Free movement of persons for trade: towards an accelerated ratification of the African Union Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community Relating to Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of Establishment, in support of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area :Policy research paper

Abstract

Freedom of movement of persons has been a fundamental objective of African continental and regional integration agendas, central to the development of Africa. The liberalization of movement of people on the continent carries several tangible and intangible benefits, including enabling the attainment of the historic African Continental Free Trade Area. To demonstrate the imperative of free movement of persons for continental integration, and especially for the effective implementation of the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area, African leaders adopted the Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community Relating to Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of Establishment (the Free Movement of Persons Protocol) in 2018. Despite the considerable progress made by African countries in bringing down barriers to free movement through visa-free travel, visa on arrival and several other relaxations of travel restrictions, the level of enthusiasm for the Protocol has remained lower than for the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area. As of July 2022, the Protocol has been ratified by only 4 African countries, far below the 15-country ratification threshold required for it to come into force. In the light of the above, ECA and the African Union Commission launched a study to identify and clearly demonstrate the benefits of free movement of persons for the implementation of the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area. The study also sought to establish the factors that accounted for the slow ratification of the African Union Free Movement of Persons Protocol, and to make policy recommendations on how to accelerate the ratification of the Protocol. The present policy report, which is the outcome of that study, provides a summary of key findings and policy recommendations.