iBEAM Quarterly Report 5: 2014, Q3

The project's objective is to strengthen the capacity of the African Union Commission (AUC) departments to implement the Boosting Intra-African Trade (APBIT) program. The Uganda Education Case Study, funded by iBEAM, made significant progress during the quarter. Dr. Sherry Stephenson and George Walusimbi-Mpanga, a Ugandan expert, continued their work on the case study, which aims to strengthen the capacities of the AUC departments. The two experts participated in the second Coordination Team meeting for the AU Project on Services Exports in Debre Zeyit, Ethiopia. The meeting reviewed and evaluated the five case studies, including the Uganda Education Case Study, and provided useful critiques and suggestions for revision. The Global Shea Alliance (GSA) kicked off its Annual Global Shea Alliance Shea Trade and Industry Conference on May 12, 2014, in New York. The conference was attended by 38 participants from 8 countries, representing the corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors. The conference aimed to present information on women's empowerment in the shea supply chain, promote the GSA sustainability program, and expand the US membership base. The conference included presentations from top industry leaders, such as the Senior Manager for Sustainability Initiatives at The Hershey Company, the International Director of Community Fair Trade at the Body Shop, and the Senior Manager for Responsible Sourcing and Sustainability at Burt's Bees. The conference resulted in the registration of 9 new companies with US activities, including Terra Global Capital, Terra Global Capital, and Shea Yeleen. The Hershey Company presented the importance of shea and the GSA, and Mars Chocolate notified the GSA of their intention to join the alliance. The iBEAM project also supported the Sierra Leone Customs Workshop, which was conducted by a small women-owned business from Kenya, Leaders in Business Solutions (LiBS). The workshop aimed to increase revenue collection and trade facilitation by training 38 participants from the Customs and Excise Department of the Sierra Leone National Revenue Authority. The training was evaluated as "above average" in terms of facilitation and training content, and all participants indicated a high level of satisfaction with the training. The workshop highlighted the need for the Sierra Leone Customs to adopt the 2012 World Customs Organization (WCO) tariff classification prior to the adoption of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) in 2015. The workshop also identified tobacco, cigarettes, and motorbikes as high-risk items for smuggling. The iBEAM project will continue to support the Sierra Leone Customs in implementing the recommendations from the workshop. The iBEAM project will also continue to support the GSA, with remaining deliverables including a Research Report on shea ecology and a final report discussing outcomes and strategic next steps for the GSA. The project will continue to work with the AUC departments to strengthen their capacity to implement the APBIT program and promote trade in Africa.