Amidst the prevailing Covid-19 situation, the implementation of the COMESA regional integration programmes has picked pace, with a notable consistent budget absorption under Member States funding on operational expenditures. According to a recent performance update by the COMESA Secretariat, there has been an upward trajectory in programme activities in the second quarter of the year…
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The percentage of the COMESA population with access to electricity is on average around 60%, but projections indicate that it will be around 80% by 2040. This will however depend on heavily investing in energy infrastructure in the next ten years. According to an update presented at the 10th Annual General Meeting of the Regional…
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Ethiopia is set to start implementing the COMESA Simplified Trade Regime (STR) and other related trade facilitation instruments, which are critical in strengthening cross-border and COMESA intra-regional trade especially during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eight other regional States including Burundi, D R Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are already implementing…
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The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in partnership with the COMESA Secretariat will offer a two-day virtual training to technical officers from Member States on the preparation and submission process of new/updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). NDCs are national climate plans highlighting climate actions, including climate related targets, policies and measures governments…
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The 42nd Meeting of the COMESA Committee on Administrative and Budget matters met Wednesday, June 23, 2021, with a call to Member States to meet their budgetary contributions to the annual budget of the Secretariat and its institutions. This follows a slow funding of the annual budget with four out the 21 Members States having…
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The COMESA-SADC-EAC tripartite agreement and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) present huge opportunities for enhancing intra-African trade in agricultural commodities and food. According to the Secretary General of COMESA, Ms. Chileshe Kapwepwe, while the African continent has the potential to feed itself as well as export to the rest of the world, trade…
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The first-ever meeting of COMESA ministers of youth affairs took place, Tuesday, June 22, 2021. Its objective was to review the status of implementation of youth programmes and make policy decisions that will empower young people to meaningfully participate in civic and economic opportunities. Specifically, the ministers reviewed and adopted a report prepared by technical…
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The Zambia-Zimbabwe Technical Working Group (TWG) on the Joint Industrialization programme has agreed on an action matrix to guide the implementation of the programme and provide a timeframe for achieving the set targets. The programme is intended to promote industrial cooperation and increase competitiveness of goods produced within the two countries. The TWG has also…
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We have received the news of the demise of the founding father of Zambia, H.E. Dr Kenneth David Kaunda, with a deep sense of sadness and immense loss. Dr Kaunda was one of the great sons of the continent whose contribution to the liberation of Africa and enhancement of regional integration is immeasurable. He was not…
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The Comoros, Eritrea, Seychelles, and Zambia to benefit under the first multi-country project to strengthen capacity of Member Countries to monitor and report climate actions. Lusaka, Zambia (June 16, 2021) —The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council has approved a US$5.7 million project to boost the capacity of four member states of the Common Market for…
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