ITC da la bienvenida a nuevo embajador de la Unión Africana (en)

ITC’s Executive Director Patricia Francis, members of ITC’s management team and the Office for Africa section, on 29 June welcomed HE Mr Jean-Marie Ehouzou, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the African Union to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva.

A central topic for both sides in the discussion was the importance of continuing the strong cooperation between ITC and the AU. Patricia Francis, ITC’s Executive Director, pointed out that the African continent is where ITC has its biggest presence and that ‘good cooperation with AU is therefore crucial to ITC’.

Mr Ehouzou, who was appointed Ambassador for the African Union in May, supported Ms Francis view. He said: ‘AU and ITC cooperation is important for commerce and trade-support institutions alike, I hope to be able to reinforce this cooperation.’

The Ambassador was briefed on the upcoming World Export Development Forum (WEDF) 2012 conference — which will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 15-17 October — where ITC will facilitate meetings between African and Asian business leaders and government officials to identify trade and investment opportunities.

The two sides also discussed other topics central to ITC’s work in Africa, including WTO-accession assistance for Ethiopia and Sudan, and how to improve intraregional trade across the continent. Also discussed were ITC success project that have helped African exporters develop sustainable and viable businesses, and the upcoming 19th AU Summit, which will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 9-16 July.

Learn more about the African Union.