WEST AFRICA REGIONAL COOPERATIVES WORKSHOP ON CROSS BORDER TRADE AND MARKET ACCESS

(ACCRA, 26 – 28 JULY 2004)

PROCESS ANALYSIS

The Pan African Organization for Sustainable Development (POSDEV)

EO37 ANEVON COURT

C15 LASHIBI

ACCRA

Tel: 022 404517/18

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACRONYMS

I. INTRODUCTION

The West Africa Regional Workshop on Cross Border Trade and Market Access was held at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel in Accra-Ghana from the 26th to 28th July 2004. Fifty-four participants from twelve West African countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo took part in the process (Participant list annex 3). Participants were selected from:

• Leaders of Co-operative Organizations, Farmer Based Organizations and other

Member-Owned Small Businesses

• Executive staff working in Co-operatives and Agricultural Organizations

• Representatives of International/Inter-African State Organizations

• Representatives of NGOs working on cross border issues

• Government Border Control Authorities

Background

The workshop was a third in a series initiated by the West Africa Regional Office of the International Cooperative Alliance in 1998. The process started with a study conducted in five West African Countries - Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal to examine the state of trade among cooperatives and identify possible strategies for the promotion of this trade.

The first workshop drew participants from West, Southern, and East Africa. Essentially, It was at this gathering that cooperatives agreed to set up an African Commodity Exchange. The second workshop took place in Dakar, Senegal in December 2003 and regrouped representatives of cooperatives from six West African countries with the objective of validating the additional feasibility studies conducted in Ghana, Mali, Niger and Nigeria. The establishment of an African Inter-Cooperative Commodity Exchange (AICCE)waswa was unanimously validated here by cooperatives and other small business representatives as being critical for the integration of markets in the region. The AICCE is an initiative by the West Africa Office of the International Cooperative Alliance.

The proposed inter-cooperative commodity exchange has the main objective of promoting the commercialisation of produce among and by cooperative organizations affiliated to ICA in the West-Africa sub-region, and between West Africa and other sub-regions. The commodity exchange would facilitate regional integration by promoting trade information exchange; assisting with the institutional development of Cooperatives as well as promote networking among cooperatives and other business.

The major stakeholders in the AICCE are cooperatives, small and medium enterprises; development institutions, banks, financial institutions, chambers of Commerce and Industry.

In Eastern and Southern Africa negotiations are underway to create a similar initiative. It is anticipated that the two initiatives could merge eventually into a common Inter-Cooperative Exchange for the whole of Africa.

Workshop Framework

The meeting had the theme: “Co-operatives Facilitation of Regional Integration in Africa” with broad objectives of developing pragmatic strategies to facilitate regional market access and intra-regional trade in West Africa through the establishment of an “African Inter-Co-operatives Commodity Exchange” (AICCE) and thereby promoting regional integration. The specific objective was to provide participants with relevant information on the state of trade within the sub-region and to share experiences and come up with proposals aimed at reducing the obstacles identified.

Participants were tasked to discuss the existing legal and regulatory framework of Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS¹) as regards the movement of people and goods and to suggest specific areas for possible review and improvement. They were also charged with examining current constraints and problems related to cross border business and to suggest practical measures to address them. Recommendations were also sought for practical strategies to build a strong advocacy alliance as well as develop a framework for networking to facilitate cross border business. Earlier proposals for the establishment of the AICCE were also to be examined and finalized.

It was expected that at the end of the meeting participants will be well informed; will have developed a pragmatic action plan to improve cross border business with stakeholder roles and responsibilities as well as commitments clearly defined. In addition a framework and practical strategies for organizing and building networks and alliances for strong advocacy for an enabling environment for cross border business will be defined as well as clear proposals for the establishment of AICCE and the location of its headquarters or home office.

The strategic approach of organizers:

• Hold a workshop to get cooperatives and small private businesses to dialogue with state institutions like the police, customs and immigration in order to break the ice and foster better relationships for the future.

