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29/10/2009 - Amid a world economic crisis that has cut growth and sent inward investment reeling, government ministers and business leaders from Arab countries will meet their OECD counterparts in Marrakech on 22-23 November 2009 to discuss ways to boost employment, spur investment, strengthen governance, and tackle poverty in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
The situation is urgent: between now and 2020, 40 million new jobs will be needed for the MENA region’s expanding population. With annual growth rates that averaged 7% in previous years set fall to around 4% this year and foreign direct investment inflows into the region plunging by an estimated 30%, governments need to improve the efficiency of their civil services and attract investment by foreign companies.
On 22 November, representatives of government, business and civil society from MENA and OECD countries will share experiences and discuss reform options in three parallel events: a Governance Forum, a Business Forum, and a Women Business Leaders Summit. These events are open to the media.
On 23 November, government leaders from 18 MENA countries will pursue discussions with their OECD counterparts in a ministerial conference entitled “Beyond the Crisis: Business and citizens at the centre of policy responses”.
The morning sessions of the ministerial conference will be open to journalists and a press conference will be held on 23 November at 9.45 a.m. in the Palmeraie Golf Palace, Circuit de la Palmeraie, Marrakech 40 000, Morocco, www.pgpmarrakech.com where media facilities will be provided to enable journalists to organise interviews.
The ministerial conference will close with a Ministerial Declaration underlining the commitment of MENA and OECD countries to pursuing public governance and business climate reforms, taking into account the impacts of the crisis. This Declaration will reflect inputs from the MENA Initiative’s regional working groups and networks.
Ahead of this event, a press conference has been held on 4 November at 6:30 pm in the Hotel Royal Mansour, 27 avenue de l’Armée Royale, Casablanca 21 000, Morocco.
The ministerial conference and the preceding events will be a unique opportunity for MENA countries, in partnership with OECD governments, to address economic and social challenges and to create a springboard for a recovery that ensures fair economic growth, higher living standards and better opportunities for all citizens. Governments have a vital role to play in delivering effective public services and involving citizens, businesses, civil society and media in reform efforts. The participation of women in the economy, in particular, can be a strong driver for growth: women can help to boost social cohesion and job creation if given access to the labor market, whether in the public sector or as entrepreneurs.
The conference and associated events are the fourth such ministerial-level gathering organised under the MENA Initiative on Governance and Investment for Development. Launched in 2005 as a partnership with OECD countries for governance and investment reform based on policy dialogue and peer advice, the MENA Initiative has led to the creation in several MENA countries of regional training centres focusing on spreading expertise on public management, investment and competitiveness.
For more information on the 2009 MENA-OECD Ministerial Conference, please visit www.oecd.org/mena/ministerial2009 or contact us at mena.ministerial@oecd.org
Journalists can register to cover the conference at news.contact@oecd.org. For more information, they should contact Ms. Bochra Kriout (bochra.kriout@oecd.org) +33 145 24 14 28
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