Regional Trade Adviser to the African Union Commission

Reference: HUB/POCWG/0667
Location: Addis Abba, Ethiopia
Duration: Over the period ending 31 December 2015
Closing Date: 13 Dec 2012

Background

Trade development has the potential to make a significant contribution to pro-poor growth and sustainable economic development. However, despite major efforts at trade promotion, reform and diversification, many Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group of countries have not yet been able to integrate successfully into global markets and participate effectively in the income generating and poverty reducing practices of regional and international trade.

While the trade development challenges are varied, a key aspect has been that ACP governments have limited human and institutional capacities. These have impeded attempts to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by regional and international trade and effectively manage the risks inherent in increased competition and exposure to international markets.

An added challenge is the increasingly congested trade policy agenda that many ACP countries are facing. These include:

• Multilateral trade reform through the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Round of trade negotiations.
• Compliance with international trade rules, including through the WTO and GATT frameworks.
• Finalisation / Implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union (EU) and ACP regions.
• Regional integration efforts through various regional integration initiatives as well as an increasing interest in pursuing bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with key strategic international trading partners.

The increasingly resource intensive nature of such an active trade policy agenda underscores the need to strengthen trade capacities in the ACP countries including at the Ministries responsible for trade policy. This requires targeted, demand-driven and coordinated trade-related technical assistance that offers support to short-term trade capacity gaps while building sustainable and lasting trade development outcomes.

The Hub & Spokes II Programme

Since 2004, the European Commission (EC), the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) have recognised the scale of the trade development challenge facing many ACP member countries and provided assistance through The Hub & Spokes Project. With the support of the ACP Secretariat, from July 2012 donor partners are now able to offer continued trade-related technical assistance to ACP member states through the Hub & Spokes II Programme.

The Commonwealth Secretariat is responsible for the implementation of the Hub & Spokes II Programme in Eastern and Southern Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific regions as well as at the African Union Commission. The OIF is responsible for the implementation of the project in the regions of West and Central Africa.

The overall goal of the Hub & Spokes II Programme is to contribute to sustainable economic development and poverty reduction in ACP countries through closer regional integration and increased participation in the global economy. This will be achieved by enhancing the capacity of ACP countries to formulate suitable trade policies, participate effectively in international trade negotiations and implement trade agreement.

Through the deployment of Regional Trade Advisors (RTAs) to Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as well as African Union Commission (AUC) and Trade Advisors (TAs) to ACP countries. The Hub & Spokes II Programme supports a wide range of trade capacity development activities, including:

• institutional capacity building for ministries and organisations responsible for trade policy formulation and negotiations;
• enhancing skills and expertise of staff in relevant ministries and organisations to undertake and manage the varied tasks associated with trade policy formulation, negotiation and implementation;
• strengthening national and regional institutions and training organisations so that there is an on-going and sustainable capacity to provide support to countries in these areas;
• provision of technical advice and studies on trade-related issues;
• contributing to, and coordinating communication mechanisms within and between ACP member countries on trade policy issues and strategies to achieve positive trade policy outcomes;
• support public-private sector engagement on trade policy issues with a view to strengthening the policy-making process and empowering decision-makers through informed analysis and relevant contributions from the non-government sectors.

Task Description

• To assist in conducting an Africa-wide trade capacity development needs assessment in collaboration with the other Regional Trade Advisers at regional secretariats, National Trade Advisers and other officials at the African Union Commission. The outcome of the assessment is expected to form the basis for developing a work plan for the duration of this assignment.
• To provide high-level and strategic trade-related technical assistance and advice on continental trade policy matters. This includes trade policy formulation as well as the negotiation and implementation of international and regional trade agreements.
• To assist in the development and analysis of relevant trade-related African economic policies as well as in the negotiation and implementation of WTO, intra-regional, regional and bilateral trade agreements including strong emphasis on the new mandate on boosting intra-African trade.
• Assist in the development and provision of continental trade policies and related training to government officials, private sector representatives, members of parliament, civil society and other relevant stakeholders in Africa. The aim should be to build sustainable human and institutional trade capacities in the African regions.
• Assist in the establishment and strengthening of the continental trade consultative networks.
• Collaborate with other trade officials of the Commission, United Nations Economic Community for Africa (UNECA), regional integration organisations and other Regional Trade Advisers in carrying out other trade mandates emanating from African Trade Ministers.
• Design and conduct in collaboration with other trade officials of the Commission, UNECA, regional integration organisations and other Regional Trade Adviser regional seminars, workshops and training programmes where necessary on trade policy matters.
• Facilitate coherent interventions by the Commission on trade policy issues at the regional level, including through collaboration with the other Regional Trade Advisers deployed to regional Integration organisations and National Trade Advisers deployed to trade ministries in the region.
• Influence change and organisational reform through leadership, high-quality communications and informed, evidence-based strategies with a view to enhancing human and institutional trade capacities on the continent.
• Provide leadership in pro-actively working with those aid-for-trade donors with a presence in Africa in the preparation of high quality technical proposals aimed at providing additional capacity building support and trade-related technical assistance to the African continent. This work should extend to training regional and national officials on the preparation of aid-for-trade technical submissions.
• Manage and plan the Hub & Spokes II Programme continental activities with a view to identifying opportunities for collaboration on trade capacity development activities. This will require developing and maintaining a close working relationship with all Regional Trade Adviser based at regional integration organisations in the Africa. 
• Manage planning and reporting functions as required in support of the broader Hub & Spokes II Programme. This will include, for example, the submission of bi-annual work plans, participation in regional planning workshops and contributing to case studies and other programme reports. The planning and reporting of the Hub & Spokes II Programme activities should be conducted in compliance with best practices in Results Based Management.
• Provide leadership in raising the profile of the Hub & Spokes II Programme at continental level, particularly through documenting and disseminating its achievements and impacts. More broadly, there will be a need to contribute to intra-ACP and regional communications and technical exchanges on trade capacity development initiatives, experiences and lessons as required.
• Manage the financial resources allocated to African Union Commission in support of the African regions Hub & Spokes II work programme and provide financial statements in line with agreed procedures and regulations of the Commonwealth Secretariat. The Regional Trade Adviser must collaborate with other Regional Trade Advisers deployed to the regional integration organisations to ensure access to Programme funds on relevant trade capacity development initiatives.
• Participate in professional development and training opportunities as catered for in the Hub & Spokes II Programme operating budget.
• Were applicable, supervise the work of the Trade Adviser and the Administrative Assistant based at the African Union Commission.
• Perform other duties as delegated by the Commissioner of Trade and Industry, African Union Commission that are directly relevant to the Hub & Spokes II Programme and trade capacity development objectives in Africa.

Qualifications and Work Experience

• post graduate qualifications in Economics, International Trade, Law or related discipline.
• a minimum of ten years’ experience in trade policy formulation, analysis and implementation;
• experience of trade capacity building in developing countries, with particular reference to  Africa;
• experience of providing advice to senior management and in dealing with Governments and project authorities at a senior level;
• supervisory experience of multidisciplinary staff;
• experience and knowledge of trade policy issues and challenges in Africa.

Applicants should be able to demonstrate:

• Sound knowledge of WTO and EU/ACP issues;
• Knowledge of the African regional integration agenda;
• Highly developed analytical skills and ability to provide clear and objective advice and recommendations;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills (in English);
• Ability to work harmoniously in a multi-disciplinary and multicultural environment.
• Desirable: Written and verbal communication skills in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese languages.

How to apply

Job Description for Regional Trade Adviser to the African Union Commission