• Tease out of the state institutions the challenges and constraints they face in order to enable a better appreciation of their own difficulties and to lay the basis for continued dialogue between the state authorities and small economic operators who are the back bone of national economies in the sub-region.

• Challenge inter-state institutions like the ECOWAS, Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), the West Africa Monetary Institute (WAMI) and the West Africa Economic Monetary Union (WAEMU) charged with the mission to promote regional integration and economic prosperity to comment on their own efforts whilst sensitizing the small business community in the sub-region on progress in regional integration.

• Bring out practical solutions in the form of an action plan and build consensus around the definite establishment and location of the AICCE.

• Initiate the process for the creation of a viable network of business operators², state border control authorities, regional interstate bodies and the cooperative alliances to see the process through.

• Workshop Location Analysis

The choice of Ghana as a location for the workshop was strategic, in view of previous discussions among the cooperatives communities of West Africa to have the headquarters of the proposed African Inter-Cooperatives Commodity Exchange (AICCE) in Accra.

It was imperative to get the Government Ministers concerned with issues of, food and agriculture, trade, human resource development, security and regional cooperation to participate in the workshop in order to inform participants from the sub-region about the policy framework for effective trade among citizens of the sub-region as well as the prospects for economic growth and stability. Their deliveries were aimed at giving participants a level of comfort on the current political, economic and security status of Ghana. Present at the opening ceremony on the first day of the workshop were:

• Minister of Manpower Development and Employment - Honourable Yaw Barimah

• Minister of Regional Cooperation and NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa’s Development)- Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku

• Deputy Minister of Interior – Honourable Thomas Broni

• Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and PSI - Honourable Kwadwo Affram Asiedu

• Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture – Hon. Edward Akita

In all their addresses, the Ministers pledged to give the necessary support to the Cooperative Council of Ghana, CLUSA and the ICA-West Africa Regional Office to ensure the achievement of successful cross border trade in West Africa. They urged participants to consider Ghana for the head office of the AICCE given her central and strategic location within the sub-region, the democratic and constitutional rule, the prevalence of good governance, rule of law, sound economic situation, easy access to information technology and easy access to the country by land, air and sea.

They cited examples of on-going reforms in the sub-region which are aimed at enhancing the regional integration process as follows:

• ECOWAS Secretariat focus on market integration or specifically liberalization of trade relations with a view to quickly establishing a West African Common Market.

• Implementation of ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme, which offers duty-free access for those products registered under the scheme.

• Adoption of a common currency - the Eco.

The Minister of Regional Cooperation and NEPAD who gave the keynote address reaffirmed his Ministry’s commitment to achieving effective trade within West Africa. He asked cooperatives’ representatives to make their voices heard by policy-makers. He confirmed that in Ghana contacts had started with other countries such as Niger, Benin and Burkina Faso on the speedy Implementation of ECOWAS Protocols.

Workshop Structure

The structure of the workshop was designed by the organizers to bring out each participant’s input so as to promote ownership of the agreed outcomes and action-plans and facilitate the formation of advocacy networks. The format for proceedings were: Presentations; Group work; Focused discussions on presentations; Recommended Practical solutions and strategies to address issues raised; Plenary sessions led by facilitator (Mr Joe Appiah – Pentax Management Consult; Analysis and summary of output/outcomes by facilitator; Validation of outputs and outcomes by all in a plenary session.

II. STATE OF CROSS BORDER TRADE IN WEST AFRICA

Co-operatives and other member-owned group businesses are the largest number of civil society organizations in Africa, however these constituencies do not have a formal voice in the decision making processes of regional inter-state organizations such as ECOWAS. At the governmental level programmes are being developed and implemented to promote intra-Africa trade as well as closer integration of the peoples of the region, however, Civil Society is not represented at these fora nor do they make any meaningful input. Their participation is on an adhoc basis and often very fragmented.

Within the ECOWAS structure, there is no formalization of Civil Society participation in the consultation of Ministers and Heads of State. To date no NGO or CSO has been accorded an observer status with ECOWAS. Decisions are taken without consulting the people who will bear the possible negative effect from the -application or non-application of a policy.

