The Economic Commission for Africa is hosting a meeting in Ethiopia from July 24- 26, 2014 under the theme “Boosting Market Integration and Intra-African Trade through Effective Management of Regional Transport Infrastructure and Services”. The venue for the meeting is the UN Conference Center.

The purpose of the meeting is assessing the implementation of cross-border transport infrastructure projects in Africa, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

The meeting is said to contribute to the endeavors of addressing emerging trade issues in particular, the role of cross border transport infrastructure and services for strengthening market integration and help the intra-African trade. In addition to this, the forum aims to enable stakeholders to exchange information as well as experiences over the relationship between trade and transport.
Among other issues, the participants will make a discussion over the role of transport infrastructure and services in regional trade.

They will also raise the issue of mainstreaming trade in transport trade in transport projects as a strategy for resource mobilization, particularly in the context of the Aid for Trade initiative.

Participants will also exchange their views over challenges in implementing regional transport infrastructure projects. Updates on where Africa stands on the implementation of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) and other regional projects will also be presented.

The forum is expected to have representatives of national project implementation units/Agencies; associations of national road agencies, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the African Union Commission Corridor Management Organizations, transport associations, development partners and international organizations.

Source: Walta Information Center