Welcome to the AGOA Civil Society Organization (CSO) Network Site!!! The AGOA Civil Society (CSO) Network is a consortium of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), small-to-medium -sized business representatives, chambers of commerce and other groups in the United States and Africa that are interested in the successful application of AGOA for the benefit of the American and African people. The Network was established by 102 member organizations from the United States, Mauritius, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Namibia, Mali, Lesotho and the Democratic Republic of Congo that were in attendance during the AGOA Civil Society Forum on January 17, 2003, in Phoenix, Mauritius. The AGOA CSO Network's focus is on increasing the volume and quality of African exports under AGOA and educating stakeholders on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean on this trade policy and its advantages.  AfrICANDO 2021/19th CSO Session of the AGOA Forum Speeches & Presentations:
| Currently 39 of the 49 Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) Countries are Eligible for AGOA Benefits
Check Out Our Publication !!! The Impact of COVID-19 on U.S. - Africa Trade and Economic Cooperatiion
Download Publications Here!!!
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2021 Communique Miami, Florida, USA Presented to: 19thMinisterial Session of the AGOA Forum On The Civil Society Organization (CSO) Session of the 2021 African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum took place October 6-8, 2021, under the theme: The Impact of COVID-19 on US Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation: The Way Forward. The CSO Session was held jointly with the 22nd Annual US-Africa Trade and Investment Conference/Trade Show at the Miami Airport Convention Center (MACC), in Miami, Florida. The CSO Session of the 19th AGOA Forum was a hybrid event that brought together members of the AGOA CSO Network from venues in Miami, Florida; Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); Lagos, Nigeria, and other AGOA eligible countries with virtual participation from the United States and Africa. The purpose of the gathering was to discuss solutions and provide input to areas critical to public and private sector stakeholders’ success on The Way Forward regarding the following issues:
Discussion Highlights: CSO Network Secretariat and its members published a policy white paper on The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on US-Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation - AGOA with recommendations and areas of concern for the Biden/Harris Administration and U.S. Congressional Leaders for action and implementation. To view the policy white paper visit www.agoacsonetwork.org/Publications. (Read more) |
OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN
Dear President Biden:
The AGOA Civil Society Organization (CSO) Network would like to join the world in congratulating you and Vice President Kamala Harris on your historic victory in being elected the 46th President and the 49th Vice President of the United States (U.S.). Your election inspires hope for the kind of change that our country needs at this moment. We strongly believe that you have ascended to this global leadership position at a pivotal point in our nation’s history. And that you are uniquely positioned to drive home solutions that will change our approach to the COVID 19 pandemic, economic recession, civil and racial unrest, and development in Africa while restoring the United States’ standing in the world and ensuring our global prosperity.
Africa is strategically important to the United States because of its vast reserves of precious and strategic metals, crude oil, uncultivated arable land, and potential as a destination for U.S. investment, tourism, and cultural exchanges. A non-stop flight from Miami, Florida to Dakar, Senegal takes approximately 6 hours, 30 minutes, about the time it takes a non-stop flight from Miami to San Francisco (6 hours, 35 minutes); de-mystifying the existing mindset that Africa is too far from the United States. And Africa’s population is projected to reach 2.8 billion by 2060 from the current population of 1.26 billion. Currently, sixty-percent (60%) of Africa’s populace is below 35 years old with a growing middle class.
Strengthening trade and economic cooperation with Africa can only result in job creation on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, embed American economic interest, values, and goodwill in a region that is poised to take center stage of the world economy in the next two decades. Given Africa’s resources, its proximity to the United States, growing population and the existing cordial relationship between the American and African people, this is a deal that’s good for both America and Africa.
Since its enactment more than two decades ago, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has been the cornerstone of U.S. economic engagement with the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa and has helped to increase two-way trade between the U.S. and Sub-Saharan Africa. (Read more)
President Donald J. Trump Reinstates AGOA Benefits for DRC
Proclamation to Take Certain Actions Under the African Growth and Opportunity Act and for Other Purposes
December 22, 2020
1. In Proclamation 8618 of December 21, 2010, the President determined that the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was not making continual progress in meeting the requirements described in section 506A(a)(1) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the “Trade Act”), as added by section 111(a) of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (the “AGOA”)(title I of Public Law 106–200, 114 Stat. 251, 257-58 (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)(1))). Thus, pursuant to section 506A(a)(3) of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)(3)), the President terminated the designation of the DRC as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for purposes of section 506A(a)(1) of the Trade Act.
2. Section 506A(a)(1) of the Trade Act authorizes the President to designate a country listed in section 107 of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3706) as a “beneficiary sub-Saharan African country” if the President determines that the country meets the eligibility requirements set forth in section 104 of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3703), as well as the eligibility criteria set forth in section 502 of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2462).