In view of this, it can be said that the slow pace towards the achievement of regional integration and cohesion within the African economic blocs could also be attributed to the non-participation of cooperatives and other small economic interest groups in the policy making environment. In order to gain voice, these groups need to develop their position as players in the regional economy.

At present countries are not benefiting fully from the advantages of cross-border trade like enhanced access to world markets, global finance and technology. They do not benefit from exposure to global competition because of their inability to expand to external markets within their region. As a result, countries do not have protection against the risks of full globalization, neither do they benefit from nor acquire the capacity to establish vibrant institutional arrangements for international economic interactions. This is all because the region has not been able to capitalize on the critical mass of informal businesses like cooperatives, which constitute the majority of enterprises.

These obstacles are such that although the sub-region has the means to feed itself from internal food production, it is increasingly extrovert considering the rising import of cereals (rice, maize, wheat), Vegetables (onions, potatoes) from Asia, America, and Europe. It is indeed easier to import from Asia than from the West Africa sub-region

Various Protocols on free movement of persons and goods have been signed and ratified by member states of ECOWAS but implementation has not progressed as expected. The protocol on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme which is supposed to encourage and facilitate intra-regional trade, is not being implemented, thus Cooperatives and other small businesses within the sub-region encounter difficulties in doing business even among themselves and across borders. This has deprived the sub-region of much needed markets and employment generation.

Other major constraints to sub-regional trade are identified as follows:

• Cultural barriers: differences in values, norms and belief systems, have constrained African economic operators, as some goods produced by a country may offend the cultural, and religious practices of other countries in the group.

• Frequent change in trade policy: countries tend to regulate importation of certain goods into their own countries whilst at the same time wanting to export to the same countries they have blocked.

• Lack of an effective common currency in the regional market. There are many different currencies being used in the sub-region by different countries – cedis for Ghana, naira for Nigeria, CFA franc for Francophone countries and Guinea-Bissau, and Dalasi for Gambia

.

• Political interests: economically stronger States using trade as a political weapon against weaker States.

• Poor infrastructure among ECOWAS States (transport, telecommunication facilities, roads etc) thus hindering the easy movement of goods across the West African sub-region.

• Language barrier (English. French, Portuguese), which brings about communication difficulties among security agents, customs officials and traders.

• Non-harmonization of product standards among ECOWAS States.

• Non-control of dumping practices of certain goods and commodities

The Cooperatives Environment

In most African Countries, laws on co-operatives and other member-owned businesses and their application have not been adjusted to allow for free operation in the liberalized market. As a result cooperatives have been forced to operate in the informal sector. After independence in Ghana, for example, the heavy-handed intervention of government in cooperatives brought about the application of a Decree (Cooperative Society Decree of 1968), which retained much of the governmental control features of the Registrar system that characterized the co-operative law during the colonial era. This continues to be the co-operative law of Ghana after thirty-five years.

Also in Ghana, there are about 11,000 registered societies but fewer than 1,000 were active or marginally active in 2003. This low level of activity has numerous causes: the excessive powers of the Registrar’s office; the cumbersome nature of the registration process; inadequate technical and financial support.

The use of cooperatives for political objectives has compounded these problems. For example, in 1975 the government of Ghana initiated a national program to establish consumer co-operatives across the country. These co-operatives were formed from the top down and operated more like subsidized, parastatal organizations than member-owned and controlled businesses. As subsidies dried up, most of these co-operatives were not able to make the transition to self-supporting businesses, and have all but disappeared.

3. PROCESS FOR FACILITATION OF CROSS BORDER TRADE

It is to consolidate efforts initiated in facilitating trade and regional integration that the Cooperative League of the USA (CLUSA) in collaboration with the Cooperative Council of Ghana (CCG), the Pan African Organization for Sustainable Development (POSDEV)), and the Inter-States Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) are supporting the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) to push forward the momentum already established through a multi-pronged approach. This started with a three-day workshop aimed at bringing out practical solutions to problems identified; lay the basis for an effective network to lobby national governments and the ECOWAS Secretariat as well as initiate steps for the establishment of the African Inter-Cooperatives Commodity Exchange (AICCE).

