The first meeting of the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Task Force Sub-Committee on Industrial Development took place in February 2012. The meeting followed a decision by the Second Tripartite Summit, held on 12 June 2011, to add regional industrial development as a 3rd pillar to the Tripartite's other regional integration focus areas, namely market access and regional infrastructural development. The first meeting successfully drafted a Tripartite Industrial Development Work Plan which outlines activities to be implemented in two sequential phases.
The first, preparatory phase, includes the establishment of the Sub-Committee, a situational analysis of industrial trends, constraints and potential - in the tripartite area as well as in the continent and globally. A high-level stakeholder workshop, which will include international thinkers and practitioners, will help to shape proposals on the Tripartite Industrial Development roadmap, work programme and institutional arrangements. These proposals will be submitted to Tripartite member country senior officials towards the end of 2012.
The Second, implementation phase, will involve the conduct of regional value chain analysis on agro-industry, chemicals & chemical products and mineral processing, all which are priority sectors as agreed on continental level; and implementation of actions recommended during phase 1.
TMSA provided technical and financial support for the 1st meeting, in which all three Tripartite RECs participated. Going forward, TMSA will also support the constitution of the committee and will support implementation of the workplan.