3. Pursuant to section 506A(a)(1) of the Trade Act, based on actions that the Government of the DRC has taken, I have determined that the DRC meets the eligibility requirements set forth in section 104 of the AGOA and the eligibility criteria set forth in section 502 of the Trade Act, and I have determined to designate the DRC as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country. (Read more)
The 2020-2022 Inaugural AGOA CSO Advisory Board Meeting took place, virtually on September 24, 2020 at 10:00 am EDT. To guide the work of the Secretariat throughout 2020-2022 term, the Secretariat is pleased to present to you, the members of the 2020-2022 AGOA Civil Society Organization (CSO) Network Advisory Board - to view, please click here: Advisory Board Members
Click here for info from the inaugural meeting info: AGOA Information
Greetings! The 5th Annual AGOA Spring Conference took place April 10 -11, 2019 in Washington, DC . Day-one was held at the Embassy of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, and day- two took place on Capitol Hill. The theme of this year’s conference was “AGOA: Advancing Mutual Prosperity through Trade and Economic Cooperation.”
The AGOA Spring Conference is a precursor to the CSO/AWEP Session of the US-Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum commonly know as the AGOA Forum, and serves as a vehicle for galvanizing support for the AGOA Forum. Civil society organizations, government officials, chambers of commerce and small and medium sized enterprises from throughout sub-Saharan Africa and the United States attended this highly successful event. Download the Communique from the Conference Welcome: Fred Oladeinde, Chair, AGOA CSO Network Secretariat Welcome Remarks: H.E. E. Mohamed Haidara Ambassador of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire to the USA Speech by: Rev. Dr. Milenge Mwenelwata 2nd Vice President, Eglise Du Christ Au Congo Download the Agenda from the Spring Conference
OPENING REMARKS: Mr. Fred Oladeinde, Chair AGOA CSO Network Secretariat
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The AGOA CSO Network's focus is on increasing the volume and quality of African exports under AGOA and educating stakeholders on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean on this trade policy and its advantages.
Africa Trade Development Center, Cargo Express and HUBB UCS leadership recently at Cargo Express facilities discussing logistics and fulfillment for 2018 holiday season
| Fred Oladeinde President, Tony Okonmah of ATDC with Jose Matto President and Abdellatif Bedier of HUBB-UCS at recent meeting at the ATDC facilities in Miami on 2018 holiday seasons
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Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen |
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AfrICANDO 2018 Gallery African Women's Entrepreneurship Program PRODUCT SHOWCASE Agricultural Goods || Jewelry || Fashion & Design || Textiles and more! Meridian International Center, Washington, DC |
CIPE Hosts AGOA CSO Network International Forum on U.S. Africa Trade: “The Role of Civil Society Organizations in Expanding United States-Africa Trade and Investment”
July 11, 2018
WASHINGON, D.C. –– Global experts have concluded an international forum held at the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) headquarters in Washington, D.C. to craft recommendations for maximizing trade between Africa and the United States under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The longstanding U.S. legislation has helped boost trade with African nations, strengthen democracy, and improve the quality of life for citizens via new economic opportunities.
The AGOA Civil Society Organization (CSO) Network and the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) organized the annual event, which occurred Monday and Tuesday. Participants from 40 nations held panel discussions and activities designed to help them form policy recommendations for their governments ahead of ministerial meetings this week with U.S. Trade officials. CIPE Executive Director Andrew Wilson welcomed forum attendees and provided encouragement. Read more
17th Annual U.S. - Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum
(also known as the AGOA Forum)
July 9 -11, 2018
Washington, DC, USA
The Civil Society Organization/African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) Session of the 17th AGOA Forum is scheduled for July 9-1oth, 2018 at the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), located at 1211 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036, and on July 11, from 2:30-4:30 pm at The Heritage Foundation which is located at 214 Massachusetts, Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002.
The theme of this year's event is: " The Role of Civil Society Organizations in Expanding U.S.- Africa Trade and Investment," and the event will offer seminars, a workshop on developing an AGOA Country Utilization Plan for Civil Society, networking, a visit to Capitol Hill, museums and other historical sites in the United States Capitol.
The 4th Annual AGOA Spring Conference took place April 18 -19, 2018 in Washington, DC, at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and on Capitol Hill. The conference focused on President Trump’s policy on Africa; and included a review of the Administration’s recent visit to Africa; trade numbers for AGOA over the past twelve months under the Trump administration; and discussed the opportunity that bi annual AGOA Utilization Strategies offer eligible Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries for increasing exports and advancing economic cooperation under AGOA.
A highlight of the event was a visit by members of the AGOA CSO Network with Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a Congressional Exchange on the legislative agenda for AGOA on April 19th on Capitol Hill.
During the Congressional Exchange, Network participated in discussions on AGOA with:
Angela Ellard, Chief Trade Counsel Ways & Means Committee and Trade Subcommittee Staff Director of the U.S. House of Representatives
Joshua Snead, Trade Counsel to the Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives
Katherine Tai, Chief Trade Counsel, Democratic Staff, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means
Katherine F. White, Brookings Legis Congressional Fellow, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means
Download the Agenda for the Spring Conference
Download Remarks from the Spring Conference
Download the Communique for the Event
AGOA Civil Society/AWEP Session
of the
16th AGOA Forum
Lome, Togo
Presented to 16th AGOA Ministerial Session
The AGOA Civil Society Organization and African Women Entrepreneurs Program (AWEP) Session of the 2017 African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum took place on August 7-10, under the Theme “Civil Society and AWEP Using AGOA to Build Prosperity by 2025” The Session was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel and the ECOWAS Building in Lomé, Togo.