The process aims at facilitating the adoption of measures and strategies that make the sub-regional environment more appropriate for intra African commerce and thereby address the issues of wealth creation, economic growth and regional integration.

Pre-Workshop Activities

The workshop was preceded by the commissioning of 3 case studies on cooperative and small private businesses in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Organisations studied were:

ASPMY: Association Professionnelle des Maraîchers du Yatenga (Association of

Vegetable Producers of Yatenga)- Bittou - Burkina Faso

ACBB: Association des Commerçants de Bétail de Bittou (Association of Traders of Livestock Products - Burkina Faso.

SOGEMAF: Société de Gestion du Marché Frontalier (Border Market Management

Company) – Mali.

CONOESAM : Coordination des Opérateurs Economiques du Secteur Agroalimentaire du Mali (Coordination of Agri- foods Economic Operators) – Mali.

Abbas SARKIN ABZIN (Private Operator) – Niger.

AREN : Association pour la Redynamisation de l’ Elevage au Niger (Association for

revitalization of Livestock Production in Niger) - Niger.

The studies revealed a wide range of problems common to small businesses, outside the mainstream financial logistical and technical bottlenecks already encountered by the small economic operators.

Problems identified by the studies are: harassment by security agents within and outside country borders (police and customs); innumerable Non-tariff barriers³ and poor infrastructure: various check points used to unlawfully take money from the citizens as well as cause unnecessary delays.

Roadblocks and checkpoints on all the West Africa international highways are positioned in an uncoordinated with each security agency operating separate checkpoints. For example in Ghana 61 checkpoints were identified on the Ouagadougou – Tamale - Accra road during the study by CILSS. Another drawback is convertibility and volatility of certain currencies in the sub-region.

Among solutions proposed in the studies are:

• Reduction of barriers and the total removal of unauthorised checkpoints

• Speedy implementation a common currency

• Removal of non-tariff barriers like police and immigration check points

• Improvement of logistics and infrastructure across the sub-region.

IV. OUTCOMES OF WORKSHOP – MEASURES FOR ENHANCING CROSS BORDER TRADE

A. TOWARDS THE EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ECOWAS LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK ON FREE MOVEMENT OF PERSONS AND GOODS WITHIN THE WEST AFRICA SUB-REGION

Mr Adou Koman of the Trade Department in the ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja, Nigeria presented on the existing ECOWAS protocols relating to the free movement of persons and goods. This provided participants with an insight into the legal and regulatory framework governing trade in the ECOWAS region. Mr Stephen Oppong of the Ministry of Regional Cooperation and NEPAD in Ghana, outlined the challenges faced in the implementation of ECOWAS Trade protocols viz. the Protocol on free movement of goods and services referred to as the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS); and the Inter-State Road Transit convention.

ECOWAS was created to promote co-operation and integration with the view of raising the standard of living of citizens and contribute to the development of the African Continent. The economic community is therefore charged with the creation of a condusive environment for trade through development of programmes that facilitate free movement of persons, goods and services, the development of infrastructure and the harmonization of trade and telecommunication instruments.

Aware of the difficulties encountered in the implementation of the free movement of persons and goods, the Heads of States and Governments have:

• Undertaken information and sensitisation missions and organized gatherings which bring together economic operators and agents of control of the Administration.

• Software packages have been developed for the authorisation and standardisation of customs procedures in the sub region. The computerised business information management system of ECOWAS (CBIMS) has been established to facilitate business opportunity sharing among member states

• Established an Inter-State Transit Route for Goods (ISTRG) system, which allows transportation by road of a customs officer of a member state to accompany goods exempted from duties, taxes and prohibition to another member state.

Various protocols have been signed and ratified (see Annex 1) to consolidate cross-border trade and investment. However, in spite of all the laudable intentions, the integration process has been slow. Trade among ECOWAS States currently represents less than 11% of their total external trade of ECOWAS States with the rest of the world.

