WTO Public Forum Working Session, 18 September 2025
Mapping Africa’s Digital Trade: AfCFTA, JSI & AU AI Strategy
WTO Public Forum Working Session 49
Organizer: South Centre
18 September 2025 10:45-12:00 Room S3
This session explores how Africa is shaping its digital trade future through the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol, engagement in WTO e-commerce discussions, and the Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy. It will examine the region’s priorities on data governance, local value creation, and inclusive digital markets, while assessing risks of fragmentation across regimes. Speakers will consider how African countries can assert greater agency in global digital rulemaking and align trade, technology, and development strategies. The session offers a forward-looking perspective on what a fair and inclusive global digital trade architecture could look like from an African and Global South perspective.
This article was tagged: Africa, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), African Union (AU), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy, Digital Trade, Digital Trade Protocol, E-commerce, Global South, Joint Statement Initiatives, World Trade Organization (WTO), WTO Public Forum
