COMESA and the European Union have signed a EUR 7.6 million Financing Agreement for the COMESA Institutional Capacity Building Programme.
Secretary-General Chileshe Kapwepwe co-signed the Agreement with the Ambassador of the European Union to Zambia who is also the Special Representative to COMESA, Mr. Jacek Jankowski at the COMESA Secretariat.
The objective of the programme is to deepen regional integration in the COMESA region, and to enhance effectiveness and efficiency of the COMESA Secretariat in the implementation of regional cooperation projects and engagement with its Member States.
The programme will support COMESA in the domestication and implementation of regional commitments at Member States level. It will further facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogue on regional economic integration, in the Tripartite framework of COMESA, the East African Community (EAC) and Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).
The European Union (EU) and the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) have signed a 7.6 million financing agreement for the COMESA institution capacity building programme.
European Union Ambassador accredited to Zambia and COMESA, Jacek Jankowski indicated that the programme aimed at responding to the institution, will help the Secretariat as well as member states, towards effective implementation of regional cooperation projects.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Mr Jankowski pointed out that the regional integration continues to encounter challenges, which includes overlapping membership, inadequate capacities of regional economic communities and over-reliance on external funding from developed countries.
“The programme clearly responds to COMESA’s institutional capacity constraints. It will address among others human resource, capacity and management challenges at both the Secretariat and at member states levels,” Mr. Jankowski explained.