Despite the fact that the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) aims at removing all tariff and non-tariff barriers to intra-regional trade, there are still implementation setbacks For example, where a member state places a ban on commodities of ECOWAS origin with the added complications of numerous roadblocks and checkpoints on international highways.

Another trade related ECOWAS Protocol is the Inter-State Road Transit convention (ISRT), which allows the transportation of goods by road from one Member State to another through one or more Member States free of duties, taxes and restrictions while in transit. The goods are accompanied by a set of customs documents and are not to be off-loaded or transferred while in transit.

To enhance the implementation of these protocols, the Ghana Government has adopted a process of bilateral talks with La Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.

Measures that are required of all Ministries in charge of Regional Cooperation and Trade to improve implementation include:

• The sensitisation of front-line agencies charged with the implementation of ECOWAS Protocols on Free Movement, i.e. Customs, Police and Immigration Services

• Holding of periodic consultations with exporters

• The establishment of an Information and Documentation Centre⁴ which will serve as a reference centre on ECOWAS matters and on affairs relating to other regional economic groupings in Africa

Workshop participants successfully indentified challenges and recommendations and adopted a Plan of Action (below) for the improvement of ECOWAS protocols implementation. They noted that it was imperative for civil society groups to support and challenge national governments to facilitate the removal of existing tariff and non-tariff barriers ⁵to trade, since they encourage smuggling⁶ and other unorthodox trading activities. All stakeholders are to unite their efforts and lobby their governments to implement all ratified and signed ECOWAS protocols on free movement of goods and services in order to allow social and economic development of the people in the sub-region.

These efforts will undoubtedly require concerted coordinated action at all national levels by cooperatives, traders, civil society groups and governments since measures will not be effective if protocols are implemented by a member state and not its neighbour.

Even though participants identified responsibility areas and timeframes, specific activities to achieve those results were not clearly marked out owing to time constraints. An annex has been added to this report further detailing specific activities and resources required and the specific role of participants at this workshop.

B. NETWORKING- A PRACTICAL AND INNOVATIVE APPROACH FOR ADDRESSING CONSTRAINTS TO CROSS-BORDER BUSINESS

Deacon Samson Olalere of the Cooperative Development Research Action Centre (CODERAC), Nigeria and Dramane Coulibaly, Head of Food Security at CILSS gave different perspectives to the constraints and problems related to Cross Border Trade. The first gave a global perspective on the issue whilst the second had a more practical approach given the hands-on operational experiences of CILSS in the development of local markets for agrifood products in West Africa and Chad.

The objectives of the CILSS programme are to consolidate and reinforce existing infrastructure and equipment; to improve the management and organizational capacity of economic operators with the long term goal of networking markets. This will eventually lead to a number of cross border connected markets that encourage intra and inter state trade in cattle and agro products.

Activities undertaken include the rehabilitation of certain cattle markets in Burkina Faso, strengthening of the capacities of economic operators of the countries concerned, establishment of a computerized information system for the Bittou, Niangoloko and Sikasso markets and the development of holiday cottages in 5 countries.

Inadequate training of small traders and cooperatives⁹; continued marginalization of local agrifood products on national and regional markets were some of the problems identified. Some of these problems arise mostly from great disparities between national policies and an unsuitable economic and institutional environment.

Additional setbacks identified by participants were:

• Little information on sub-regional markets as regards products, availability, prices, varieties and the principal players.

• Inadequate financial means to develop agricultural systems

• Inadequate infrastructure for transport, storage and conservation.

• Inadequate technical assistance in marketing

• Although there are provisions for tax exemption in the major legal instruments and laws regulating trade within the UEMOA/WAEMU and ECOWAS, it is observed that these are not respected.

Identified solutions to these constraints are among others: networking and alliance building. There is need for regional information resource centres where member states and groups can share ideas, innovations and strategies.

