Opinion
A Blueprint for the U.S. – Africa Partnership
We Want More?
Why, then, are we urging that this Administration and Congress and its successor do more these next three years to enhance our pacts with Africa? Simply, the time is right – a period when we have the tools and motivation to tie loose ends of an approach to Africa that’s been long in the making.
In calling for a review of AGOA with a view to strengthen its effectiveness, the USTR’s charge to the United States International Trade Commission coincides with a call for the USTR’s own staff to thoroughly collaborate with various strategic stakeholders to develop new ideas on how to deal with Africa. All these efforts will, perhaps, contribute to President Obama’s tentative summit – the first of its kind – with Africa’s leaders.
All these things point to an opportunity for new initiatives to be launched as well the enhancement of programs such as AGOA.
Additionally, the bipartisan multi-congressional committee request to the Government Accounting Office for a thorough AGOA review gives perfect storm and constellation theories even longer legs.
A Double Coincidence of Wants?
There is much activity on the African continent right now. Not only is this statistics based – 7 of the world’s 10 fastest growing countries are African – but there is certain growing awareness within Africa that there is potential to do business in goods and services with the U.S. There is awareness that investors are looking at the continent and that future decisions on investments are looking to Africa as a source for growth – and also as a willing partner to generate more distribution networks and supply chain, as a necessary alternative to those supply chains and distribution networks in the Far East.
More and more African countries are developing AGOA strategies, which is the African response to the whole-of-government-approach introduced in Washington—however this focuses on government agencies in AGOA beneficiaries working together as well as their private sectors to achieve similar results.
What the U.S. Should Do
At this juncture, the discussion has to be around enhancing AGOA and an all encompassing Obama initiative. This is even further propelled because, as of January 2014, we have a six-month period before two action-forcing events – the 2014 AGOA Forum and the Obama Summit occurred in the summer. In the meantime, the potential of an Obama Initiative must be passed in its entirety or in part before the 113th Congress adjourns this fall.
