Focus on African SEZs
As part of the capacity building and technical cooperation events organized for the dissemination of The Handbook on Special Economic Zones in Africa: Towards Economic Diversification across the Continent, a series of webinars is being organized during 2022. The webinars aim to bring together a diverse audience of stakeholders involved with SEZs’ issues and planning from Africa, and panel discussions including experts, policymakers and practitioners.
The Handbook, developed by UNCTAD in partnership with German Development Cooperation Agency (GIZ), examines trends in African SEZs, scrutinizes best practices, and provides practical policy guidelines for the development of more effective, resilient and sustainable SEZs in Africa. The Handbook makes particular emphasis on providing policy guidelines to support SEZs to adjust to the new trade and investment environment in Africa after the full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). In addition, it delivers recommendations aimed at enabling SEZs and SEZ programmes to adjust proactively to current and future changes in global value chains and investment patterns.
Webinar Programme
General introduction and setting the scene (15 min)
- Mr. James X. Zhan | Director, Division on Investment and Enterprise, UNCTAD
- Mr. Jan Miksch | Component Lead, Programme Support to the AfCFTA, GIZ AU Office
SEZs in Africa & SDG practices: Case studies and opportunities in the context of the AfCFTA (20 min)
- Prof. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose | Princesa de Asturias Professor & Professor of Economic Geography; Director, Cañada Blanch Centre
Panel Discussion (40 min)
Moderator: Ms. U. Amelia Santos Paulino | Chief – Investment Issues and Analysis Section, Division on Investment and Enterprise, UNCTAD
- Mr. Andrew Mold | Chief, Regional Integration and AfCFTA Cluster, Office for Eastern Africa, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
- Mr. Ismail Ersahin | Executive Director, World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA)
- Ms. Githa Roelans | Head, Multinational Enterprises and Enterprise Engagement Unit at International Labour Organization (ILO)
- Ms. Ursula Wellmann | Skills, Enterprise and Community Development Project Specialist, Atlantis SEZ
Concluding remarks
