MENA-OECD Government-Business Summit

Issue Papers

Session 1

Promoting a sound business climate and attracting investment

Investment policy reforms have been a high priority for the MENA region over the past decades. While some MENA economies have been fairly successful at attracting foreign business, FDI in much of the region remains below its potential compared to other developing and emerging economies. This is not only due to periods of instability and conflicts in some MENA economies, but also the structural challenges shared by many of the diverse economies of the region, which are hindering the growth of a dynamic, competitive and rules-based private sector.
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Session 2

Enhancing connectivity and value chain participation

Enhancing connectivity and value chain participation is important for many economies in the MENA region aiming to strengthen their position as a gateway to African, European and Asian markets. The region has made progress in attracting FDI to establish export-oriented industries, but many countries remain at the sidelines of production networks of global businesses.
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Session 3

An eco-system for youth economic empowerment

Youth economic empowerment must be high on the MENA policy agenda. Children and young people (0-24 years old) currently account for nearly half of the region’s population and approximately 100 million individuals are aged between 15 and 24 (UNICEF, 2020). The demographic prominence of the MENA youth population presents a number of opportunities but also challenges.
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Session 4

Social resilience: moving away from informality to formal employment and businesses

Informal employment is widespread in the MENA region, representing 68% of total employment, reaching up to 78% in Yemen and 81% in Morocco. Although in several MENA economies economic growth has been sustained for several decades, it has failed to create enough opportunities in the form of decent jobs. Formal workers are mainly engaged in the public sector, while formal private employment represents only one fifth of total employment in the region.
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Other sessions