Labour Standards Vital To Trade And Sustainability

The AfCFTA was not just about trade efficiency, it was about sustainable development, inclusive growth and decent jobs for all, speakers said. Regional integration should not be at the expense of the rights of workers, who are at the centre of trade.

Hod Anyigba, Executive Director of the Africa Labour Research and Education Institute and Chief Economist at the International Trade Union Confederation ITUC-Africa, stressed that "trade must serve people, not just profits".

He called for stronger labour protections, corporate accountability, and due diligence in AfCFTA implementation, warning that without these safeguards, trade liberalization could lead to informal employment and deteriorating working conditions.

Marva Corley-Coulibaly, Chief of Globalization, Competitiveness and Labour Standards at the ILO, emphasized that good jobs do not happen automatically.

"Just as we meticulously plan trade, industrial, and investment policies, we must also plan for decent work, not as an afterthought," she stated.