Category: Press Releases

Longstanding non-tariff barriers constitutes 63% of those currently unresolved

Longstanding Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) constitute 63,6% of total outstanding NTBs with some of these remaining unresolved for an average period of 5 -8 years with the longest being above 12 years and the shortest being 2-4 years. The long standing NTBs are categorised into Technical and Non-technical NTBs; costly additional taxes, import licensing numerous/complex documentation…
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Joint AU-COMESA Statement on the Presidential Elections in Madagascar

At the invitation of the Government of the Republic of Madagascar, the President of the African Union Commission (AUC), His Excellency Moussa Faki MAHAMAT deployed a Joint Short Term Mission of AU-COMESA Observers, to assess the presidential election of 16 November 2023. This deployment was done thanks to the excellent cooperation existing between the Continental…
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EU, COMESA Sign Euros 48.2 million Financing Agreements

Lusaka, 20 November 2023: COMESA and the European Union have signed two Financing Agreements which will provide new grants to COMESA with total value of EUR 48.2 million, financed under EU’s Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument, Sub Saharan Africa Program for 2021-2027. The Trade Competitiveness and Market Access program (EUR 40 million) will focus…
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Second Intergenerational Dialogue Forum -Key Take Aways and Recommendations

COMESA Secretariat in collaboration with the Zambian Government and international Civil Society Organisations successfully held the second Intergenerational Dialogue Forum in Lusaka from 16 – 18 October 2023 were young people engaged with the older generation including policy makers, diplomats, COMESA elders and politicians and discussed issues of peace and security as a catalyst to…
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Need for Speed in Ratifying COMESA Legal Instruments

Lusaka, Thursday,  3 November 2022: The need for speed in ratifying and implementing various legal instruments agreed upon in the past was a rallying call during the 25th Meeting of COMESA Ministers of Justice and Attorneys Generals, conducted in Lusaka, Zambia, Thursday, 3rd November 2022. Keynote speakers at the meeting including the Secretary General of…
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Statistical Capacity Building Regional Workshop on Food Balance Sheets

Food Balance Sheets (FBS) statistics are critical for assessing a country’s food security situation and, more broadly, for assessing the general strength of a country’s entire food and agriculture sector. They help to understand the state of supply and use of each food commodity within a given country, track progress against established development goals and…
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AfDB, COMESA Initiative Towards Harmonized Consumer Price Indices in Africa

Naivasha, Kenya, Friday, October 14, 2022: COMESA in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) conducting a five-day regional workshop in Naivasha, Kenya 10 – 14 October 2022, on harmonizing consumer price indices in Africa. The aim is to improve measurement process of national and regional Harmonized Consumer Price Indexes (HCPIs). This initiative follows an…
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Stakeholders in Seychelles Consult on Country’s Vulnerability and Resilience Assessment

Over 20 senior officials drawn from selected government ministries in Seychelles participated in a five-day consultative workshop to disseminate the country’s specific Structural Vulnerability/Resilience Assessment (SVRA) and identifying the necessary response strategies. Conducted by the COMESA Secretariat through the Governance, Peace and Security (GPS) Unit, the workshop was aimed at sensitizing the participants on the…
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COMESA Member States Meet to Prepare for COP27 in Egypt

The 27th Conference of Parties (COP27) on Climate Change will take place in Egypt from on 6 – 18 November and COMESA is gearing up for robust participation. On 6 – 7 October 2022, representatives from 13 Member States met in Harare, Zimbabwe for a preparatory workshop to develop a Regional Position Paper. In the…
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Experts Meet to Review Progress on Liberalization of Trade in Services in COMESA Region

Lusaka, Monday, October 10, 2022: Progress on the implementation of the COMESA liberalization programme on trade in services in the COMESA region is the focus of a three- day meeting of experts that got underway in Lusaka, Zambia today. This is the 12th meeting of the Committee on Trade in Services (TIS) whose key mandates…
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