Other solutions include the creation of a regional advocacy group to lobby governments at the country and sub-regional levels for implementation of ratified protocols; to speed up the adoption of an acceptable and effective common regional currency; to promote more interaction among the peoples for cross cultural awareness; the establishment of a regional security network to stem the tide of crime in the region and to enhance free flow of cross-border trade.

For these solutions to be realized a sub-regional pressure/advocacy group needs to be constituted to advocate for the implementation of these proposed solutions and to lobby governments to be more responsive to the needs of the people.

Nonetheless, participants drew up an action plan which will facilitate dialogue and communication among the various stakeholders. This will however also need to be fine tuned for practicality and a realistic frame for achievements.

C. DEVELOPING A PRAGMATIC FRAMEWORK FOR BUILDING ALLIANCES, NETWORKS, ADVOCACY PLANS AND MOVEMENTS TO FACILITATE INTEGRATION AND CROSS BORDER TRADE

Mr. Igor VIDEROT of Sub-Saharan Sales, a small private business involved in the export and marketing of agricultural produce synthesised some of the constraints and effectively built up the case for using the African Inter Cooperative Commodity Exchange (AICCE) as a lasting lobbying tool and an instrument for concrete action to bring about the required change. It is an Exchange for trade in agricultural produce among West African countries¹¹¹². He walked participants through the process for building an effective alliance for this purpose as follows:

• Identify major participants in AICCE (cooperatives, industries-enterprises, development institutions, banks chambers of commerce and industries) and other stakeholders including the police and customs for the promotion of the exchange.

• Conduct a promotion and awareness campaign: distribution of AICCE model elaborated in feasibility study to the identified players,

• Lobbying states and intergovernmental organizations (WAEMU, ECOWAS etc).

• Building effective networking at four levels, namely:

• National level (identify persons representing large cooperatives or producer/consumer organizations, representatives of support organizations at the grass root level);

• Regional and international level ICA, CLUSA and any other interested sub-regional organizations;

• Regional coordination and monitoring committee to prepare an action plan for establishment of the AICCE;

• Joint preparation of an operating budget with sources of funding for this phase of promotion and subscription.

The presenter challenged participants to identify a promotional network in each country, to choose a coordination and monitoring committee; to establish the main lines of this phase for the promotion and establishment of the AICCE and identify the sources of funding.

In terms of pragmatic framework there was a consensus to start a process for building alliances from the national through to the regional level. The responsibility is on each national group to start their own process and negotiations.

D. A PROCESS FOR TRANSFERRING RESOURCES TO AN EXCHANGE -- THE AFRICAN INTER CO-OPERATIVE COMMODITY EXCHANGE (AICCE)

Ms Eugenie Djibo - Zongo from ICA presented on the historical context, objectives, achievements and challenges in the process of creating the African Inter Cooperative Commodity Exchange, which could be of the most credible and effective tool for the realization of regional economic integration. To this end it was necessary to dedicate resources: human and financial for the realization of the vision.

The priorities of International Cooperative Alliance West African Regional Office (ICA/WARO) is to promote institutional emergence and consolidate the process of cooperatives, the development of human resources, gender promotion, poverty alleviation, support for reforms of co-operative policies legislations and inter-co-operative trade.

The idea of the exchange was born from the desire of ICA/WARO member organisations to develop trade among themselves, notably through trade in agricultural products. An exploratory study was conducted to propose a collection and implementation schemes for an Inter cooperative trade network, an information exchange on the possibilities and opportunities of domestic markets within the sub-region and the outside world.

The objectives of the exchange are:

• To identify genuine and potential outlets for the various types of agricultural produce at all levels,

• To seize new opportunities on world markets so as to boost technical capabilities, mobilize and facilitate access to funding and modern financial instruments.

Its vision is to find an effective way of improving the fluidity and volume of trade in agricultural products among African countries. However, it is important to mention that AICCE is a proposed initiative taken at the sub-regional level but which will eventually be proposed for the whole of Africa. In the southern part of Africa negotiations are underway to create the similar initiative. It is anticipated that the two organizations will merge into a single Inter-Cooperative Exchange for the whole continent.

