The AfCFTA-NC Executive Secretariat hosted a delegation from Madagascar’s Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and Consumer Affairs in Côte d’Ivoire from 17 to 18 November 2022. This benchmarking visit aimed to draw lessons from Côte d’Ivoire’s successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement.
The delegation's visit included consultations with key public administration and private sector stakeholders. These included the AfCFTA National Committee, the Directorate of Foreign Trade (DGCE), the General Confederation of Enterprises of Côte d’Ivoire (CGECI), the Centre for the Promotion of Investments in Côte d’Ivoire (CEPICI), and the Single Window for Foreign Trade (GUCE).
Organized by Madagascar’s Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade, and Consumer Affairs, in collaboration with Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, and SME Promotion, this initiative was supported technically by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It is part of a series of consultations being conducted ahead of Madagascar’s "National Dialogue on the AfCFTA" workshop.
Côte d’Ivoire has been one of the first countries to establish a fully operational national committee dedicated to the implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement. The Ivorian model is increasingly seen as a benchmark for its inclusion of all stakeholders—public sector, private sector, and civil society—in the implementation of the agreement.