The workshop on linking ports to corridors for the Eastern and Southern Africa Region was jointly organized by the Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa (PMAESA) and the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The workshop was held from 23 -25 November 2010 at the Mombasa Beach Hotel, Mombasa, Kenya. The objective of the workshop was to discuss the findings of a study report on the 'Establishment of a Permanent Regional Corridor Development Working Group for the Eastern and Southern region.'
The workshop was attended by 53 delegates representing ports and corridors from the following countries; Angola, Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia. In addition to the countries, some delegates came from the following organizations: the Common Market for the Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Eastern Africa Community (EAC), International Maritime Organization (IMO), Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), Southern African Railway Association (SARA), Maputo Corridors Logistics and Initiatives (MCLI), Sub-Saharan Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP), Trade Mark East Africa, and USAID. The Secretariat services were rendered by the UNECA and PMAESA.
Opening Remarks: The first opening remarks were delivered by Ambassador Peter Robleh, Coordinator of African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC), UNECA. In his opening statement, Amb. Robleh highlighted the role played by ATPC in trade facilitation, including providing financial support to trade facilitation activities, programmes and studies. He observed that in the past, development of trade facilitation was concentrated on international trade as opposed to local traders, which are the main key players in trade promotion in a number of many African countries. To this end, the importance of African countries to develop policies aimed at promoting development of local trade was highly underscored.
Amb. Robleh commended PMAESA for its initiatives in undertaking the study on linking ports and corridors in the Eastern and Southern region. Implementation of recommendations from the study would play a big role in promoting trade between the two regions. He reiterated ATPC’s continued support in financing activities and programmes aimed at promoting trade among African countries.
The second remarks were delivered by Mr. Jerome Ntibarekerwa, the Secretary General of PMAESA. Mr. Ntibarekerwa started by highlighting the important role played by ports and corridors in trade facilitation. Noting the significance of ports in the global transportation chain and how their operations impact the level of trade, he said that ports development would be incomplete without taking into account the entire supply chain which includes infrastructures of the different intra-modal transport systems. He pointed out that interfacing road, rail, river and pipeline transport development with port development is crucial in promoting trade among the African countries.
Mr. Ntibarekerwa also thanked the UNECA/ATPC for its continued support to the activities of PMAESA, including the funding of the above study as well as the organization of the validation workshop of the study.
Presentations: Presentations were made on the following agenda items: Trade Facilitation and Intra- African Trade; Trade Transit Corridors in Africa’s Landlocked Countries; Renewed Interest in Railway Development in the East African Region; Women’s Participation in Ports and Corridors; Overview of Investment Opportunities and PMAESA Agenda; and the Study on the Establishment of the Permanent Regional Corridor Development Working Group in the PMAESA Region.
* The full conference report, nine pages, can be accessed here.
Background documents and presentations
* Overview of Investment opportunities and PMAESA agenda
* Renewed interest in railway development in the East African region
* Study for the establishment of a permament regional corridor development working group in the PMAESA region (text document, pdf)
Presentations
* Study for the establishment of a permanent regional corridor development working group in the PMAESA region (powerpoint)
* Trade Facilitation and Intra-African Trade
* Trade transit corridors in Africa's landlocked countries
* Women's participation in ports and corridors
Note: The presentations and background documents can be accessed here.
