Theme: Integrating Women, Peace and Security agenda in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a focus on women in cross border trade in conflict and post-conflict situations.

The Council underscored the significant role that women traders continue to play in transforming communities and eradicating poverty; in this regard, emphasises the need for greater political will to create conducive conditions to enable women to trade without impediments, including ensuring gender equality in trade, reducing financial exclusion and developing appropriate safeguard measures for women traders to facilitate intra-African trade. The Council also requested the AU Commission, in close coordination with relevant stakeholders and partners, to continue rendering support to the Member States in their respective national efforts of implementing AU-relevant decisions, to address challenges related to trade, peaceful coexistence and stability, as well as the safety and security of women and girls in borderlands.