The US Bilateral Specimen Sharing Agreement in the Proposed PEPFAR MOUs Would Leave African Countries More Vulnerable in the Next Pandemic
By Nirmalya Syam, Viviana Munoz Tellez
This Policy Brief examines the implications of the United States’ (US) PEPFAR Memorandum of Understanding (PEPFAR MOU) proposed to African countries on the negotiations for a multilateral system for access to pathogens and benefit sharing (PABS) as part of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Pandemic Agreement. It recommends that African countries do not accept the MOU provisions on specimen sharing and data access that undermine national sovereignty and calls for a coordinated regional response.
Africa Region + Egypt, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Group for Equity Lead 80-Country Push for Fair Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing System
At the start of IGWG4, in a remarkable show of unity by developing countries, the Africa Group (AG) and Group for Equity jointly made a statement representing 80 developing countries. This extraordinary demonstration of unity represents a powerful and inspiring moment in global health governance, as this unified bloc is championing equal footing for rapid access to pandemic materials and digital sequence information (DSI) on the one hand, and on the other hand, the ability to rapidly access vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics (VTDs), along with accelerated research, knowledge and technology sharing, needed to prevent and respond to pandemics.
Mapping Africa’s Digital Trade: AfCFTA, JSI & AU AI Strategy
WTO Public Forum Working Session 49
Organizer: South Centre
18 September 202510:45-12:00 Room S3
This session explores how Africa is shaping its digital trade future through the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol, engagement in WTO e-commerce discussions, and the Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy. It will examine the region’s priorities on data governance, local value creation, and inclusive digital markets, while assessing risks of fragmentation across regimes. Speakers will consider how African countries can assert greater agency in global digital rulemaking and align trade, technology, and development strategies. The session offers a forward-looking perspective on what a fair and inclusive global digital trade architecture could look like from an African and Global South perspective.
From global to local action: Operationalising AMR commitments in Africa and beyond
11-12 June 2025
Lusaka, Zambia
The ReAct Africa-South Centre Annual Conference 2025 aims to translate these global and regional commitments into actionable strategies for local and national contexts in low- and middle-income countries; with a specific focus on Africa’s needs and priorities. It will serve as a platform for key stakeholders from, but not limited to governments at the regional, national and sub-national levels
A great variety of stakeholders will join the conference in Lusaka: International & regional organizations (Quadripartite organs – FAO, WHO, WOAH & UNEP; Africa CDC, ECSA-HC, etc.), public health professionals and health practitioners, civil society and community organizations, academia and research institutions, youth in AMR, faith sector, private sector leaders and innovators, media and communication experts.
Assessing Five Years of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA): Proposals on Potential Amendments
By Kiiza Africa
On 30th May 2024, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) celebrated its fifth anniversary, which legally implied that the agreement is up for review for possible amendments. To kickstart this review, the Thirty-Seventh Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit (held in February 2024) directed the AfCFTA Secretariat to take necessary measures for the start of the review of the Agreement. This review comes at a moment when the AfCFTA implementation and its vehicle, the Guided Trade Initiative (GTI), have been fraught with challenges. Broadly, these challenges include the slow submission of tariff liberalization schedules by State Parties, infrastructure deficits, persistent non-tariff barriers and trade wars in regional economic communities, and overlapping regional trade commitments. Thus, the upcoming AfCFTA review provides an opportunity to assess progress, identify implementation bottlenecks, and propose actionable amendments. This paper examines these challenges through a comprehensive analysis of the AfCFTA’s state of play, illuminating the progress while highlighting the slow momentum registered for the past five years of its operation. Proposals for the agreement’s amendment revolve on accelerating infrastructure development, harmonizing rules of origin, integrating labor rights, and fostering industrial diversification. By moving beyond liberalization as its raison d’être and prioritizing the scaling up of State Parties’ productive capacities, the AfCFTA can evolve from a mere trade liberalization agreement into a transformative driver of Africa’s economic renaissance. It is hoped that this timely assessment underscores the urgency of reorienting the AfCFTA to unlock its full potential for propelling intra-Africa trade.
African researchers continue to face information-access barriers owing to copyright exclusivity preserved by the global copyright system that is designed and skewed towards protecting rights holders’ interests. A specific explicit human right to research is an important mechanism that can ensure an equitable balance between the private commercial interest of copyright owners and the public interest in promoting access to information for research in Africa. This article demonstrates how the right to research can be constructed from the normative content and scope of the rights to science and culture, education, property and freedom of expression provided for in international, regional and national human rights regimes in Africa.
ReAct Africa and South Centre will co-host the 2024 regional AMR annual conference from 9th – 11th July in Livingstone, Zambia, under the theme “Global Accountability for AMR response: Investing in priorities for Africa”.
Unveiling the Controversies: ICTs in Agriculture and the Challenges for Africa
By Ruthbetha Kateule and Thaura Ghneim-Herrera
The integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in African agriculture presents both significant opportunities and challenges. While ICTs can enhance efficiency and productivity, addressing the digital divide and structural inequalities is crucial for their effective implementation. It is imperative to incorporate local knowledge and address region-specific challenges to ensure that these technologies are accessible and beneficial to all, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Moving forward, a balanced approach that focuses on sustainable development, equitable access, and environmental stewardship will be key to realizing the full potential of smart agriculture in Africa and the Global South.
This paper presents a summary of a research conducted with the support of the Montpellier Advanced Knowledge Institute on Transitions (MAK’IT) of the University of Montpellier, within the framework of the 2024 COHORT programme, and the cooperation of the South Centre.
The Protection of Traditional Knowledge, Traditional Cultural Expressions, Expressions of Folklore and Genetic Resources Within the African Continental Free Trade Area – Alignment with International and Regional Developments
By Caroline B. Ncube
The adoption of the Protocol on Intellectual Property Rights under the Agreement on the African Continental Free Trade Area presents an opportune moment to consider a continental framework for the protection of Traditional Knowledge, Traditional Cultural Expressions, Expressions of Folklore and Genetic Resources. This SouthViews considers lessons which can be drawn from national laws, using South Africa as an example, for the relevant Annex to be negotiated under the protocol.
