The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Internship Program 2024

aThe African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is the world’s largest free trade zone, uniting the 55 member countries of the African Union (AU) along with eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs). With a mission to establish a single continental market, the AfCFTA aims to integrate a population of about 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of roughly USD 3.4 trillion. By facilitating the free movement of goods and services across Africa, the AfCFTA seeks to enhance Africa’s competitive position in the global market.

Moreover, the AfCFTA offers an internship program designed to attract highly qualified and motivated students from diverse backgrounds. These interns will engage in projects aligned with the Secretariat’s Strategic Orientations while also supporting its corporate functions. The primary objective of the program is to provide participants with the opportunity to enhance their analytical and technical skills within an international setting. The program, which is largely educational, aims to expose interns to the inner workings of the AfCFTA early in their careers and to develop their personal and professional skills. It offers participants hands-on experience in various relevant fields while they learn in a multicultural environment.

Interns will be assigned to assist with providing administrative and technical support to ensure the effective implementation of AfCFTA programs, projects, and activities within its various Departments and Directorates.

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

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Eligibility Requirements for the AfCFTA Internship Program

1. Be nationals of a Member State of the African Union and residing in Ghana.
2. Final-year students who are on a full-time basis in a fully accredited degree program. Must be from a recognized public or private institution of higher learning in any of the following areas: Project/Program Management, Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E), Business Administration, Management or related fields.
3. Full availability for a minimum of three months, being the duration of the program
4. Proficiency in one of the AU official working languages (French, English, Portuguese, Arabic, Kiswahili and Spanish) and fluency in another AU language(s) is an added advantage.
5. Applicants should possess a high level of quantitative and IT skills
6. Additionally possess very good ICT skills and be familiar with the Microsoft Office suite
7. Be capable and willing to work in a multicultural and international team environment
8. Applicants should be committed to upholding and adhering to the rules and values of the Institution for the duration of the program
9. Female candidates are encouraged to apply

Selection process

The selection process consists of four main stages:

• Pre-screening: Placement of suitable applicants will be available at the AfCFTA Secretariat Directorates after screening of all applications.
• Interview and/or Written Test: hiring teams may invite candidates to complete a telephone interview and/or written test;
• Offer letter: A candidate will receive an e-mail upon selection with an internship offer letter from the AHRM Directorate.

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References

Verifiable references may be required.

Terms and Conditions

• The AfCFTA Secretariat will have no financial obligation towards interns. Travel arrangements and also cost of accommodation and living expenses will be the responsibility of the interns.
• There is no form of compensation for travel for interns
• The authorization for internship will be only once for three (3) months renewable one time for any candidate
• For each period, confirmation of interns will be solely on business needs.

How to Apply for the AfCFTA Internship Program

1. Apply online for admission to the AfCFTA Secretariat Internship Program
2. If you are a first-time user of our online registration system, you will need to register before you can log in.
3. Provide as much relevant information as possible.
4. Applicants must submit the following supporting documents with their online application:

• Address a motivation letter to the Administration and Human Resources Directorate of the Secretariat indicating what they expect to gain out of the internship program
• A copy of valid passport or  identity card
• Current curriculum vitae (CV)

Applicants will also receive an email confirmation of their application upon successful submission.

Application Deadline

The deadline to apply for the AfCFTA AU Internship Program is August 15, 2024, 11:59pm UTC.

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APPLY HERE

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You can also visit the AfCFTA webpage for more details on the internship program