Urgent interventions are needed to overcome the short and long term constraints militating against the progress that could have been recorded in the “Aid for Trade (AfT)” in African initiative despite the fact that it is starting to show results.
This is according to a statement from the Addis Ababa-based United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) made available to PANA in Lagos on Friday.
The statement observed that in spite of the identified constraints AfT was starting to show results.
“Since the AfT Initiative was launched in the Hong Kong Ministerial Meeting in 2005, Africa has received technical and financial assistance for trade-related activities. In addition, AfT funding has been kept and priority areas and categories identified by beneficiaries are being targeted.
“AfT that is aimed at projects with a regional dimension is on the rise, with an emphasis on economic infrastructure, building productive capacities and trade facilitation,” the statement added.
It, however, noted that more interventions were urgently needed to overcome the short and long term constraints.
These include targeting unemployment, diversification, gender issues and poverty reductions through AfT.
The statement also observed that with improved Monitoring and Evaluation (M
