Making the Africa continental free trade agreement work – the role of the legal profession

The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) has been described as one of Africa's most exciting developments in the recent past. Touted as the Continent's socio-economic game changer, it indeed has the potential to transform intra-African trade and enhance the growth of African economies. With a combined market of more than 1.2 billion people and a combined GDP of US$2.5 trillion, the AfCFTA is a significant milestone following the '6-stage' integration timetable set out in the 1991 Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community (Abuja Treaty). This session will examine the role of the legal profession in making the Agreement work. It will examine the benefits that have been derived from other regional free trade agreements as well as the challenges to their effectiveness.