COMESA

SCOPE OF WORK: In line with its Mission to endeavor to achieve sustainable economic and social progress in all Member States through increased co-operation and integration in all fields of development, COMESA recognizes different levels of development across its Member States and is meant to ensure no one is left behind. To achieve and accelerate COMESA regional integration goals, COMESA 2021-2025 Medium Term Strategic Plan (MTSP), emphasizes the need to improve socio-economic conditions through economic growth ranging from micro to macro-economic levels of all its beneficiaries. In line with implementation of the COMESA 2021-2025 MTSP, the key objective of Great Lakes Trade Facilitation and Integration Project (GLTFIP) is to establish an improved environment for cross-border trade in the borderlands of the GLR, with a focus on Burundi and DRC in which there is seamless flow of goods, services, and people. Hence, the focus is on trade facilitation through improvements to infrastructure, connectivity to markets across the borders, improved legal and policy framework including procedural reforms, capacity building of border agencies and traders (including women’s and youth groups), and commercialization of selected value chains to increase the supply of tradeable products. Cross Border Trade is one of the areas that has huge potential to transform the lives of women, men and youth hence the need to ensure the effective participation of women and youth in all trade initiatives. Considering the fact that most of small-scale cross border traders are women and have various gender and social related constraints, the Trade expert will support the project implementation unit, and the trade division to mainstream gender aspects in line with the specific interventions under all the components (policy and regulatory environment, trade infrastructure, agribusiness value chains, and capacity building/monitoring and evaluation) to enable the effective participation of small-scale cross border traders in regional trade.

KEY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The main role of the full time Trade Expert will be to facilitate implementation of the COMESA component of the GLTFIP by providing technical guidance/support and skills to project countries/beneficiaries and stakeholder to ensure all components of the project’s objectives are achieved including gender consideration. The Terms of Reference of the Trade Policy Expert include the following:

Support Burundi and DRC to introduce trade policy and regulatory reforms that improve cross border trade environment and competitiveness across COMESA region.
Produce technical briefs on trade facilitation instruments including on Simplified Trade Regime (STR), Green Pass (GP), Passenger Cargo Manifest System ( PCMS) and others to ensure policy and procedures harmonization between the two countries and in the COMESA region especially the neighbohood of Burundi and DR Congo.
Idenfify, organize and facilitate capacity building activities necessary to beneficiary countries and other stakeholders with proper attention to women and youth to insure agreed policy interventions are well implemented and regulatory framework is properly enforced.

Facilitate awareness on policy and regulatory framework and guidelines on trade facilitation and markets access opportunities to all stakeholders and among women and youth groups, traders and associations.
In close collaboration with the M&E expert, identify new challenges and trade developemnts and advise on possible solutions for sustainable growth in line with market access and for the selected value chains including logistics facilitations.

Given the majority trend participation of women and youth in small scale crosss border trade, identify their special needs and advise on key interventions that will contribute to objectives of the project.
Promote adaptation and use of existing and new technologies for digital trade facilitation instruments to reduce cost and utilization of digital platforms to enhance access to information and markets, networking opportunities and other services.

Promote trade in the GLR by organizing trade promotion activities among GLR countries including trade fairs and experience sharing of traders across borders.
in among women cross border traders.
Provide regular updates briefs to his/her supervisor on progress implementation towards the intended objectives.