• The 4^th African Business and Human Rights Forum took place from 7 to 9 October 2025, in Lusaka, Zambia.

• The AfCFTA Secretariat is spearheading the development of a continental policy on Business and Human Rights.

• Issaka Clean, Acting Director at the AfCFTA Secretariat, stated the policy aims to create a harmonized framework for the trade bloc’s single market.

 The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat is spearheading the development of a continental policy on Business and Human Rights. A senior official announced the 4^th African Business and Human Rights Forum, which will be held from October 7 to 9.

The forum, convened under the theme “From Commitment to Action: Advancing Remedy, Reparations, and Responsible Business Conduct in Africa,” brought together business leaders, government representatives, and civil society. The event was aligned with the African Union’s 2025 theme of “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.”

“It is in this context that the AfCFTA Secretariat is spearheading the development of a continental policy on Business and Human Rights,” stated Mr. Issaka Clean, Acting Director of Trade in Services, Investment, and Intellectual Property Rights at the AfCFTA Secretariat. He delivered the statement during his opening address at the forum in Lusaka, Zambia.

The policy aims to create a harmonized framework for business conduct across the AfCFTA’s single market, which encompasses 54 member states. The initiative falls under the Secretariat’s mandate to develop protocols on investment and intellectual property rights.

Cynthia Ebot Takang