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A solid partnership between Morocco and the OECD

The Country Programme is an innovative OECD tool that enables select partner economies to leverage OECD expertise and best practices, strengthen institutions, build capacity for successful policy reforms and align themselves to OECD standards. Morocco is one of four partner economies along with Kazakhstan, Peru and Thailand, to have been selected for this bilateral work programme.

After a successful first phase (2015-18), the OECD Secretary-General, Angel Gurría, and the Morocco Head of Government, Saad Dine El Otmani, signed the second phase of the Morocco Country Programme. The objective of this phase, whose implementation started early 2021, is to provide Morocco with expertise and key recommendations based on OECD standards, to develop and strengthen its economic and social reform plan with a view to revitalising strong, inclusive, and sustainable growth. 

This phase will entail 11 projects and builds on four main pillars:

  • Public governance, integrity and the fight against corruption
  • Economic growth and investment
  • Human capital, including education and gender equality
  • Territorial development

As the Programme's co-ordinator, the OECD Global Relations Secretariat works closely with the Morocco Head of Government services. Together, they develop and oversee the strategic orientation of this relationship and ensure that the dialogue remains focused and forward-looking. 

The Programme results in a mutually beneficial partnership, which builds on a historically strong relationship between the OECD and Morocco, notably in the context of the MENA-OECD Initiative. Morocco has already adhered to 30 OECD legal instruments and regularly participates in 11 committees as a participant, associate, or member. Further adherences are planned for the second phase. Participation in OECD activities gives Moroccan teams access to a network of international experts and to international best practices and peer learning and strengthens links with the OECD. In return, this dialogue enriches the OECD’s knowledge and benefits OECD members and non-OECD economies by enabling them to acquire a deeper understanding of Morocco.

Morocco's participation in OECD work

As a result of its Country Programme, Morocco is increasingly adhering to OECD Legal Instruments, and participating in OECD Bodies. Morocco is an Associate in four OECD Bodies, a Participant in one OECD committee and holds "Invitee" status in 5 OECD Committees. It also adheres to 30 OECD Legal Instruments.

Morocco is featured in several OECD flagship publications, such as the African Economic Outlook and Revenue Statistics in Africa and benefits from country policy reviews on education and skills, public governance, public sector integrity, regional development and competitiveness, as well as a Multi-dimensional Review. The Country Programme allows Morocco’s official statistical data to be included in OECD datasets, such as PISA (forthcoming), Revenue Statistics and TiVA (forthcoming) database.

Recommended reading: > COVID-19 response in Morocco

OECD statistical data on Morocco:  PISA 2018 (education)  |  Revenue Statistics   |  TiVA (trade) 

 

Phase II Factsheet

Launch of Phase II: The Morocco Country Programme held its first Coordination Committee meeting which launched the implementation of its Phase II activities on 4 February 2021.

 

Associate of 4 OECD Bodies

 

Participant in 1 OECD Committee

 

"Invitee"status in 5 OECD Committees

Phase 1: Activities 2015-2018

After three years of particularly fruitful co-operation, the Morocco Country Programme has now reached maturity. The peer reviews and reports produced under the programme propose reform measures to improve the effectiveness of public policies in Morocco, based on international good practices. These policy recommendations are the outcome of productive exchanges between experts from the national administrations of OECD countries and their Moroccan counterparts, who came together to share experiences and identify solutions that could contribute to Morocco’s reform efforts.

Morocco now is also better integrated into the OECD databases, which makes it possible to offer international indicators and comparisons that will be useful for developing the Kingdom's public strategies. Finally, the Country Programme is accompanied by a tool to monitor the implementation of the recommendations proposed by the OECD, in order to ensure a concrete and positive impact on Moroccan public policies.

Peer reviews and reports

 

 Access all OECD publications on Morocco

 

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Capacity building

  • Institutional Support to the Head of Government Services provides the Moroccan government with information on international good practice for structures at the centre of government, as well as on the mechanisms and methods for preparing and implementing national strategic objectives.
  • Strengthening Governance Institutions to Promote Socio-economic Development works to improve public service provisions at the local level, administrative procedures and consultation with key partners, with a view to encouraging local development.
  • Monitoring Tool of the Country Programme’s Recommendations developped by the OECD to allow the Services of the Head of Government to monitor the implementation of the recommendations for 11 selected projects.

Workshops

  • Participation of Developing Countries in Global Value Chains (GVCs): The OECD presented Morocco with the specific conclusions of its report on the participation of developing countries in GVCs, in order to identify its level of GVC engagement and related policy options.
  • Innovation in the Education System and Innovative Education: The OECD used the numerous good practice examples collected by the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI-OECD) as the basis for a seminar focused on examining ways of integrating innovation into the different levels of the Moroccan educational system (national curriculum, schools, teachers).

Statistical work and surveys

  • Inclusion of Morocco in the OECD Trade in Value Added (TiVA) database: Through co-operation with the Moroccan authorities, Moroccan data will be standardised and missing data will be collected before integration into the TiVA – a database developed by the OECD and the WTO to produce an extensive range of indicators on global value chains.
  • Review of Foreign Direct Investment Statistics: This project will measure the compatibility of Moroccan statistics with international recommendations, assess data sources and methods used to collect data, and review the feasibility and usefulness of compiling additional series.
  • The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment PISA Survey: Between 2015 and 2018, and for the first time, Morocco will take part in the PISA assessment, a triennial survey which evaluates and compares the literacy, numeracy and science skills and knowledge of 15 year old students around the world.
  • Inclusion in the annual Revenue Statistics in Africa report: The purpose of this report is to provide African countries with the same statistical indicators as OECD countries and 20 Latin American and Asian countries, with a view to better informing their tax reform initiatives and increasing their capacity to mobilise national funding.

Adherence to legal instruments

  • Recommendation of the Council on Public Procurement
  • Recommendation of the Council on OECD Guidelines for Managing Conflict of Interest in the Public Service
  • Recommendation of the Council on Public Integrity
  • Recommendation of the Council on Effective Public Investment Across Levels of Government
  • Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters
  • Declaration for the Future of the Internet Economy
  • Recommendation of the Council on Principles for Internet Policy Making
  • Recommendation of the Council on Gender Equality in Education, Employment and Entrepreneurship
  • OECD Action Plan for Youth

Participation in OECD Committees

  • Investment Committee and subsidiary groups in which Morocco is invited
  • Public Governance Committee
  • Regional Development Policy Committee
  • Committee on Fiscal Affairs
  • Tourism Committee
  • Fisheries Committee
  • Committee on Digital Economy Policy
  • Committee on Consumer Policy
  • Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy

Latest OECD Publications on Morocco under the Country Programme

 

 Access all OECD publications on Morocco

Global lessons on collective action against corruption - The case of Morocco

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In particular, the report reviews the pioneering experience of collective action in the health, transportation and energy sectors of Morocco. It presents the different stages of implementing such action to promote integrity and analyses the lessons learned. As such, the report provides practical guidance to companies wishing to launch collective action, as well as governments and representatives of civil society, who can facilitate and/or associate themselves with this action.

 

This work was carried out within the framework of the project “Strengthening business integrity in Morocco”, supported by the Siemens Initiative for Integrity, which assisted Morocco in its determination to strengthen the integrity of companies and create a better environment for foreign investment, international trade and economic development. This project is also part of the long and active collaboration between the OECD and Morocco in the framework of the MENA-OECD Competitiveness Programme and the Morocco Country Programme, with the close co-operation of the Confédération générale des entreprises du Maroc (CGEM). The project also benefitted from the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

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