The WTO's Trade Policy Review Mechanism: Lessons for the AfCFTA Review Process

The document examines the AfCFTA Implementation Review Mechanism (AFIRM), established in July 2024 to address slow implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement. It contrasts AFIRM's direct assessment of obligations with the WTO's Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM), which focuses on general trade policy and transparency. The author warns that AFIRM's current approach may cause state resistance or lead to the blocking of reports by the Council of Ministers, recommending that review reports avoid definitive assessments of non-compliance to secure member buy-in.

• The AfCFTA Implementation Review Mechanism (AFIRM) was established in July 2024 to address the fact that full trading, expected in January 2021, has not yet commenced. Under its current structure, state parties will undergo assessments every five years to evaluate their adherence to AfCFTA commitments.
• There is a risk that AFIRM's direct assessment of whether states have met obligations will lead to non-cooperation or the blocking of reports by the Council of Ministers, as decisions are typically made by consensus. This contrasts with the WTO's Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM), which maintains high membership support by focusing on transparency and the broader trade policy regime rather than direct compliance assessments.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2025). The WTO's Trade Policy Review Mechanism: Lessons for the AfCFTA Review Process. https://saiia.org.za/research/the-wtos-trade-policy-review-mechanism-lessons-for-the-afcfta-review-process/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. The WTO's Trade Policy Review Mechanism: Lessons for the AfCFTA Review Process. 2025. https://saiia.org.za/research/the-wtos-trade-policy-review-mechanism-lessons-for-the-afcfta-review-process/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=The WTO's Trade Policy Review Mechanism: Lessons for the AfCFTA Review Process |date=16 January 2025 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/the-wtos-trade-policy-review-mechanism-lessons-for-the-afcfta-review-process/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2025wtos, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{The WTO's Trade Policy Review Mechanism: Lessons for the AfCFTA Review Process}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/the-wtos-trade-policy-review-mechanism-lessons-for-the-afcfta-review-process/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }