The objective of this session is to discuss how greater impetus to value chain development in Southern Africa could lead to higher levels of intra-regional trade and significant sustainable development outcomes.
There are few concrete examples of African countries integrating successfully into international production networks. However, just like regional trade can offer a country the opportunity to experiment with trade and strengthen its competitive advantage before venturing into the global economy, similarly regional value chains (RVCs) can effectively serve as a launch pad for countries wishing to plug themselves into GVCs.
RVCs have not been well documented in Africa. But that does not mean that they do not exist. Moreover, the potential to develop RVCs in specific sectors has been boosted by rules of origin in regional trade agreements and by the ambition to achieve a pan-African Free trade area.
In the context of sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the session will focus on how integrating into Global and Regional Value Chains can contribute towards sustainable development; in particular focusing on the challenges and opportunities for women in GVCs.
Following this general introduction on GVCs and sustainable development, the session will present practical experiences and evidence from Southern Africa, assessing the contribution of value chain participation to specific sustainable development objectives and highlighting the complex inter-relationships between regional value chains and regional trade integration.
