Areas of Focus of Capacity Building Interventions in Trade Policy Development and Trade Negotiations in Africa Over the Medium Term, 2007 - 2011

The global marketplaces in general and international trade in particular have never been more important to Africa than at present. Success in the region is being increasingly defined by a given country’s ability to exploit the potential benefits offered by the world economy. However, the comparative advantage of many of the region’s economies tends to be in sectors that are the most restricted at the global level. Subsidies to certain sectors by developed countries have also been problematic to the region’s potential for success. At the national level, infrastructural and related supply problems impede the region’s competitiveness and limit opportunities