About us

Operating

The Technical Secretariat is the operational body for the implementation of ITRSP activities. This Secretariat is responsible for the collection of informal data on cross-border trade in food, agro-forestry-pastoral and fisheries products as well as the implementation of other trade facilitation, advocacy and capacity-building activities. The Technical Secretariat is made up of technical experts who are already working on this issue at the CILSS, ECOWAS, UEMOA as well as WACTAF level.

The main activities undertook are:

  • Implementation of an independent mechanism for data verification and validation
  • Extend product coverage and standardize customs coding
  • Involve National Statistics Offices (NSOs) in data verification and validation activities
  • Conduct capacity building activities of apex organizations with the NSOs
  • Conduct advocacy activities for the removal of barriers to cross-border trade
  • Support and assist apex organizations to consult themselves for trade facilitation, smooth escort of trucks and signing of a multipartite MoU for mobilizing internal financial resources
  • Seek funding for cross-border trade data collection and trade facilitation
  • Carry out an (internal) regional study to develop the strategy for mobilizing internal financial resources from member socio-professional organizations of AOTAH / WACTAF
  • Expand the geographic coverage of the corridors in collaboration with NSOs
  • Conduct, every three years, a field survey to update the complete mapping of corridors, products and means of transport for cross-border trade with a view to extending the trade flows and harassment tracking system
  • Formulate a long-term fund-raising project to strengthen, develop and maintain the flow and trade barriers tracking system
  • Develop and drive with International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in French Institut international de recherche sur les politiques alimentaires a research programme to measure the consequences of trade barriers
  • Carry out a study and propose reforms to align cross-border trading procedures for food, agro-forestry-pastoral and fisheries products for the removal of obstacles to the development to formal trade
  • Create a regional platform of Associations/Organizations of informal trade actors
  • Organize a Donors round table for intra-regional trade, trade barriers, advocacy and trade facilitation activities.