AfCFTA Secretariat participates in Korea-Africa Preparatory Meeting on Trade and Economic Cooperation
Date: 2026-06-01
By: Robert Kwaku Okanta
The
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has taken part in the
Preparatory Senior Officials Meeting in Seoul ahead of the 2026 Korea-Africa
Foreign Ministers Meeting scheduled for June 2, 2026.
The
discussions centred on strengthening cooperation between Africa and the
Republic of Korea, with particular focus on advancing the implementation of the
AfCFTA, and expanding partnerships in trade facilitation, digital systems, and
industrial development.
According
to the Secretariat, the meeting resulted in broad support for the proposed
Korea-AfCFTA Cooperation Fund, as well as enhanced capacity-building
initiatives for customs authorities across African member states. Participants
also endorsed support for the development of a One-Stop Origin Management
System aimed at improving trade efficiency and compliance.
The
meeting further highlighted Korea’s experience in Free Trade Agreements, with
stakeholders agreeing on the importance of knowledge sharing and technical
cooperation to support Africa’s trade integration agenda.
There
was also a shared commitment among participants to deepen economic cooperation,
strengthen infrastructure development, and enhance institutional
capacity-building to support long-term growth and integration under the AfCFTA
framework.
The
Secretariat noted its expanding collaboration with the Government of the
Republic of Korea, including ongoing work with KTNet on the Origin Management
System, startup acceleration initiatives with the Korea–Africa Foundation,
development of a Single Window system with CUPIA, and trade and transport
facilitation partnerships with KAIST, as well as private sector engagement with
the Korea International Trade Association (KITA).
Officials
described the engagement as a significant step toward reinforcing Africa–Korea
economic relations and accelerating the implementation of practical tools to
support intra-African trade and global competitiveness under the AfCFTA agenda.
