Ethiopia to Host Conference on Exploring Digital Trade, Human Rights under Free Trade

Addis Ababa May 23/2018 A conference on digital trade within the context of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) under the thematic area of “Digital Trade in Africa: Implications for Inclusion and Human Rights” will be held in Addis Ababa on May 31, 2018. African Trade Policy Center (ATPC) Coordinator, David Luke said the conference will bring together ECA Executive Secretary Vera Song we, her predecessor, Carlos Lopes and AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy Abou-Zeid Amani  to discuss on opportunities and challenges of digital trade. Organized by ATPC in partnership with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) East Africa Regional Office, and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Geneva Office, the conference is expected to set the pace for further enhance collaboration among the institutions in line with the AfCFTA. Luke added that it will also inform the three organizations’ joint research program on digital trade, inclusion, privacy and human rights with policy recommendations for the second phase of the AfCFTA negotiations, policy makers and entrepreneurs in this area. Experts from the African Union Commission, civil society organizations, Regional Economic Communities, academia, international organizations, and private sector will take part in the conference.