The 3rd Extra Ordinary Session of the Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Justice and Legal Affairs in Dakar, Senegal from 5 to 7 June 2018: The Meeting of Legal Experts of the Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Justice and Legal Affairs commenced on the 5th of June 2018 in Dakar, Senegal.

The STC experts’ session is mandated to consider the adoption of the Agreement and its Protocols, the Assembly vide Decision Ext/Assembly/AU/Dec.1(X) directed “the AU Ministers responsible for Trade to submit the Annexes to the Protocol on Trade in Goods, Annexes to the Protocol on the Rules and Procedures on the Settlement of Disputes, and the List of Priority Sectors on Trade in Services to the July 2018 Session of the Assembly for adoption” In keeping with the directive, the just concluded sessions of the Negotiating Forum, Senior Trade Officials and African Ministers of Trade meetings considered nine Annexes to the Protocol on Trade in Goods and Three Annexes to the Protocol on the Rules and Procedures on the Settlement of Disputes.

Addressing the STC in the opening ceremony, Amb. Dr. Namira Negm, the Legal Counsel of the African Union welcomed the delegations on behalf of HE Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chairperson of the AU Commission and noted that “our Heads of State and Government in Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.394 (XVIII) called for the establishment of an African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) by an indicative date of 2017, which saw the Member States negotiate and agree upon the provisions of the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area and its three Protocols on Trade in Goods, Services and the Rules and Procedures on the Settlement of Disputes.” She further urged the delegates to reflect on the legal matters of the drafts before them in order to have them consistent within the rules of the Union.

The STCs, which are technical organs of the Union, were established under Article 25 of the African Economic Community Treaty (the Abuja Treaty). With the transformation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) into the African Union Commission (AUC), in order to have specialists from all corners of Africa discussing the cooperation in different fields to enhance the integration between the Member States of the Union.

For further information,
For Office of the Legal Counselplease contact:
Meseret Fassil
Email: MeseretF@africa-union.org
Tel: +251 (0) 943305123

Tefesehet Sime
Email: tefesehets@africa-union.org
Tel: +251 (0) 913495760
And
Tsion Demissie
Email: tbheregano@africa-union.org
Tel: +251 (0) 913026667

Media Contact:
Mrs. Esther Azaa Tankou| Head of Information Division | African Union Commission | Tel: +251 (0) 911361185 | E-mail: yamboue@africa-union.org |

For further information:
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@african-union.org I Website: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

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