THE AFRICAN ROYAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (The ARC of Commerce)

In accordance with the Republic of Ghana's Companies Act 179, the African Views Organization created the ARC OF COMMERCE as a public benefit to ensure that African and African Diaspora enterprises, investors, and entrepreneurs have access to a fair market share of the continent's economic wealth. The ARCC supports regulations that promote professional trade abilities, the convenience of conducting international business, mercantile risk minimization, logistics, systems, transparency, and integrity. The ARCC offers a comprehensive and in-depth company directory that is inclusive and gives regional grassroots business owners in both the official and informal sectors fair, cost-effective, competitive opportunities.


Due to its comprehensive approach to addressing the more prevalent "needs" or "deficits" of local resources or local partnerships and direct relationships with traditional and cultural authorities, the ARCC economic model acts as an alternative to the conventional chamber of commerce. The ARCC is special because it brings together governments and royal kingdoms to work together to improve the economic and living conditions of the populace. This effort is motivated by the need to meet the most basic needs and desires of the community and to close any existing gaps in the cultural economy.


Turning Global African presence into a Competitive Economic Advantage 

Global presence does not automatically ensure competitive advantage. Otherwise, worldwide African presence would have easily yielded the culture-based wealth that provides the necessary financial capital and the political economic edge enjoyed by other cultures worldwide. Some cultures have taken advantage of their perceived competitive edge, and used it effectively to establish progressive markets virtually everywhere possible.


Up till today, we have witnessed multinational corporations integrated into many countries across continents. Their presence in other countries will continue to change people's thinking and consumption habits. Multinational corporations usually have specific origins. They must always remain loyal; along with their products and finances, their underlying ideas and cultures must circulate freely to ensure the established economic relations' sustainability. Since culture is a way of life, all specialized products and services reflect particular cultural identities. Each global product contributes to the wealth of a particular culture or nation.

An excellent example of a multinational corporation with an inconspicuous global presence can be found in the Automobile where GM and Ford are known to American, Hyundai is Korea, Tata is Indian, VW, BMW, Mercedes are German, Volvo is Swedish, Mitsubishi, Toyota is Japanese, Fiat is Italian, Lada is Russian,  Citroen is French. Range Rover and Rolls Royce are British. Similar cultural identity can be found in technology, be it in computers, audio systems, refrigeration, televisions, etc. Good examples of specialized banking can be found in Banking and Finance, namely the IMF, World Bank, ADB, The Caribbean Development Bank, etc. One other area worth mentioning is the media entertainment sector, where cultural institutions such as Hollywood, Bollywood, Nollywood, Ghallywood, Riverwood, etc. If deliberate from the onset and adequately organized, this type of attunement can help tap into its natural and instinctive resources to contribute to the collective conveyance of African values and eventually lead to the creation of necessary financial wealth, which constitute what can be described as an economic power.


Turning global presence into a global competitive advantage requires a culture to consciously match its value creation potential with the opportunities generated by its predisposed global relationship and presence. This means that if globalization is indeed a relationship economy, there is no reason not to think of the possibility of a new global African economic relationship initiative driven by culture and technology because the culture is what we already have in abundance. Technology makes it possible to organize information, create efficient communication, production, distribution, risk assessment, and monetization virtually on a global basis. Africa and the Caribbean are linked together by their origins; therefore, the condition of being related provides an excellent opportunity for economic trade relations, which can also serve as the necessary means to reconnect and strengthen the ties between Africa and its Diaspora.


Diasporic, transnational identities and social structure—coupled with the increasing ease of cross-border capital and investment movement—have given rise to a particular case of international ethnic entrepreneurial behavior:  This presentation is designed to help identify opportunities and suggests a framework for analysis and actions necessary to create global African competitive advantage.


Objectives 

Promote trade, promote understanding, promote cooperation, promote cultural exchanges


Promote the positive perception of the county as a warm, tourist-friendly and family-friendly destination with plenty of great local merchants, green areas and events through radio advertising, interviews, and podcasts.


Build community spirit and promote a common identity among two towns and the county through consistent, positive word-of-mouth via radio advertising to area adults.


Create an ongoing awareness of opportunities to shop, visit, and engage economically through highlighting businesses, events, and organizations within the county for both local residents and visitors.


Measures for the campaign’s success were easy to declare and track: increased visits to the county’s regular and tourism websites and Facebook pages, additional phone and in-person inquiries at the Visitor’s Center, increased tax revenues from retailers, and greater attendance at community events.


SDG: 17.11 Significantly increase the exports of developing countries, in particular with a view to doubling the least developed countries' share of global exports by 2020.

❖Thematic approach using culture sector: exports of cultural goods and services

❖UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators Report: thematic SDG indicators on culture

❑ 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

❖ Article 16 of the Convention stipulates “Developed countries shall facilitate cultural exchanges with developing countries by granting, through the appropriate institutional and legal frameworks, preferential treatment to …. cultural goods and services from developing countries”.

Download the UNESCO Document here 

2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

▪ Article 16 of the Convention stipulates “Developed countries shall facilitate cultural exchanges with developing countries by granting, through the appropriate institutional and legal frameworks, preferential treatment to cultural goods and services from developing countries”.

▪ Thematic approach to SDG: 17.11 Significantly increase the exports of developing countries, in particular with a view to doubling the least developed countries share of global exports by 2020.

Download the UNESCO Document here 

BOOSTING TRADE AND INVESTMENT:
A new agenda for regional and international engagement

Intra-African trade: A path to economic diversification and inclusion

What is less known about the AfCFTA is that its scope exceeds that of a traditional free trade area, which generally focus on trade in goods, to include trade in services, investment, intellectual property rights and competition policy, and possibly e-commerce. The AfCFTA is complemented by other continental initiatives, including the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Right to Residence and Right to Establishment, and the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM). The scale of AfCFTA’s potential impact makes it vital to understand the main drivers of the agreement and the best methods to harness its opportunities and overcome its risks and challenges.