As Africa and the Middle East are growing and changing, development issues and economic challenges are also evolving. Development professionals and policy makers must grasp the complexities of foreign investment trends, domestic resource mobilization, issues of long-term wealth shifts and the effects of external shocks and crises. The Africa and Middle East Desk at the Development Centre tracks these fundamental issues. Through research, publications, partnerships and dialogue, we make sense of a rapidly shifting landscape.

Our most important project is the annual African Economic Outlook (AEO), a reference report that covers recent economic, political and social developments on the continent and undertakes original, short-term projections. From the AEO and other research projects we publish summaries of major findings and articles. Topics include everything from a focus on the special AEO theme, to a macroeconomic overview of the continent, to governance updates to a review of new growth indicators developed by the Desk.

We present the major findings of our research to policy makers in OECD and non-OECD countries with an aim at debating and then arriving at a common understanding of good practice for development’s challenges. The aim is for these discussions to lead to improved policy making and more informed dialogue between leaders and their constituents. For example, at our annual International Economic Forum on Africa, we gather government officials and private sector executives to discuss the state of economic and political affairs in Africa.

The Africa Desk also works with a network of think tanks around the continent that complement our research and promote domestic scholarship and data and knowledge creation. We currently have created non-resident research fellows from partner think tanks in Africa.

For further information, please write to us at dev.contact@oecd.org

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