REVISED REOI & TOR – INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT: HIGH-LEVEL INTERNATIONAL LAW EXPERT FOR THE AFRICA PEER REVIEW MECHANISM (APRM)

The Statute further states that in the implementation of its mandate, the APRM has the primary purpose of fostering the adoption of policies, standards and practices that lead to political stability, high economic growth, sustainable and inclusive development. This is intended to promote accelerated regional and continental economic integration, through sharing of experiences and reinforcement of successful and best practices, including identifying deficiencies and assessing the needs for capacity building.

The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) is a legal instrument, an agreement among the African Union Member States to create a single market. The AfCFTA agreement is a significant milestone on the journey to African integration and development. It is also a catalyst for new ways of doing business, producing, working, and trading within Africa and with the rest of the world.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is, in addition to being a free trade area, a flagship project of the African Union (AU) in terms of Agenda 2063. It offers a member-driven blueprint for attaining inclusive and sustainable development across the continent. It is anchored in an overarching Agreement, Protocols and additional Annexes and appendices. They constitute a single undertaking. The AU Summit adopted the AfCFTA Agreement in March 2018, in Kigali, Rwanda.

During the meeting, the heads of the two institutions discussed potential areas for collaboration and ways of leveraging the APRM’S national presence to fast-track the ratification and domestication of the AfCFTA trade agreement in AU member states. To this end, the Secretary General of the AfCFTA seized the opportunity to request for support from the APRM Secretariat to develop a tool for Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting that will assist in tracking the implementation of the AfCFTA agreement among the African Union Member states.

• Support the AfCFTA to realize its core mandate by developing a detailed report of how to adapt the tools, processes, and structure of the APRM for use by the AfCFTA Secretariat.
• Support the APRM and the AfCFTA to jointly produce a comprehensive ME&R tool that will be used to track efforts made by AU member states to implement the AfCFTA agreement at the national level. The developed tool will have clear objectives, drawn from the core objectives of the AfCFTA agreement and SMART indicators that will be drawn from the various annexes of the agreement and other documents.

1. Scope of Work

The overall objective of this consultancy is to support the AfCFTA Secretariat to achieve its core mandate by APRM availing its tools, processes, and structures (continental and National structures) in monitoring the continental agreements, particularly the AfCFTA agreement in the AU member states, specifically at the national level.

Specific Objectives

1. To build strategic partnership between the two vital institutions to pave way for MOU negotiations and signing by the two entities to materialize this vision.

2.      To support the APRM and the AfCFTA to jointly produce a comprehensive ME&R tool that will be used to track efforts made by AU member states to implement the AfCFTA agreement at the national level.

3.      To develop clear indicators along the core objectives of the AfCFTA Agreement and its annexes that will be used by member states to report on progress made towards domestication and implementation of the AfCFTA agreement at national level.

4.      To develop a broad-based questionnaire that will be sent to member countries to track progress undertaken in implementing the agreement.

5.      To develop a survey tool.

1. Upon successful negotiation and signing of the contract

1. A draft report containing detailed proposals for a Comprehensive ME&R Tool for tracking implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement, with a detailed methodology of how to carry it out

1. A draft report containing detailed proposals for a Comprehensive Broad-Based Questionnaire with SMART indicators and a survey instrument based on the AfCFTA Agreement and its annexed instruments for tracking steps taken by member states to domesticate the agreement

1. Final report containing the Proposed ME&R tool, broad based questionnaire with SMART indicators and a survey instrument for collecting data on the various SMART indicators of the AfCFTA agreement and its annexed instruments

• A master’s degree in International Trade law, International Economic Law, International Trade Law, or related field. A PhD in International Trade Law will be an added advantage.
• Must have ten (10) years’ working experience in providing services to law firms, national governments, international organizations, or teaching and researching in this area at recognized academic institutions.
• Proven experience working with national governments and international organizations on issues of international economic law and policy.
• Expert knowledge of the multilateral trading system of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and regional trade agreements within the African continent
• A track record of high-level research and publications in the field of international trade law and policy in general and African economic law, policy, and negotiations.
• Able to work under minimum supervision.
• Good interpersonal skills
• Has networks with various national, regional, and global organizations.

The High-Level International Trade Law Expert will be required to work closely and under the supervision of the Head of Division:  Monitoring & Evaluation and the Office of the CEO- APRM

Point

1. A master’s degree in international law, International Economic Law, International Trade Law, or related field. A PhD in International Law will be an added advantage.

1. Proven experience working with various national and international organizations.
2. Proven links with AUC, UNECA, and other RECS on matters of regional trade.
3. Minimum of 10 years’ experience in international law either as a practitioner, an academic scholar, or a practitioner.
4.  Proven experience in global agreements like World Trade Organization (WTO) and regional trade agreements within the African continent
5. Evidence of membership to a recognized law association either national or International
6. Should be able to work under minimum supervision.
7. Good interpersonal skills
8. Has networks with various national, regional, and global organizations.

Intimate Knowledge of APRM structures, Processes, and operational tools.

A high-level understanding of the agreement establishing the AfCFTA and how the APRM can be put to the service of improved AfCFTA implementation by its state parties.