Facilitating Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable Trade (FIRST)

The Facilitating Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable Trade (FIRST) Project is a five-year, CAD 9.7 million initiative led by Cowater International in partnership with the governments of DRC, Mozambique, and Zambia. The project supports the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by strengthening trade facilitation, addressing gender inequality and barriers to inclusive economic growth. FIRST aligns with international and regional trade frameworks, including the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, COMESAs Simplified Trade Regime, and regional agreements, to improve small-scale cross-border trade, particularly for women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs). Key interventions include strengthening trade ministries, developing gender-responsive trade and development policies, eliminating non-tariff barriers, enhancing MSME participation in trade, and improving access to sex-disaggregated, inclusive trade-related data. The project also focuses on facilitating inclusive trade at the Kasumbalesa border and supports implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement, including its Protocols on Women and Youth in Trade and Digital Trade, while aligning with Canadas Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth.