Media Advisory | July 23 Briefing with Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs and Constance Hamilton Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa.

EVENT:

Please join us on Tuesday, July 23 2019, at 8:30am EDT for a telephonic press conference with Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs and Constance Hamilton, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa who will discuss the United States and Ivory Coast co-hosting the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, August 4-6. The Forum will bring together senior government officials from the United States and 39 sub-Saharan African AGOA-eligible countries to discuss ways to deepen economic cooperation and increase trade between the United States and Africa. The African Union and regional economic communities will also participate.

BACKGROUND:

The theme of this year’s Forum is “AGOA and the Future: Developing a New Trade Paradigm to Guide U.S.-Africa Trade and Investment.” The 2019 Forum will explore how countries can maximize the benefits of AGOA in a rapidly changing economic landscape, and can deepen our trade and investment ties in parallel with the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Representatives from the private sector, civil society, and the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) will participate in Forum activities August 4-6.

DETAILS:

Speakers:                                Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs

                                                  Constance Hamilton, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa 

Date:                                          July 23, 2019

Time:                                         08:30 EDT/12:30 UTC/14:30 SAST

* Please use Time Zone Converter to determine the start time of the event in your time zone.

Language                                 English. French and Portuguese interpretation will be offered. 

Ground rules:                          On the record

Dial-in Info:                               To be provided once you RSVP

RSVP:                                        RSVP to Eventbrite

Twitter:                                      #AFHubPress is the hashtag for the call. Follow us on @AfricaMediaHub.

 

 

LOGISTICS: 

• Callers should dial-in to the conference call 10-15 minutes early. 
• The operator will ask for your name, press affiliation, and location.
• Speaker will give brief opening remarks, and then the moderator will open the floor to
• Participants will be instructed to push the “*” and “1” buttons on their phones to enter the question queue. You may also submit questions in advance via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
• If you experience technical difficulties during the call, you may email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to alert the moderator to any issues.
• We ask that journalists limit themselves to one question and indicate to which speaker the question is directed. Journalists can also submit questions in English to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. prior to or during the call. 

 

Bios:

Tibor P. Nagy
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs
U.S Department of State

Ambassador Nagy, a retired career Foreign Service Officer, spent 32 years in government service, including over 20 years in assignments across Africa. He served as the United States Ambassador to Ethiopia (1999-2002), United States Ambassador to Guinea (1996-1999) as well as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Nigeria (1993-1995), Cameroon (1990-1993), and Togo (1987-1990). Previous assignments include Zambia, the Seychelles, Ethiopia, and Washington, DC.

Ambassador Nagy has received numerous awards from the U.S. Department of State in recognition of his service, including commendations for helping prevent famine in Ethiopia; supporting the evacuation of Americans from Sierra Leone during a violent insurrection; supporting efforts to end the Ethiopian-Eritrean War; and managing the United States Embassy in Lagos, Nigeria during political and economic crises.

Ambassador Nagy’s full bio can be found here. 

Constance A. Hamilton
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa

Constance Hamilton is the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa, Office of the United States Trade Representative. In this capacity, she leads U.S. trade efforts in the 49 countries of sub-Saharan Africa and oversees the Administration’s implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Ms. Hamilton is responsible for developing and advancing bilateral, regional and multilateral U.S. initiatives to enhance U.S. trade and economic cooperation with sub-Saharan Africa.

Ms. Hamilton previously served as the Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa, where she advanced measures to open markets and improve the investment climates in African countries. Prior to joining USTR, Ms. Hamilton served as Supervisory Economist and Chief of the Asia-Africa Division at the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC). She is co-author of numerous publications in the field of international trade.

Ms. Hamilton’s full bio can be found here.

Additional Resources:

• Website: https://agoa.info/
• Follow along on Twitter: @USEmbAbidjan
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USAbidjan/
• AGOA Forum details: https://agoa.info/forum