Competitiveness - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

MENA-OECD Competitiveness Programme

‌The MENA-OECD Competitiveness Programme is a strategic partnership between MENA and OECD economies to share knowledge, expertise and good practices. The Programme’s objective is to contribute to the development of inclusive, sustainable and competitive economies across the region.

The Programme works under the mandate of the 2021 Ministerial Declaration, supporting reforms to mobilise investment, private sector development and entrepreneurship as driving forces for inclusive and sustainable growth and employment in the MENA region, building also on the need to mainstream the region’s increasingly well trained youth and women.

To learn more about recent work consult the Activities Report 2021-23, and the Programme of Work 2023-25.

Policy areas

Women's Economic Empowerment

Empowering women increases productivity and reduces poverty, helping to create more resilient and inclusive societies. Through evidence-based analysis, our work seeks to help women engage in the economy by addressing legal, economic and political impediments that stand in their way.

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Investment & Trade

Boosting investment and trade is crucial for furthering economic growth and job creation in the region. We pursue an interconnected approach to investment and trade, the key drivers of global economic integration, growth and prosperity, while focusing on the inclusiveness of related policies.

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Business Integrity

Integrity is central to the development of competitive and open economies in which growth and opportunities are sustainably and equitably distributed. The MENA-OECD Competitiveness Programme works to foster transparent public-private dialogue and improve the effectiveness of anti-corruption strategies.

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SMEs & Entrepreneurship

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups are vital for more and better jobs, higher productivity and greater innovation. Promoting better SME and entrepreneurship policies is one of the main areas of work of the MENA-OECD Competitiveness Programme.

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Economic Resilience

The scale and nature of conflicts in MENA countries during the past decade makes resilience a regional priority. Promoting resilience requires addressing short-term issues while providing long-term solutions that can minimise the impact of future shocks.

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Public-Private Dialogue

Partnering with the private sector and civil society in a structured, systematic and transparent way is key to supporting reform efforts aimed at improving the business environment, and fostering job creation and development. The Competitiveness Programme promotes public-private dialogue for more effective policy reforms throughout its workplan

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Country Specific Work

Egypt Country Programme

The Egypt Country Programme is the outcome of a strong and long standing relationship between Egypt and the OECD.

A key source of information, practices and guidance, it supports the successful design and implementation of structural reforms to address Egypt’s main economic challenges.

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Morocco Country Programme

The second phase of the Morocco Country Programme provides 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.

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EU-OECD Project on Promoting Economic Resilience in Yemen

The specific objectives of the project are to:

► Enable key central level economic institutions to lead economic recovery and create the conditions for private sector development.
► Strengthen capacity for economic data collection and analysis
► Promote resilience and private sector development, focusing on job creation and employment of the youth, women and internally displaced persons (IDPs).
► Facilitate donor coordination and policy coherence in the economic sector

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EU-OECD Project on Promoting Public-Private Dialogue in Libya

Promoting Public-Private Dialogue in Libya is an EU-OECD Project that supports and encourages an active economic and social dialogue between Libya’s public and private actors. Through public-private dialogue, the Project contributes to the adoption of the necessary economic transformation policies that can lead to post-conflict recovery and the diversification of Libya’s economy. The Project is working towards its objectives by:
► Creating a platform which mobilises public-private discussions through physical encounters;

► Providing the government, private and social actors with the tools and expertise necessary to engage in a structured dialogue;

► Contributing to developing a new economic vision for the country, delivering analytical inputs and well-structured and specific policy reform plans.

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