Africa-Press – Angola. The chairman of the National Monitoring Group for International Organizations, Idalina Valente, on Thursday in Geneva, Switzerland, highlighted Angola’s progress in digital trade in light of the country’s strengthened strategic international commitments.
The official, who is also an MP, presented the progress achieved at the parliamentary panel on the sidelines of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Public Forum, which took place on the 17th and 18th, under the theme “Promoting Multilateralism through Digital Trade: What is the role of Parliaments?”
According to a note from the Permanent Mission of Angola to the United Nations Office for International Relations and Other International Organizations, the MP also praised the ratification of agreements such as the Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement with the European Union (EU) and the International Coffee Agreement 2022, which pave the way for the digitalization of value chains.
Idalina Valente highlighted the opportunities Angola has achieved in the context of economic diversification through e-commerce, with Angolan youth as a driving force behind innovation, as well as partnerships with the private sector, academia and civil society.
She also highlighted the decisive step taken in 2025 toward the country’s full membership in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Free Trade Area (FTA), creating conditions for greater regional digital integration and strengthening Angola’s position as a consumer and producer of digital solutions, especially in agricultural trade, energy and financial services.
The official also discussed the country’s challenges in combating the digital exclusion by creating an ecosystem of digital trust, electronic payments, data protection, and ensuring support for small and medium-sized enterprises.
The Public Forum is the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) main outreach activity and provides a unique platform for stakeholders from around the world to discuss recent developments in global trade and propose ways to strengthen the multilateral trading system.
This year, the forum featured 350 speakers and 4,200 representatives from civil society, media, academia, businesses, governments, and international organizations, including representatives from the Angolan Chamber of Commerce.
The event was preceded by the 55th session of the Steering Committee, which aims to strengthen the impact of the work of the Parliamentary Conference in the WTO.
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