About Pact II   

The Programme for building African Capacity for Trade (PACT II) revolves around a strategic partnership between ITC, as executing agency, selected regional economic communities (REC) - COMESA, ECCAS and ECOWAS - as main counterpart organizations, regional private sector and trade support institutions (TSI).
         
PACT II is managed via three regional satellite offices set up in the Secretariats of COMESA, ECCAS and the ECOWAS Commission. Overall coordination is supported by a Programme Steering Committee composed of the three regional economic communities, the African Union, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa/African Trade Policy Centre, selected African Business Networks, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) as the main donor, as well as ITC.           
           

Policy Dialogue Among Regional Communities    

 Regional economic communities hold regular consultations to facilitate policy coherence on intra-regional trade and South–South cooperation. The focus is on setting priorities and monitoring and evaluating progress. A methodology has been developed to transmit expertise gained in one region throughout the continent.    

Championing Regional Trade Development   

The programme bolsters the capacity of staff in regional economic community secretariats to analyze markets, formulate strategy and adhere to Result-Based Programme Management principles that include risk management. It is based on a coached learning-by-doing process and to a roadmap setting out priorities for trade development and promotion within and between regions. 

Strengthening Trade Support Networks    

There is a concerted effort to reinforce the coordination of networks of trade support institutions, such as business and sectoral associations, national trade promotion bodies and chambers of commerce. This focuses on better communication and cooperation among these groups to serve as an effective link between regional economic community secretariats and the private sector in order to achieve greater exports.The programme also develops a regional trade information system, anchored within the regional economic community secretariats and national institutions. This serves exporters’ information needs and facilitates business linkages with a view to building exporters’ knowledge about markets. 

Upgrading Business Skills and Market Linkages  

In line with the regional priorities, the programme provides enterprises in selected sectors with an integrated mix of business upgrading services, to be developed in partnership with the regional TSI network. These include quality management, standards, exporter training and supply-chain management. Small and medium-sized enterprises are coached to upgrade their business processes and export management skills, and introduced to targeted regional and overseas markets. Business matchmaking and market development initiatives are organized in the form of buyers/sellers meetings, market orientation tours or trade fair participation.  
      

Women as Successful Exporters  

Women exporters who propose promising export projects gain access to dedicated training and counselling services and are given priority consideration under the sector-specific support schemes. The aim is to mainstream women in trade promotion by ensuring that women entrepreneurs are systematically targeted and supported.   

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