INTERNSHIP : Check out 2024 The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) African Union (AU) Internship Program

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is the world's largest free trade area, uniting the 55 countries of the African Union (AU) and eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs). The AfCFTA's primary mandate is to create a single continental market encompassing a population of approximately 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of about US$3.4 trillion. Its goal is to facilitate the free flow of goods and services across the continent and enhance Africa's trading position in the global market.

The AfCFTA is a flagship project of the African Union's Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, the AU's long-term development strategy aimed at transforming Africa into a global powerhouse.

The AfCFTA offers an internship opportunity for students with adequate knowledge and skills in relevant areas to gain practical experience and international exposure.

Context
Recognizing the AfCFTA's critical role in advancing the continent's development agenda, a platform has been established to introduce qualified African students to the work of the AfCFTA through an internship program. This program is designed to bring highly qualified and motivated students from diverse backgrounds into the Secretariat to work on projects aligned with the Strategic Orientations of the Secretariat and support its corporate functions.

The primary goal of the program is to enhance successful candidates' analytical and technical skills in an international environment. It aims to educate participants by exposing them to the workings of the AfCFTA at an early stage, thereby strengthening their personal and early professional skills. The program offers participants hands-on experience in various fields while allowing them to learn in a multicultural setting.

The Interns will be deployed to assist in providing administrative and technical support for effective implementation of AfCFTA programmes, projects and activities in its below Department/Directorates:

- Office of the Secretary-General
- Protocol Division
- Communications Division
- Conferences and Languages Division
- Directorate of Trade in Goods and Competition
- Directorate of Customs
- Directorate of Trade in Services, Investment, IPR and Digital Trade
- Directorate of Dispute Settlement and Legal Affairs
- Directorate of Administration of Human Resources Management/IT Unit
- Directorate of Finance
- Directorate - Institutional Matters & Programme Coordination

Goals
1. To give students a chance to learn about the work that is done in the AfCFTA Secretariat
2. To provide a learning environment for students who meet the requirements to work as interns.
3. To give students the chance to observe firsthand the operations of one of the major African Union projects
4. To educate the public about the AfCFTA, particularly the younger generation, and motivate them to strive hard in order to fulfil their dreams of working with international organisations

Applications must be submitted no later than August 15, 2024 11h59 p.m. UTC.