The World Leather Congress (WLC) that gathers global players and scholars on the leather sector was held for the first time in Africa at Ethiopian Skylight Hotel in Addis Ababa.
The hybrid event was organized by the International Council of Tanners (ICT) and Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI) in partnership of Ministry of Industry, under the theme ‘Leather – a Gift of Nature’.
The 5th WLC is followed by the XXXVI International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies Congress that was conducted for three days starting from November 3 – 5, and exploring the theme of ‘Greening the Leather Value Chain’.
Mekonnen Hailemariam (Prof), Advisor for the Executive Director of ALLPI, said that the global event is crucial for Africa and Ethiopia to show their potential on the leather sector.
“Different research papers on the sector have been presented by experts gathered from the world through webinar and physical attendance. Challenges on the leather industry was also assessed and discussed,” he said.
He said that the event will help Ethiopia to promote its leather potential for global players.
“The event creates an opportunity to link Africans to show their potential. The two events have shown directions for possible solutions to alleviate challenges on the leather sector,” Ghebregziabher Gebremedhin, Acting Executive Director of ALLPI, told media.
The Acting Executive Director said that Africa has abundant potential of cattle, sheep and goat, “despite the availability of this sustainable and renewable resource however the gap between the resource and availability production and trade are tremendous.”
He said ALLPI seeks to transform the continent’s leather sector from production and export of raw or semi processed hide and skins to production and export of finished products and enhance the leather sector trade integration regionally and globally.
Kerry Senior, Secretary of ICT, said that COVID 19 has significantly affected the leather industry by remembering by large the sector’s global enduring of significant pressure that imposed different actors, new techs and interest group in recent years.
ALLPI is an intergovernmental organization established through a Charter signed by 17 heads of state of COMESA countries in 1990. Its mandate was to facilitate the development of the leather sector in the region prior to its rebranding.
ICT was established in 1926, to establish a uniform international contract for the buying and selling of hides, skins and leather in order to facilitate, regulate and promote international trade in the sector.
WLC that is held every two years first happened in 2011 at Rio de Janeiro, while the past three events were conducted in Milan, Shanghai, and New York.
The week has also seen another international event on the leather sector. The All Africa Leather Fair (AALF) that started on November 6 to 9 is showing leather, accessories, components, footwear, leather goods, automotive and furniture in the sector. The 12th All-African Leather Fair gathers over 150 international manufactures and exporters from 20 countries show casing their products and innovations.