On July 8, 2022, the Boma of Africa event was inaugurated by H.E. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union, to round off the celebrations for this year’s Africa Integration Day.
This year’s Boma theme, “Taking Stock of the African Century,” was appropriate and reflected growing support for the idea that Africa’s development in the 21st century, as envisioned by Agenda 2063, will be a turning point for the entire world.
Together with AfroChampions, the African Union hosted the 2022 Boma.
The Boma was divided into three sections to represent the balance between thought and action.
A Common Vaccine Passport integrated into the continental eHealth Backbone and a platform for the AfCFTA Digital Trading Corridor were the two parts of the presentation that were most focused on the introduction of significant practical initiatives driving integration on the continent.
The program’s third element took the form of a symposium that was held at the Heads of State and Chief Executive level to examine the most important collective strategies that African leaders can employ to manage recovery from the COVID-19 and Russia-Ukraine conflict twin crises, build resilience against upcoming global shocks, and hasten the rise of the continent as envisioned by Agenda 2063.
The governments of India, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), and Australia have all pledged their support and collaboration to the Africa CDC and AfroChampions in respect to the Trusted Vaccines and PanaBIOS eHealth platform. furthermore to the European Union, ICAO, and World Health Organization.
The African Society of Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), African Organization of Standardization (ARSO), Koldchain, Africa Tourism Board, Esri, and regional health organisations like the West Africa Health Organization (WAHO) and the East, Central & Southern Africa Health Agency are among the organisations that support the initiative (ECSA)
The AfCFTA Secretariat presented the findings of a consultation process prior to the introduction of the AfCFTA Hub digital trading ecosystem platform in the form of a film demonstrating the strong support of key logistics businesses like RwandAir, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, and Asky.
Additionally, fruitful engagements were made with international retailers and distributors like MaxMart, Melcom, Walmart Africa, and Naivas.
M-Pesa, PAPSS, Vodacom, Orange, WebbFontaine, Scanning Systems, and Standard Bank were among the organisations that took part in the introduction of the AfCFTA Hub on the fronts of digital, financial services, and fintech.
The African Development Bank provided insight into the development funding prospects (AfDB).
African Union Heads of State and Government H.E. Hakainde Hichelema of Zambia, H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, and H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa were present at the symposium to interact with international organisation and corporate executives from the continent and throughout the world.
The Boma was successfully closed by H.E. Cessouma Minata Samate, African Union Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development, following the successful launch of the two digital platforms and extensive discussions on new and innovative ways to galvanise collective action at the continental level for the successful achievement of the Agenda 2063 goals.
Results in Practice for Boma 2022
The African Vaccine Passport and eHealth backbone and a digital platform for quickening the implementation of the AfCFTA were this year’s two major flagship initiatives introduced by the African Union at the Boma.
The African Vaccine Passport allows any African Union citizen to get a free digital proof of their immunizations that can be validated around the world utilising the PanaBIOS and UNDP-backed Global Haven processes.
The AfCFTA Hub, a digital platform, connects national, regional, and private digital applications to strengthen SMEs’ capacity to grow their businesses and/or export their products across Africa through improved logistics, retail outlet networking, fintech integration, and support for brand development.
The associated AfCFTA Caravan Initiative provides funding.
Following the introduction, every SME or startup in the African Union is now qualified for a free AfCFTA Number.
For addressing any potential unfavourable repercussions of the AfCFTA trade liberalisation plan, such as dumping, smuggling, and counterfeiting, there is a supply chain component called ProPer.