrialisation
on the African continent, thus supporting the
continentˇ¦s drive to enhance productive capacity,ˇ¨ said
dti Director-General (DG), Lionel October.
The MOU was signed by DG October and the UNDP Resident
Representative in South Africa, Gana Fofang.
DG October said the continentˇ¦s reliance on exports of
primary products was unsustainable and there was a need
for a dedicated effort to promote value-addition.
Fofang said the partnership between the dti and the UNDP
would ensure that the centre undertook and facilitated
applied research and analysis, and collected evidence on
policies and good practices in developmental
regionalism, among others.
ˇV Source:
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