Organization: UNECA – United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
Location: Arusha | Addis Ababa
Grade: Level not specified – Level not specified
Occupational Groups:
Social Affairs
Economics
Civil Society and Local governance
Project and Programme Management
Closing Date: 2024-08-22
Result of Service
The expected results of this service are in accordance with indicators of achievement outlined in the project document in areas that include project management and implementation, AEO technical support, conducting of specified analytical work related to the AEO programme, organization of training events and reporting.
Work Location
Arusha, Tanzania
Expected duration
12
Duties and Responsibilities
1. Background The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) is committed to promoting the economic and social development of its member States, fostering regional integration, and encouraging international cooperation for Africa’s development. ECA provides innovative solutions through research, policy analysis, technical assistance, capacity building, and support for regional integration initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which aims to enhance intra-African trade by reducing tariffs and non-tariff barriers, harmonizing regulations, and facilitating the movement of goods and services. ECA estimates a potential 34.6% growth in intra-African trade in 2045 with effective AfCFTA implementation compared with a baseline of no AfCFTA. Trade facilitation is crucial for enhancing competitiveness and intra-African trade under the AfCFTA. The 2023 UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation shows that while Africa’s implementation rate of trade facilitation measures increased from 51.2% in 2021 to 61.7% in 2023, it still lags behind the global average of 69%. Improved trade flows can significantly enhance trade efficiency, address corruption, seal revenue leakages, and reduce trade costs. Recognizing the critical role of regional economic communities (RECs) in Africa’s economic integration, particularly in achieving the ambitions of the AfCFTA, ECA has partnered with the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat to implement a trade facilitation project. This project aims to enhance the capacity of partner states to support businesses in leveraging AfCFTA opportunities. The EAC, a well-established REC, has made significant strides in facilitating trade among its Partner States through initiatives like the Single Customs Territory, One Stop Border Posts, and the regional Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program. Since 2007 the EAC region has been implementing the AEO programme, a concept based on the Customs-to-Business partnership as introduced by the World Customs Organization (WCO) under the SAFE Framework of Standards Despite these efforts, challenges such as non-tariff barriers, complex border procedures, and limited information access persist, hindering regional economic integration and increasing trade costs. This project aims to contribute towards addressing these challenges and acceleration of AfCFTA implementation through support for continued implementation of the Regional AEO Program. 2. The Project The project will focus on building capacity, developing tools and materials, and providing technical expertise in areas of risk management and implementation of the regional AEO program. The specific objectives include the following (i) Develop tailored training and sensitization materials to establish a comprehensive knowledge base for advancing human capital development in customs to business partnerships, risk-based trade facilitation and AfCFTA initiatives (ii) Delivery of training to targeted stakeholders to enhance capacity for EAC to implement targeted trade facilitation reforms to support businesses in taking advantage of opportunities of the AfCFTA (iii) Engage a trade facilitation expert with experience in AEO Programmes to support project implementation to ensure achievement of project goals (iv) Consolidate project results and experiences within EAC and disseminate to other RECs to facilitate peer learning and successful implementation of the AfCFTA In this context, ECA is seeking the services of a consultant to assist in providing technical advisory services and technical support to the EAC Secretariat in the implementation of the Regional AEO Programme. 3. Objective The overall objective of the consultancy is to provide technical support in the implementation of the regional AEO programme, particularly in coordinating and delivery of project activities aimed at strengthening the capacity of the EAC partner states to support businesses in taking advantage of the opportunities of the AfCFTA. Working under the guidance of the ECA Regional Integration and Trade Division (RITD), Africa Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) and direct supervision of the Director of Customs at EAC Secretariat Headquarters , the consultant is expected to: (a) Project Implementation and Management – Develop project operational documents including a monitoring framework for the EAC Regional AEO Program. – Coordinate project activities in collaboration with focal points at the EAC Secretariat, EAC Partner States and UNECA. – Support mobilization of short-term experts to deliver specific project activities aiming to achieve project objectives and outputs. – Develop and oversee signing of Joint Action Plans (JAP) and activities to facilitate EAC Customs Administrations engage and conclude Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRA) with other interested Countries or Regional Organizations (TRIPARTITE & AfCFTA) (AEO beyond the boundaries of EAC) – Oversee inclusion / bringing on board MSME to AEO Program as per defined criteria – Ensure efficient use of resources to achieve project goals – Organize meetings of project governance structures and prepare progress reports. (b) Technical Support – Regional AEO Program – Align the EAC AEO program with international standards through benchmarking with other global programs to ensure EAC Regional AEOs meet security and compliance requirements. – Support the development and implementation of risk management strategies for the AEO Program. – Support the automation of AEO processes for integration into the SCT Centralized Platform. – Engage the AEO Steering Committee and National focal points to finalise the establishment of the EAC AEO Association and its operationalization (Registration and Domicilig) including operationalise AEO Association Country Chapters in the Partner States – Represent the AEO program in national, regional and international forums. – Any other project-related duties as may be assigned by the Director of Customs EAC Secretariat (c) Research and Analysis – Conduct an assessment to establish a baseline for the regional AEO program in the EAC. – Conduct a comparative analysis of AEO Programmes to identify best practices and opportunities for improvement. – Review and enhance AEO accreditation criteria based on requirements from cross-border agencies. – Use AEO Program data to identify capacity gaps [skills and processes] within the regional AEO program and recommend solutions. – Contribute to empirical work on enhancing intra-African trade in the context of the AfCFTA / TFTA through digitalization and AEO programmes. (d) Capacity Building – Develop and contribute to training programs for customs officials and private sector stakeholders / participants on the AEO Program. – Provide ongoing sensitization and support to ensure program sustainability (e) Communication and Public Relations – Establish and maintain a network of contacts in EAC Partner States authorities, AEO Association and within the Trade Facilitation specialist community to support implementation and monitoring of activities of the AEO Program. – Maintain a positive public image of the program through effective communication strategies by preparing media articles, tweets etc. for project visibility and providing broader stakeholder updates The above-mentioned responsibilities are not exhaustive. The Consultant may be assigned to perform other duties related to the project.
Qualifications/special skills
Master’s degree in Trade, International Relations, Economics, Law, Public Policy or related discipline is required. A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in trade facilitation, regional integration, public-private partnerships, project management or similar assignments at national and international level is required. Experience in research/analytical work and capacity building related to trade facilitation and regional integration in Africa is required. Prior experience in working on AEO or trusted trader programs, organizing events and assisting the drafting of reports/studies within a Regional Economic Community, the United Nations or similar international organization is desired.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this assignment, fluency in English language is required. Working knowledge of French is an added advantage.
Additional Information
Not available.
No Fee
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.