The World Customs Organization (WCO), under the framework of the EU-WCO Rules of Origin Africa Programme funded by the European Union, and in partnership with the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) held regional consultations for UMA and its members. The consultations were held in Marrakech, Morocco, on 2 December 2024 and were followed by an intermediate-advanced training workshop on rules of origin (RoO) for North Africa and other Arabic speaking African countries on 3-6 December.
The UMA Secretary General, Mr Tarak Ben Salem, in his opening remarks, stressed the importance of regional integration through training and awareness raising for all stakeholders. He also mentioned the need to assist members in the negotiation of legal instruments and to develop a Maghreb strategy for the operationalisation of the AfCFTA, including an analysis of the state of play of the integration and of the opportunities for key sectors in the region, and reiterated the importance of building the capacities of the private sector, including both SMEs and women and youth.
Mr Lhassane Hallou, Director of Facilitation and IT in Morocco Customs, added that the objective of the AfCFTA is to increase intra-African trade as well as trade with the rest of the world. The Agreement is a vector for development and is based on a collective determination to build a better future for the African continent.
The objective of the consultations was to discuss the state of play for the implementation of applicable preferential RoO and trade agreements in the region, and address challenges in the implementation of RoO in the region. The consultations were an opportunity to take stock of capacity building and technical assistance needs, and consider best avenues for regional and national initiatives focusing on RoO.
The outcomes of this consultation will feed into the work plan of the EU-WCO RoO Africa Programme and steer the partnership and support for UMA and its members with the aim to provide meaningful and targeted capacity building and technical assistance in the implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement, EPAs, and other FTAs as well as exploring other opportunities for streamlining processes in Africa.
During the technical workshop, participants worked on key concepts for proper origin determination, related operational and procedural issues, including origin certification and origin irregularities, as well as the establishment of efficient origin management. In addition, participants discussed specific areas of concern, including the low level of knowledge and use of the FTAs and challenges linked to verification of origin including trough administrative cooperation. They also discussed recommendations for better management and implementation of RoO on a national and regional level.
The EU-WCO Rules of Origin Africa Programme will continue its work with UMA and North African WCO Members to equip Customs officials with extended knowledge for efficient implementation and application of RoO. As a next step, the Programme will conduct a training of trainers which will pave the way for Customs to further disseminate their knowledge to colleagues as well as to other relevant stakeholders.
For further information please contact EU-WCORoOAfrica.Program@wcoomd.org