Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, 11 April 2025– The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat successfully convened the 13th Meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) from 7 to 11 April 2025 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

The meeting advanced the operationalisation of the AfCFTA Dispute Settlement Mechanism, including the finalisation of the appointments to the Appellate Body, the adoption of the 2025 Indicative List of Panellists, and the endorsement of the Revised Code of Conduct for Panellists. Delegations also considered updates on the development of procedures for panel selection and agreed on steps to strengthen the framework for future dispute resolution under the Agreement.

The Secretariat expressed its appreciation to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo for hosting the meeting and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting a rules-based trading system under the AfCFTA.