Abstract

BOKONA, François. The African Continental Free Trade Area and sustainable development in Africa. AHRY [online]. 2023, vol.7, pp.260-283. ISSN 2663-323X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.29053/2523-1367/2023/v7a12.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a great opportunity for Africa. However, in recognition of the positive and negative interactions between trade and the environment, the AfCFTA should be implemented in compliance with environmental standards and sciences, by incorporating environmental protection clauses, setting up institutional mechanisms and adopting certain organisational approaches to ensure effective implementation that is compatible with sustainable development. The avenues for improvement to address the weaknesses of its greening are modelled on the so-called 'new generation' of free trade agreements, such as the Agreement between Canada, the United States of America and Mexico, the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with Canada, and to some extent the rules laid down in the World Trade Organisation or its predecessor agreements. The measures advocated in this contribution should necessarily lead to the revision of the Agreement creating the AfCFTA or the adoption of a specific protocol on environmental issues with a view to the advent of 'green free trade' on the continent.

Keywords : Zone de libre-échange; développement durable; protection de l'environnement; verdissement; judiciarisation; démocratisation.

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