Participants were charged to finalize the work plan from the Dakar workshop (Annex 2), which centred on the programme for the establishment of the AICCE, and propose a location for its headquarters. In effect the Ghana workshop was an opportunity to come out with concrete and practical proposals to move the process of establishing the Exchange forward.

VII. IMMEDIATE FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS

• MEETING OF LEADERS OF NATIONAL COOPERATIVES AND THE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIVE ALLIANCE

Mr Prempeh, General Secretary of the Ghana Cooperatives Council met with presidents and other representatives of cooperatives, business operators and farmers organizations present at the workshop and those who participated in the Dakar Workshop to discuss how they can speed up the implementation process of the recommendations and action plan proposed by participants.

Cooperatives leaders admitted that the action plan agreed on in Dakar (see annex) has hashas not yet been executed because those in charge of the implementation do not have financial and human means. They affirmed that CLUSA could have helped to put the action plan into practical implementation if these had been ready. Participants agreed that this workshop was like a continuation of what was done in Dakar with the expansion of membership from representatives of six countries to 12 countries.

They agreed that the actions plans of Dakar and Accra should be reconciled and moved straight ahead to implementation if the AICCE is to be in existence by January 2005.

• Members chose a committee (organising committee for establishment of AICCE) composed by the leaders of Cooperatives of represented countries and headed by Eugenie Djibo-ICA representative to complete the action plan for participants to get a copy of the report.

• Members also proposed that the home office of Inter African Cooperative Commodity Exchange should be Ghana because she meets all the criteria to host the headquarters of the AICCE. They however deferred the final decision October 2004 during ICA congress in Cape Verde.

• It was also agreed by all that members of cooperatives should go back to their respective countries to consolidate their existing national advocacy groups in order to lobby governments to include them in decision making and implementation before the creation of a regional cooperative advocacy group.

8. POST WORKSHOP ANALYSIS

• The workshop was very fruitful and very effective at getting all participants especially the state border control authorities from different countries of West Africa to attend and develop recommendations and action plans for each treated topic in order to promote intra-regional trade.

• Participants are committed to the process for the establishment of the exchange provided all the institutions needed to help the cooperatives to grow and enhance cross border trade are in place. Critical to the achievement of this is the nomination of a lead agency (CLUSA) to coordinate the process and ensure that identified stakeholders do indeed take agreed upon actions.

• Cooperatives at the grassroots’ level should be well informed of trade related policies as well as programmes and projects aimed at promoting intra-regional trade like the ECOWAS Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP) adopted by Heads of States in January 2005; launch of the regional networks of Market Information Systems and Traders’ Organisations in West Africa (MISTOWA) and the establishment of the ECOWAS Court which will also handle trade issues.

• Civil society will need to accompany the implementation of these processes and make meaningful contributions either through activities to speed up implementation or identify the blockages and develop actions to overcome them. For example, there is need to determine how the MISTOWA will impact the proposed AICCE. In this regard the follow-up committee put in place by this workshop will need to initiate contacts with the International Centre for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development (IFDC) which offices are located in Accra.

• Information flow to and from the foundations of the proposed advocacy network needs to be encouraged. At the national level, cooperatives and other interest groups should take the initiative to dialogue with state institutions on the removal of non-tariff barriers and the implementation of the ECOWAS protocols. Without the active involvement of civil society it is not likely that this would be achieved. On a higher level cooperatives should reach out to cooperatives in neighbouring countries in order to build a critical mass for effective advocacy. This could be facilitated by identified CSO networks eg the Pan African Organization for Sustainable Development (POSDEV) and the Reseau des Organisations Paysannes et des Producteurs Agricoles de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (ROPPA).

• The momentum needs to be maintained for the formation of a strong advocacy network, whereby policy makers can hear the voices of cooperatives. However, it was agreed unanimously during the discussions that each country should strengthen its existing pressure groups to press the government to be more active in the implementation of ECOWAS Protocols. Also, there was a need to identify lead organizations in each country and task them to come up with an advocacy action plan by a certain date.

