African countries need trade remedy mechanisms

While attending the Fifth Biennial Global Conference of the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL), Johannesburg, 7-9 July 2016, former Global Leaders Fellow Dr. Ousseni Illy has stressed the need for African countries to build up trade remedy mechanisms. Trade remedies (anti-dumping, countervailing, and safeguard measures) are important trade policy instruments for the mitigation of the negative effects of globalisation and international trade liberalisation, and for industrial development. Yet, the vast majority of African countries are poorly equipped to use them. Yet, the vast majority of African countries are poorly equipped to use them due, among other things, to resource constraints and lack of technical capacity. For Dr. Illy, trade remedies are important for Africa, both from development economics perspective and also for transparency and good governance in foreign trade policy; hence the need for African countries to enhance their capacity in this area in order to complement their development strategies.