Regional integration and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offer new prospects for trade and industrial diversification, but more targeted policies are needed to unlock the potential of Central African Republic’s Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Their integration into Regional Value Chains (RVCs) remains limited due to challenges, such as limited access to (i) productive resources (roads, energy, ICT); (ii) lack of skilled labor, production equipment, market information, and financing; (iii) supply-side constraints, particularly weak and unstable production capacity; and (iv) ineffective SME support policies that lack coordination and impact.

To contribute to efforts to tackle these issues, UNCTAD is implementing a project to strengthen SME participation in RVCs, in collaboration with ECA Subregional Office for Central Africa and the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Central African Republic, by providing policy tools, institutional support and data-driven insights. In CAR, the initiative focuses on sectors such as agro-processing, wood and timber and mining (including gold and diamonds).

The national validation workshop will serve as a platform to present and refine the findings of a national study conducted under this project. It aims to validate sectoral recommendations and foster alignment with national strategies, while encouraging dialogues between government actors, the private sector and development partners.

The workshop will bring together around 50 stakeholders and will cover thematic discussions, presentation of findings and policy options to accelerate SME integration into RVCs within the AfCFTA framework. Participation is by invitation only.