• ICA needs to be more proactive in terms of information flow to its constituents and to the stakeholders of the AICCE. CLUSA/ICA will need a clear programme of action.

• A comprehensive programme of activities with clearly defined budgets will need to be developed for 2005 – 2006 to speed up the process of resource allocation. This comprehensive work plan needs to marry the various action plans made since the Dakar meeting into an operational document in which the stakeholders in this workshop can take full responsibility for the expected outcomes. This should be a separate document to be developed negotiated with all stakeholders.

1. ANNEXES

Annex 1

ECOWAS PROTOCOLS

A. FREE MOVEMENT OF PERSONS:

Within the framework of the free movement of persons, the Executive Secretariat of ECOWAS has adopted a number of legal instruments, which are presented below.

1. Protocol A/P.1/5/79 defines the general principles of movement of persons, Right of Residence and Establishment. It stipulates that “citizens of the community have the right of entry, residence and establishment and member states undertake to grant these rights to the citizens of the community in their respective territories”

2. ii) Protocol A/SPI/7/86; the second stage grants to citizens of the Community in other member states, the right of residence in its territory in order to undertake salaried activity and engage in it. In accordance with articles 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the said protocol, the right of residence, health and right to work in member states.

3. Protocol A/SP2/5/90; the “right of establishment” is a right granted a citizen of a member state, to settle or to establish himself in a member state, to undertake and engage in economic activities, as well as to establish and manage enterprises particularly companies.

3. Protocol A/SP1/7/85 on the Code of Conduct for the application of the protocol on the Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Establishment

3. Protocol A/P3/5/82 on the Code of Citizenship of the Community stipulates that Citizenship of the Community is acquired either by descent, place of birth, adoption or naturalisation under certain conditions contained in the protocol.

3. Decision 2/7/85 on the Institution of a travel document for ECOWAS Member States; which is in the form of a booklet containing essential details of the traveller, issuing authority and the place of issue.

3. Decision A/dec 2/5/90 on the institution of a residence card of ECOWAS member states this instituted by the “Residence Card” of ECOWAS member states. This is to enable members reside in member states.

3. Decision C /Dec 3 /12 /92 relating to the institution of a Harmonisation Formula for Immigration and Migrant of ECOWAS member states

3. The last Conference of Heads of State and Government, held in Abuja on 28^th and 29^th May 2000, created the ECOWAS passport to facilitate free movement of goods and persons.

3. ECOWAS has made the application of the free movement of persons one of its priority programmes, which undertakes information and sensitisation activities of all intervening parties at all levels within the sub region.

B. PROTOCOLS ON TRADE

1. Protocol on free movement of goods and services.

This protocol is normally referred to as the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS). It was launched in 1990 with the aim of removing all tariff and non-tariff barriers to intra-regional trade.

Under the ETLS Protocol, all approved and listed products are to be tax-exempt as long as they satisfy the conditions of acceptance for goods originating within the Community.

Specifically, the goods must:

1. Be produced from materials of community origin whose value is equal to or higher than 40% of the total cost of the raw material employed in their production or whose quantity is equal to or higher than 60% of the total cost of all raw materials employed:

2. Be produced from materials of foreign or indeterminate origin whose CIF value does not exceed 60% of the total cost of materials employed.

3. Have received in the process of production a value added of at least 30% of ex-factory price before tax.

2. Inter-State Road Transit convention (ISRT).

The ISRT Convention is a regime that allows the transportation of goods by road from one Member State to another Member State through one or more Member States free of duties, taxes and restrictions while in transit. The goods are to be accompanied by a set of customs documents and are not to be off-loaded or transferred while in transit.

Exporters of cargo on transit are required to produce the following:

• Certificate of origin

• Export Form i.e. Declaration of Export

• ECOWAS Customs Declaration form

• Final Invoice

Annex 2

Dakar Action Plan 2003

Annex 3

Participants list