The CSO/AWEP Session of the 16th AGOA Forum brought together more than 200 delegates from the United States and AGOA eligible countries throughout Sub-Saharan Africa to address the following issues:
- AGOA Country Utilization Strategy
- AGOA Eligibility Criteria
- Infrastructure and Transportation Linkages to Make AGOA Products Competitive
- Using Fair Trade to Promote AGOA Exports for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)
- Using Micro, Small, and Medium Sized Enterprises to Strengthen Regional Integration
- AGOA Challenges, Best Practices and the Way Forward
Download the Agenda for the CSO/AWEP Session
Download the Communique and Recommendations
Download the French Version of the Communique and Recommendations
Fred O. Oladeinde
Chair, AGOA Civil Society Network Secretariat
Remarks during Opening Ceremony
Becky Norton Dunlop
Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow, Policy Promotion, The Heritage Foundation
Welcome Remarks
Chief Executive Officer, GS1, Ghana
Packaging & Labeling for Export Competitiveness
19th Annual AfrICANDO Trade and Investment Conference/Trade Show
Supply Chain Development and Competitiveness under AGOA
Apparel, Handi-Crafts, Beverages, Spices and Ethnic Food Trade Show for SMEs
2nd Track for Port Directors on Supply Chain and Port Security
September 20-22, 2017
Betty T. Ferguson Complex, Miami Gardens, Florida, USA
AfrICANDO 2017 - A US - Africa Trade and Investment Conference/Trade Show brought together more than 200 leaders from government, civil society, chambers of commerce, and the private sector from throughout Africa, the Caribbean and the United States. The objective of this year’s event was to address supply chain development, trade policy, trade security, logistics/transportation, and other relevant issues in an effort to identify the challenges and obstacles to small, and medium enterprises’(SMEs’) competitiveness in the US markets under AGOA.
The 4-day event included a dinner, and tour of several points of interest, including the Africa Trade Development Center (ATDC)/ Miami Free Zone; workshops; a trade show, and a marketplace; reception/fashion show; and competition among export ready companies from AGOA eligible countries exhibiting during the trade show.
Download the Communique from AfrICANDO 2017
Download Photos from AfrICANDO
And the Winners of the MSME Competition during AfrICANDO 2017 are...Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, and Nigeria (Ghana not pictured) |
3rd Annual AGOA CSO Network The 3rd Annual AGOA Civil Society Organization Network Spring Conference under the theme “The Future of AGOA under the Trump Administration and 115th Congress of the United States” took place on April 20, 2017 at the Embassy of the Republic of Senegal, in Washington DC, and on April 21, 2017 in the historic Library of the House Ways and Means Committee in the Longworth House Office Building, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, DC.
The event brought together Ambassadors representing AGOA eligible countries, leaders from civil society, government, business, members of the press from the USA and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and a Cabinet Minister to focus on how civil society organizations can support government and business in reversing the current trend of declining US-Africa trade volume and economic engagement and strengthen the implementation of AGOA with the view of creating sorely needed good paying jobs on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean under the Trump administration. Download the complete Communique, including Recommendations here! Download Presentations from the Spring Conference Fred O. Oladeinde, Chairman, AGOA CSO Network Secretariat |
CSO/AWEP Joint Session
of the
15th Annual United States - Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum
(AGOA Forum)
The Civil Society Organization (CSO)/African Women’s Entrepreneurship (AWEP) Joint Session of the 15th Annual U.S. – Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum (also known as the AGOA Forum) took place September 22-23, 2016 under the theme “The Role of Civil Society in Maximizing AGOA Benefits Now while Preparing for the Future Beyond AGOA.” The event was held at the Reagan Events Center which is located in the International Republican Institute (IRI) in Washington, DC.
The Joint Session of this year’s African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum brought together more than 200 delegates from the United States, AGOA eligible countries, and others to address the following issues:
- AGOA Country Utilization Strategy
- Congressional Perspectives on The Future of AGOA
- Capacity Building and Technical Assistance to Support Trade Facilitation in Sub-Saharan Africa
- The Future of US-Africa Economic Cooperation
- Enhancing Africa’s Regional Integration to Support US-Africa Trade and Investment
- YALI’s Role in Strengthening US-Africa Trade and Investment Expansion
- AWEP Discussions on The Future of US-Africa Trade and Investment
To view video of the Ministerial Opening Ceremony of the United States Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation (AGOA) Forum. Introductory remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs; Opening Remarks by Ambassador Michael Froman, U.S. Trade Representative, click on the link below: