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COMMISSION ECONOMIQUE POUR L’AFRIQUE
BUREAU SOUS-REGIONAL POUR L’AFRIQUE CENTRALE
Regional Dimension for Transit
Transport Cooperation:
“Role of ECA”
New York, 3rd October 2008
Fifty years at the Africa development service
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I would like first to sincerely thank his Excellency
Mr. Cheick Sidi Diarra for convening this special
event and to present the apologies of Mr.
Abdoulie Janneh the Executive Secretary of ECA
for not being able to join you here today due to
exceptional circumstances.
ECA supports establishment of efficient transit
transport systems in Africa through regular and
extra budgetary resource activities.
ECA contribution to 5 pillars of APoA can be
grouped into 3 categories: awareness raising;
joint programme implementation; and capacity
building
Fifty years at the Africa development service
Awareness of Member States and
RECs on the need and importance of
regional transport system to
interconnect the African region;
enhance inter state trade; and
strengthen regional integration;
 Participation with partners in
developing and implementing
programmes;
 Capacity building of member States
and RECs;
 Suggestions.
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Fifty years at the Africa development service
 PRSP
in which regional transport
dimension is included.
 Provide basis for budgetary provision
for transport sector and emphasis on
importance of transport to economic
growth and attainment of MDGs.
 Technical notes to RECs and Member
States in view of mainstreaming
regional transport in WTO
negotiations.
practical method to monitor corridor
performance as well as to monitor
specific points known to be constrictions
along a corridor.
 co-financing observatories for data
collection directed to producing and
disseminating reliable statistics on the
cost-efficiency of transport services and
main commodities traded.
 establishment of the REC- Transport
Coordination Committee (REC-TCC) to
drive trade facilitation and integration
along priority regional corridors.
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The REC-TCC is promoting
harmonization of technical standards
across the region, such as axle load
limits, vehicle and road design standards,
 This contributes to safer, more efficient
movement of people and goods.
 Given the overlaps in REC-membership,
the REC-TCC plays a catalytic role by
facilitating all the RECs to share
knowledge and information, at a
technical level, on their transport activities
especially to harmonize as much as
possible the methodologies on transit
activities.
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Work together with AU, AfDB to implement
NEPAD short term action plan. We also
promote the missing links of the Trans
African Highways.
 Promote air transport liberalization
policy in Africa because it is an essential
mode for the landlocked countries.
 Study on railways interconnection
undertaken for West Africa, which is now
being implemented by ECOWAS with
financial support of partners.
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Policy framework, technical assistance
and financial resources to RECs.
 Improve road safety situation in Africa.
The African road safety congress was
organized. Activities on road safety will be
implemented in selected countries
 SSATP is a joint programme conceived by
ECA and the World Bank to promote policy
that will ensure safe, reliable, efficient and
affordable transport services that
contribute to economic growth and poverty
reduction. It is a programme of 35 African
countries and financed by 10 donors
countries.
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 ECA
is chair of Programme and
represents African interest in the
Board.
 ECA uses SSATP to implement
activities related to the establishment
of efficient transport system.
 Opportunity to thank all the partners
especially the EUC; France; Ireland;
Norway; Sweden; The World Bank;
IsDB, DFID and the AfDB for their
continuous support.
Future works of SSATP:
Support for thematic dialogue to reduce
impediments to the free movement of
people and goods and Support RECs in
establishing corridor management
groups and observatories
 Conduct Institutional capacity building,
document and disseminate good practice
examples in reducing the prevalence of
HIV/AIDS
 Promote road safety along selected
corridors.
 Provide knowledge and engage with key
stakeholders to develop policies and
strategies reducing costs.
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 APoA
review meeting organized in
Addis from 17-20 June 2008.
 Several recommendations made to
member States; ECA; and UNOHRLLS, which can be classified
under two categories:
 (i) programme action and (ii) follow
up at regional level.
Under programme actions the following can be
recalled:
 ECA and its African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC)
should disseminate relevant documents.
 UN-OHRLLS should support efforts to raise
awareness on trade facilitation as well as between
the programme and the Aid for Trade Initiative
 ECA, AU, AfDB, World Bank, UN-OHRLLS and
other development partners should support
efforts to elaborate and conclude the
intergovernmental agreement on TAH.
 The UN system and donor community should
support African countries in promoting dialogue
and sharing experiences on transit transport.
 ECA and UN-OHRLLS should assist African
countries and RECs in mainstreaming the APoA in
national and regional Aid for Trade Action plans.
Suggestion 1:
 The 5 Regional Commissions (RCs)
should prepare a programme to be
implemented as part of the
development account in coordination
with UN-OHRLLS.
Suggestion 2:
 Coordination at national and sub
regional level to keep abreast with
level of implementation of APoA.
 Establishment of interaction among
UN RCs and UN-OHRLLS including
RECs and private sector with view to
share experiences, support activities;
sensitize and disseminate
information.
Fifty years at the Africa development service