The COMESA Aid for Trade Unit (COMAid), was established by Council Decision in May 2007, in order to coordinate and implement the COMESA Aid for Trade Strategy. The COMAid unit cuts across a wide range of platforms and is instrumental for many of the key programmes of the COMESA Aid for Trade Strategy.
The COMAid Unit works with the relevant operational divisions within the Secretariat, and primarily builds on on-going programmes and activities, to ensure proper co-ordination and the achievement of the objectives of the regional Aid for Trade strategy. Due to the important operational and co-ordination role, the COMAid Unit is attached directly to the office of the Assistant Secretary-General Programmes, operating under the overall supervision of the Secretary-General.
The coordination process is enhanced through work groups between the COMAid Unit and different division/unit personnel for the achievement of Aid for Trade objectives.
COMESA Aid for Trade Strategy
The COMESA Aid for Trade Strategy aims to support and strengthen the implementation of regional integration policies and programmes in the following ways:
- Enhancing coordination and effectiveness within and among regional and national institutions;
- Supporting efforts that identify and eliminate outstanding regional and national structural and capacity constraints that continually undermine the region’s ability to gain from trade liberalization opportunities;
- Supporting the effective linking of regional policy decisions, regulations and programmes with national implementation modalities in the Member States,
- Fostering enhanced domestication of the regional macro-economic and trade liberalization programmes of COMESA;
- Augmenting resource mobilisation, utilization and tracking mechanisms based on trade liberalization, trade facilitation and economic adjustment priorities of COMESA;
- Supporting the strengthening of capacities to monitor and report on progress and to apply corrective measures during the implementation of COMESA programmes.