Assembly/AU/Dec.555(XXIV) Page 1 DECISION ON THE REPORT OF THE HIGH LEVEL AFRICAN TRADE COMMITTEE (HATC) ON TRADE ISSUES Doc. Assembly/AU/11(XXIV) The Assembly, 1. TAKES NOTE of the Report of the High Level African Trade Committee held in January 2015 and ENDORSES the recommendations contained therein; On the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) 2. TAKES NOTE of the progress towards the establishment of the Tripartite Free Trade Area involving the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the East African Community (EAC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the launch of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Common External Tariff (CET) with effect from January 2015; 3. URGES Member States to expedite the accession and ratification to the regional free trade agreements; 4. REQUESTS the Ministers of Trade to propose options on levels of trade liberalization to serve as an indicative basis on which to start CFTA negotiations; 5. EMPHASISES the importance of involving various stakeholders such as the Private Sector, Parliamentarians, Civil Society, Academia, etc. in the process of establishing the CFTA through appropriate mechanisms so as to ensure ownership of CFTA by the peoples of Africa; 6. MANDATES the Chairperson of the HATC in collaboration with the Chairperson of the Commission to engage in High Level consultations for the establishment of the CFTA; 7. REQUESTS the Commission, in collaboration with UNECA and RECs, to undertake technical work, required studies and preparation in advance of the negotiations including the preparation of the draft negotiating texts; 8. REAFFFIRMS the commitment to launch CFTA negotiations in June 2015 and in this regard MANDATES Ministers of Trade to meet and finalise preparations for the launch; On the World Trade Organisation (WTO) 9. WELCOMES the breakthrough in the WTO Doha negotiations and REITERATES the importance of African countries speaking in one voice to ensure that Africa’s interests are adequately addressed within the multilateral trading system;