COMFWB Charter Documents

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COMESA Treaty
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COMESA Treaty
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COMESA Treaty
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COMESA Treaty Preamble

The President of the Republic of Angola • The President of the Republic of Burundi  • The President of the Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros • The President of the Republic of Djibouti • The President of the State of Eritrea • The President of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia • The President of the Republic of Kenya • His Majesty the King of the Kingdom of Lesotho • The President of the Republic of Madagascar • The Life President of the Republic of Malawi • The Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius • The President of the Republic of Mozambique • The President of the Republic of Namibia • The President of the Republic of Rwanda • The President of the Republic of Seychelles • The President of the Somali Democratic Republic • The President of the Republic of Sudan • His Majesty the King of the Kingdom of Swaziland • The President of the United Republic of Tanzania • The President of the Republic of Uganda • The President of the Republic of Zaire • The President of the Republic of Zambia • The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe:

CONSCIOUS of the overriding need to establish a Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa;  

BEARING IN MIND the establishment among the irrespective States of the Preferential Trade Area for Eastern and Southern African States as a first step towards the creation of a Common Market and eventually of an Economic Community for Eastern and Southern Africa;  

RECALLING the provisions of Article 29 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the Preferential Trade Area for Eastern and Southern African States to the effect that steps should be taken to develop the Preferential Trade Area established by that Treaty into a Common Market and eventually into an Economic Community;  

RECALLING further the decision of the Authority of the Preferential Trade Area for Eastern and Southern African States taken at its Tenth Meeting held in Lusaka, Zambia from 30 - 31 January,1992 to transform the Preferential Trade Area for Eastern and Southern African States into a Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa;

INSPIRED by the objectives of the Treaty for the Establishment of the African Economic Community and in compliance with the provisions of Article 28(1) of the said Treaty;

DETERMINED to mark a new stage in the process of economic integration with the establishment of a Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and the consolidation of their economic co-operation through the implementation of common policies and programmes aimed at achieving sustainable growth and development;  

RESOLVED to strengthen and achieve convergence of their economies through the attainment of a full market integration;

HAVING REGARD to the principles of international law governing relations between sovereign states, and the principles of liberty, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law; and 

In view of further steps which have to be taken in order to advance the economic integration of Eastern and Southern Africa;

ARTICLE 154: Role of Women in Development

The member states agree that women make significant contribution towards the process of socio-economic transformation and sustainable growth and that it is impossible to implement effective programs for rural transformation and improvements in the informal sector without the full participation of women,  To this end, the Member States shall through the appropriate legislative and other measures:

  • Promote the effective integration and participation of women at all levels of development especially at the decision-making levels;
  • Eliminate regulations and customs that are regulations and customs which prevent women from owning land and other assets
  • Promote effective education awareness programs aimed at changing negative attitudes towards women;
  • Create or adopt technologies which will ensure the stability of employment and professional progress for women workers; and
  • Encourage and strengthen institutions which are engaged in the promotion and development of labor-saving devices aimed at improving the productive capacity of women.

ARTICLE 155: Role of Women in Business

1. Having recognized the importance of women as a vital economic link within the chain of agriculture, industry and trade, the Member States agree to:

  • increase the awareness of Women in Business issues at the policy level; 
  • create an enabling environment for the effective participation of women in Common Market trade and development activities;
  • promote special programs for women in small and medium-size enterprises; 
  • eliminate such laws and regulations that hinder women's access to credit;
  • initiate changes in educational and training strategies to enable women to improve their technical and industrial employment levels through the acquisition of transferable skills offered by various forms of vocational and on-the-job training schemes; and
  • recognize and support the Federation of National Associations of Women in Business established to promote the effective participation of women in the Common Market trade and development activities.

2. The Federation of National Associations of Women in Business shall be represented at the Consultative Committee and be represented at the meetings of the Technical Committees of the Common Market.

3. Implementation activities pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter shall be submitted to the appropriate Technical Committees depending on the technical items under consideration.

It's Day Two the Annual COMFWB Trade Fair. Learn more
Day Two of the Annual COMFWB Trade Fair.Learn more