As North Africa’s biggest economy, one of the most engaged MENA countries in OECD committees and instruments and a historical co-chair of the MENA-OECD Initiative on Governance and Competitiveness for Development, the Egypt Country Programme is the outcome of a strong and long standing relationship between Egypt and the OECD.
This Country Programme will be a key source of information, practices and guidance for the successful design and implementation of structural reforms to address Egypt’s main economic challenges. It will also enable the country to move towards closer alignment with OECD standards and serve as guidance for the implementation of the recently revised sustainable development strategy Egypt Vision 2030. To that extent and in line with such priorities, the Country Programme will build on five pillars:
Pillar 1: Economic growth
Pillar 2: Innovation and digital transformation
Pillar 3: Governance and anti-corruption
Pillar 4: Statistics
Pillar 5: Sustainable development
Within these five pillars, the Programme foresees a list of 35 projects as well as a co-ordination function to ensure that the Country Programme is implemented and monitored effectively.
It will also support the regional work of the OECD in the MENA region such as the MENA-OECD Initiative on Governance and Competitiveness for Development. As a key partner in this Initiative, Egypt can help disseminate and bring policy perspectives to and from the MENA region.
All pillars will have a strong focus on gender equality and the inclusion of women and young people in the economy and society, as well as on supporting the formalisation of SMEs.
Contact us
Learn more about the Egypt Country Programme, the events that we host and participate in, and contact us with your questions: [email protected]; [email protected]
2023 Coordination Committee Meeting in pictures
17 May 2023 | Coordination Committee, Progress Report
26 October 2021 | OECD and Arab Republic of Egypt inaugurate three-year programme to support key reforms, Press Release
Egypt’s involvement in OECD Committees and Bodies
OECD Body Associate:
Investment Committee
Committee on Fiscal Affairs
OECD Committee Participant
Competition Committee
Committee on Consumer Policy
Tourism Committee
Public Governance Committee
Committee on Digital Economy Policy
Steel Committee
OECD Invitee
Chemicals & Biotechnology Committee
Fisheries Committee
Working Group on Bribery in International
Business Transactions
Committee for Agriculture
Environment Policy Committee
Joint Working Party on Agriculture & Trade
Corporate Governance
Committee for Industry, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Centre for Educational Research and Innovation
Education Policy Committee
Insurance and Private Pensions Committee
Regulatory Policy Committee
Pillar 1: Economic Growth
Why?
Egypt was the only country in the MENA region to see positive GDP growth in 2020 despite the global Covid-19 pandemic. GDP is projected to continue growing by 3.3% in 2020/21, and by 5.6% in 2021/221. Improving the business climate to attract more investments, as well as distributing the dividends of such growth, remain among the most important priorities for the economy.
What Projects?
- Economic Review and Egypt Country Desk
- Review of business dynamics
- In Depth Productivity Review focusing on the manufacturing sector
- SMEs and Entrepreneurship Review and capacity building
- Review and capacity building to enhance women’s participation in the economy
- Support for a national financial literacy strategy
- Support to Suez Canal Economic Zone
- Food and Agriculture Review
- Inclusion of Egypt in Trade in Value Added database and the OECD Services Trade Restrictiveness Database
Pillar 2: Innovation and digital transformation
Why?
Egypt has an important digital transformation agenda to improve the quality of life of Egyptian citizens and raise living standards and job opportunities. Such priorities are aligned with Egypt’s structural reform agenda and the national development plan, Vision 2030. Important reforms will focus on artificial intelligence, the digital economy, education policy and human capital development to promote innovation and better take advantage of the digital transformation.
What Projects?
- Boosting Egypt’s capacity to measure the digital transformation
- Comparative study of the implementation of the OECD Artificial Intelligence Principles and gap analysis
- Review of National Innovation Policies
- Review of Higher Education Policy in Egypt
Pillar 3: Governance and anti-corruption
Why?
Improving governance, strengthening the rule of law and the fight against corruption remains an important priority for Egypt as it aims to promote a level playing field for the private sector.
What Projects?
- Peer review of the governance arrangements of the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development and implementation support
- Capacity building and technical assistance on the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of Egypt Vision 2030
- Participation of Egypt in the Digital Government Index 2021
- Review of state owned enterprises (SOEs) procurement framework and benchmarking with government contracting in specific sectors or specific priority SOEs
- Modernising the budgetary process and institutional capacity, and gender and green budgeting
- Further aligning Egypt’s anti-corruption legal and institutional framework with international standards and business integrity
- Strengthening corruption prevention and public integrity in Egypt
- Follow-up programme “Enhancing Domestic Resource Mobilisation through a better tax and exchange of information system”
- Women’s participation in public life
Pillar 4: Statistics
Why? Improving the availability and governance of statistics in Egypt is essential to gather comprehensive evidence, including on the state of the economy, the population, the territory, and the environment.
What Projects?
- OECD Review of the Egyptian National Statistical System and information systems for official statistics
- Identify best practices to support the development of administrative records and their usage as statistical resource
- OECD review of gender-based statistics
- Migration statistics
Pillar 5: Sustainable development
Why?
Egypt recently revised its sustainable development strategy Vision 2030 to adapt to the most recent changes in the economy and ensure better alignment with the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Important priorities include promoting green growth, quality infrastructure investments, and territorial development.
What Projects?
- Strengthening Egypt’s institutional mechanisms for delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals in a coherent and integrated manner
- Green Growth Policy Review (GGPR) of Egypt
- Clean Energy Finance and Investment Mobilisation in Egypt
- Capacity building on reducing risks of agricultural pesticides
- Review and capacity building on the formalisation of small businesses
- Addressing territorial disparities and supporting placebased strategies
- Review of good practices for quality infrastructure investment and capacity building for mobilising finance for infrastructure
- Review of Egypt’s infrastructure governance and delivery frameworks
Find out more about the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Mobilisation (CEFIM) programme