A report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS), a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress that provides comprehensive legislative research and analysis in order to contribute to an informed national legislature in United States, recapitulates the initiatives developed by the various international organizations and governments so far to support the African Union (AU) and in particular, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) negotiations and implementation. The report recognises that the US funding in support of the AfCFTA is significantly lower than that provided by some other donors (notably the EU), but also that the technical assistance provided by such donors has to date focused heavily on the AfCFTA Secretariat and various AUC departments, rather than at the national and regional level, where additional support is needed to help national governments and regional organisations to address AfCFTA implementation challenges. The US Congress is urged to consider the development of mechanisms aimed at fostering greater coordination among and with all partners supporting the continental FTA. To this end, an official cooperative forum, formally involving AfCFTA and development partner officials (e.g., from the EU and U.S.), could act as a channel to clarify African needs and address capacity gaps to be filled with additional assistance.
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