Rabat, 19 December 2024 (ECA) – The ECA Office for North Africa concluded today in Rabat (Morocco) a capacity building workshop on value chain development for the benefit of Libyan officials.
The training was held in partnership with the Mohammed V University, Agdal faculty of law, economics and social sciences and in consultation with the Libyan Ministry of Economy and Trade. The goal was to provide participants with foundational knowledge to identify opportunities for the development of value, production and supply chains, foster their development in Libya and enable the country to leverage its comparative advantages within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Libya is currently highly dependent on imports, due to its limited local production, undiversified economy, and political instability. The country is geo-strategically located, but most of its trade goes through ports due to the underdeveloped infrastructure, which hinders the development of value chains, said Abdullah Aljadi, Director General of Trade at the Libyan Ministry of Economy and Trade.
Given Morocco’s significant experience with exports, we are pleased with the case study and the location chosen for this workshop. We also recognize the AfCFTA’s role in facilitating access to African markets, which presents Libya with an opportunity to gradually develop its production and export capabilities, he added.
Libya, like the rest of Africa, holds a significant potential and boasts a young population. However, its participation in global and regional value chains remains limited, and the national economy remains heavily reliant on imports. This workshop is part of a series aimed at integrating Libyan companies into regional and global value chains, it also aims to facilitate the exchange of experiences and lessons learnt between both countries on this sensitive topic, said Samia Hamouda, expert at the ECA Office for North Africa.
Over the course of the four-day workshop, participants gained insights on how to strengthen value chains to maximize economic benefits and improve competitiveness in Libya and into incorporating them into policymaking and implementation to enhance their effectiveness as drivers for sustainable and inclusive development in Libya. Additionally, participants identified the prerequisites for the establishment of viable value chains in Libya.
The workshop on value chain development is part of a broader series of capacity-building initiatives held by the ECA Office for North Africa for the benefit of Libyan officials, on topics such as taxation within the context of the AfCFTA or developing Public-private partnerships (PPPs) for inclusive and resilient growth in Libya.
Note to editors:
For more information about this event, please send an email to filali-ansary@un.org