This policy brief examines how human rights principles can be embedded in African trade policies, with a focus on trade unions’ role in promoting equitable and inclusive trade under the AfCFTA. While the AfCFTA offers economic opportunities, it also poses risks of labour exploitation and rights violations. The brief analyses the current trade landscape, highlighting the need for strong labour protections, gender equity, and the inclusion of informal workers. Drawing on examples from Ghana’s cocoa sector and South Africa’s mining industry, it showcases effective union interventions and offers actionable recommendations, such as mandatory human rights impact assessments, binding labour standards in AfCFTA, expanded protections for informal workers, and gender-responsive policies. Achieving a rights-based trade framework requires coordinated action from governments, the AU, trade unions, civil society, and other stakeholders.
