Counting the cost: Defining, estimating and disseminating statistics on illicit financial flows in Africa

This study stems from a long-standing relationship between the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the UNCTAD Secretariat in trade and trade facilitation.
It aims at shedding light on one important aspect of regional integration, namely, the effective use of the trade preferences provided by free trade agreements (FTAs) such as the COMESA FTA and other preferential trade arrangements (PTAs) granted by QUAD Developed countries such as AGOA, EBA, and GSP preferences. In this scenario, monitoring the effective utilization of trade preferences granted under North-South preferential trading arrangements as well as those under the existing Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and, soon, the AfCFTA is a priority. This will ensure that these latter trade agreements are functioning correctly to boost intra-African trade and deliver the trading opportunities and the economic growth that motivated the political will to launch such trade initiatives.