© 2012 Economic Commission for Africa
ATPC Conducting a Workshop on Non-tariff Barriers to Trade.
Nairobi, 13 April 2010 (ECA) – The African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) is holding a workshop on non-tariff barriers to trade (NTBs) in Nairobi, Kenya from 14 – 16 April. The workshop is being attended by the African Group of trade negotiators at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), trade experts from Africa’s regional economic communities, and trade experts from African ministries of trade and other government agencies.
The workshop is co-hosted by the Kenyan government and a senior official from the ministry of trade read a speech by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Engineer Abdulrazaq Adan Ali, before declaring the workshop open.
While chairing the opening session, Ambassador Peter Robleh, head of ATPC, pointed out that NTBs are becoming increasingly sophisticated and many African countries are being affected by them. He gave an example of the ban of fish exports from Lake Victoria that affected Kenyan and Ugandan exports, which was due to concerns that the fish had contracted cholera. “It was only after several months that the exporting countries managed to convince the market that the consumption of fish was not an effective method of transmitting cholera that the ban was lifted,’ he said.
Stephen Karingi, head of the international trade negotiations section of ECA, delivered the opening address on behalf of the executive secretary of ECA. HE said this was an opportune moment for holding the workshop as the negotiations in Geneva have currently stalled. In an op-ed article, Dr. Karingi further explained the important effects of NTBs.
The workshop is seeking to establish an African position to defend when the negotiations resume in earnest at the WTO.
:: Opening Statement by Stephen N. Karingi, Chief of Trade and International Negotiations :: Why Africa is failing to fully-utilize preferential trade agreements. By Stephen Karingi
Issued by the ECA Information and Communication Service P.O. Box 3001
Addis Ababa Ethiopia
Tel: 251 11 5445098 Fax: +251 11 5510365 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.uneca.org
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