THE COMMON MARKET FOR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA

1. COMESA and its Programme on Science, Technology and Innovation Tasara Muzorori Senior Trade Officer, COMESA • www.comesa.int • April 2012 THE COMMON MARKET FOR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA

2. The 19 Member States of COMESA are: COMESA Membership Burundi Comoros Congo, DR Djibouti Egypt Eritrea Ethiopia Kenya Libya Madagascar Malawi Mauritius Rwanda Seychelles Sudan Swaziland Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe

3. To attain a fully integrated internationally competitive regional economic community; • a community within which there is economic prosperity with high standards of living of its people, with political and social stability and peace, • a community within which goods, services, capital and labour freely move across borders. COMESA Vision

4. To attain sustainable growth and development of the Member States by promoting a more balanced and harmonious development; • Promote joint development in all fields of economic activity in order to raise the standards of living of the people; • To cooperate in the promotion of peace and stability in the region; • to cooperate in strengthening the relations with the rest of the world; and • To contribute towards the establishment of the African Economic Community. COMESA Objectives

5. To achieve increased co-operation and integration in all fields of development, particularly: - • in trade, customs and monetary affairs; • in transport, communications and information; • in technology, industry and energy; • in agriculture, environment, natural resources; and • gender. COMESA Mission

6. COMESA established through Lagos Plan of Action which seeks to establish an African Economic Community; • COMESA is a building block of the African Economic Community as are ECOWAS, EAC, SADC, IGAD, CEMAC, CEN-SAD and AMU • Tripartite Arrangement COMESA in Continental Context

7. COMESA trade Liberalization COMESA Member States participating in the FTA: Non-FTA Countries: Reduction of MFN rates. DR Congo Nil Eritrea 80% Uganda 80% Ethiopia 10% Swaziland Under derogation as member of SACU Burundi Comoros Djibouti Egypt Kenya Madagascar Malawi Mauritius Libya Rwanda Sudan Zambia Zimbabwe Seychelles

8. COMESA Focal Programmes • In order to create an environment conducive to free trade and investment into the region, COMESA promotes, as a priority: • trade liberalisation; • trade facilitation; • liberalisation of financial & monetary systems; • investment promotion & private sector support; • Science and technology.

9. COMESA and STI • The COMESA Treaty Articles 127 and 128 • deal with cooperation in the development of Science and Technology and call for Member States to, among other things : • Build basic scientific and technological research capabilities; • Build conventional low and indigenous technologies in craftsmanship & fabrication techniques; • Effect appropriate reforms in primary, secondary and tertiary education in respect of STI;

10. COMESA and STI Contd... • Develop a plan for the development of applied sciences in agric, health, industry, energy, etc; • Allocate a minimum of 1% of GNP on science and technology as recommended under the Lagos Plan of Action; • Cooperate with institutions working on STI; • Ensure that research and development is closely inter-linked with production units

11. New Impetus on Science and Technology • The Theme of the COMESA meetings in 2010 and 2011 was, “Harnessing Science and Technology for Development” • At the COMESA Summit in Swaziland in 2010, the Leaders, realising the importance of Science and technology, made decisions as follows: • the establishment of science and technology parks for COMESA Region; • the establishment of an ICT Training and Skills Development Fund; • elaboration of a common curriculum for COMESA in ICT in order to introduce young people to ICT at an early age;

12. New Impetus on Science and Technology • the establishment of Office of Advisor on Science and Technology at the COMESA Secretariat; • Member States to establish an Annual Innovation Award to recognize outstanding accomplishment in science, technology and innovation; and • Put in place concrete mechanisms for leveraging science and technology to address the key priorities in the region.

13. Steps Towards Implementation • Following the decisions of Summit, the Secretariat has elaborated a Strategy and Implementation Plan for the COMESA Programme on Science and Technology with three components: • Innovation systems - a network of institutions in the public and private sector whose activities and interactions initiate, import, modify and diffuse new technologies; • Cluster Approach; and • an action oriented strategy and learning approach

14. Steps Towards Implementation • COMESA will work with Partners to do the following: • Putting in place the institutional framework; • Studies to be undertaken to identify the industrial clusters; • Develop the common ICT Curriculum; • Establish fund for ICT Training; and • Analytical work for the identification and location of Science and Technology parks

15. End of Presentation • Thank you.