Press Release N°200/2015

H.E Mrs. Fatima H. Acyl, Commissioner, Trade and Industry, heads the AUC Delegation to the 14th AGOA Forum in Libreville, Gabon

Libreville, Gabon - 26 August 2015. The 14th African Growth and Opportunity Forum kicked off today under the Theme "AGOA at 15: Charting a course for a sustainable US-Africa Trade and Investment Partnership”. It was preceded on 24th and 25th by a Senior Officials' Meeting and an African Trade Ministerial Consultative meeting respectively in order to enable AGOA eligible countries to discuss and harmonize their views on the various issues pertaining to the new legislation and the future of U.S-Africa trade relationship, prior to meeting the U.S. side. It is to be recalled that the United States approved the reauthorization of AGOA for another ten years up to 2025, following extensive advocacy efforts undertaken by Member States and the African Union Commission.

In her address to the Ministers at the opening of the African Trade Ministerial Consultative meeting on 25th August, H.E. Mrs. Fatima Haram Acyl, Commissioner for Trade and Industry, who heads the AUC delegation to the AGOA Forum, stressed the importance for all African stakeholders, including Governments, private sector, civil society, women and youth to be adequately informed of all challenges and opportunities of the new legislation in order to effectively take advantage. "It behooves us to popularize the new legislation both in the public and private sectors so that together we can respond positively to the expectations". She called on eligible Member States to formulate their AGOA national response strategies as quickly as possible, to take the necessary measures to increase the competitiveness of African products In order to benefit from market access to the U.S., to create employment for the youth and to mobilize both domestic and foreign investment. "Agriculture, industry and trade are interrelated and create employment. Africa produces 10 million young job seekers every year ...who want to participate effectively in the continent's development. It is our responsibility to give them a chance so that they do not fall prey to illegal migration or terrorism".

In the margins of the Forum, Commissioner Acyl gave a press conference, on August 25, 2015, to the African and international media, will co-chair a plenary session of the Forum on supporting African women entrepreneurs to participate in global value chains and will serve as panelist on promoting intra-African trade and regional integration through sustainable investments.

Commissioner Acyl will also have a series of high level meetings with Ambassador Michael Froman, U.S. Trade Representative, Mrs. Linda Thomas Greenfield, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ms. Dana Hyde, CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation as well as with a bipartisan congressional delegation led by Congressman Erik Paulsen ( Republican, Minnesota).

Departmental Contact: Mrs. Tarana Loumabeka; Email: Lomabekat@africa-union.org

For further information:

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

Follow us

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfricanUnionCommission

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AfricanUnion

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/AUCommission