Result of Service

• An Inception Report, accompanied by an annotated outline and an indicative methodology;

• A draft chapter on “The AfCFTA and the transition to a continental Customs Union and Common Market in line with the requirements outlined in this Terms of Reference and the ARIA XI Concept Note;

• A final chapter that incorporates review comments, suggestions and recommendations from both internal reviews at the level of ECA and from an Expert Group Meeting.

Work Location

Home Based

Expected duration

6

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultant will work under the overall guidance of the ECA Director of the Regional Integration and Trade Division (RITD) and the direct supervision of the Chief of the Regional Integration Section. As elaborated in the Concept Note for the 11th Edition of Assessing Regional Integration in Africa Report (ARIA XI): “Beyond the AfCFTA: Bringing the Continental Customs Union and Common Market About”, the consultant, among others, will be required to:

o Carry out a desk review of the existing literature on the African Continental Free Trade Area, as well as conduct interviews with selected stakeholders.

o Carry out an in-depth analysis of the trade and economic benefits and costs associated with the implementation of the AfCFTA.

o Present a review of the progress in the implementation of the AfCFTA since its signing/ratification, highlighting actual trade that has happened under AfCFTA rules, including within the framework of the Guided Trade Initiative.

o Analyze countries’ efforts and progress towards domesticating the Agreement, including through the development and deployment of AfCFTA National Implementation Strategies, demonstrating the different pace that countries have been integrating the AfCFTA’s provision into their domestic legal frameworks.

o Discuss some of the key challenges that have faced the implementation of the AfCFTA, including in its interface with RECs level FTAs

o Highlight provisions in the AfCFTA Agreement relating to deeper integration and indicate how these could serve as foundations and enablers for progression towards a continental Customs Union or/and Common Market.

o Provide pointers/analysis on how to manage the transition towards a continental customs union and common market while ensuring the effective implementation of the AfCFTA.

o Distil key messages from the chapter analyses, as well as provide practical and actionable recommendations to African countries in the form of measures, strategies and policies that are needed to leverage the AfCFTA implementation and provisions towards the establishment of a continental Customs Union and Common Market.

The overall objective of ARIA XI is to provide policy recommendations to African countries on how to successfully transition from a Free Trade Area to a Customs Union and subsequently to a Common Market.

It is envisaged that ARIA XI will have nine thematic/substantive chapters, alongside introductory and concluding chapters. The proposed chapter outline is as follows:

¿ Chapter 1: The Status of Regional Integration in Africa
¿ Chapter 2: The AfCFTA and the transition to a continental Customs Union and Common Market
¿ Chapter 3: Theoretical underpinnings of Free Trade Areas, Customs Unions and Common Markets
¿ Chapter 4: Customs unions and common markets: Experiences/lessons from African RECs and from CUs/CMs across the world
¿ Chapter 5: Trade and economic benefits of a continental customs union and common market
¿ Chapter 6: Towards a Continental Customs Union: harmonization of tariffs and operationalization of a common external Tariff
¿ Chapter 7: Towards a Continental Common Market: Addressing Non-tariff Measures, Non-Tariff Barriers and Coordinating/harmonizing policies and standards
¿ Chapter 8: Governance and resources requirements for establishing and operationalizing the continental Customs Union and African Common Market
¿ Chapter 9: Conclusion and Recommendations

Qualifications/special skills

At least a Masters Degree in International Economics, Development Economics, International Trade, International Trade Policy, or any other related field.

Minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience in the field of regional integration and trade policy analysis and development in Africa is required. Proven experience in using econometric methods and econometric modelling in trade-related economic research. Experience in trade negotiations and advising African countries on trade policy and regional integration at national, regional, continental and international levels is strongly desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations. For this post, fluency in oral and written English is required.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.