On 17 September 202, the World Customs Organization (WCO), in partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), under the framework of its and the European Union (EU) Rules of Origin (RoO) Africa Programme, commenced a comprehensive and sustainable RoO capacity-building initiative for Eswatini customs officials and Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade Officials. The first activity under the initiative was a self-paced e-learning course on RoO through the WCO CLiCK! Platform, which the officials undertook over a period of four weeks. This was followed by an intermediate-level training event held in Ezulwini, Kingdom of Eswatini, from 25 to 29 August 2025, with the aim of equipping participants with foundational competencies to enable the application and implementation of RoO.
The opening ceremony was graced by the Ambassador, the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade. In his opening remarks, the PS expressed his gratitude to GIZ for their support in organising the workshop and lauded the EU-WCO Origin for Africa Programme’s comprehensive and well-structured approach to capacity building. Acknowledging that trade is the backbone of Eswatini’s economy, the PS reiterated the vital role of RoO in international trade and expressed his expectation that this capacity-building intervention will enable Eswatini’s trade systems to be efficient as well as robust in combating origin fraud and responding to today’s dynamic economic environment. Lastly, he recognised that the participants would acquire the necessary skills to apply the RoO effectively, and in so doing, they would competitively position Eswatini in regional and international markets.
Also in attendance at the workshop was the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Secretariat. The representative of the Secretariat, the Programme Officer- Regional Trade, asserted the Secretariat’s commitment to support regional integration and the implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement. The Programme Officer reminded participants of the AfCFTA objectives and their pivotal role in increasing intra-African trade. The Programme Officer affirmed that a user-friendly RoO, implemented consistently and transparently, would enable the realisation of the benefits envisioned from the AfCFTA.
The workshop was tailored to enable learners to acquire the knowledge and skills required to determine whether goods qualify for preferential tariff treatment by accurately applying originating products conditions, territorial requirements and proof of origin procedures. A learner-focused approach, characterised by the use of exercises, case studies, illustrations, and plenary discussions, among other learning activities, enabled the internalisation of foundational concepts. At the conclusion of the workshop, the participants held a brainstorming session where they identified areas of improvement in their respective organisations in relation to the application and implementation of RoO. They made recommendations for consideration by management.
