While the MENA region was beginning to show signs of recovery from the COVID-19 crisis - with a 4.4% expected growth for 2022, the war in Ukraine has placed a new set of constraints on economies and plunged firms into uncertainty. In this context, dialogue between the private and public sector is more crucial than ever to prepare the region to mitigate economic shocks and foster countries’ resilience.

Business associations throughout the region are well positioned to harness the potential of digital technologies and the green transition while promoting deeper regional integration through trade and entrepreneurship. They can also design inclusive strategies towards regional integration that can facilitate job creation, increasing the participation of youth and women in the labour market.

Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) provides a structured consultation between private and public decision-makers. Recent discussion in the context of the MENA-OECD Business Advisory Board (BAB) highlighted that MENA countries where PPD and coordination amongst key actors is strongest tended to perform better in reacting efficiently to the crisis.

By leveraging the combined impact of development and business solutions, PPD allows to identify pressing concerns, implement inclusive and workable solutions and further mutual understanding and trust among economic actors.  PPD is also particularly valuable in transition environments, as it contributes to consolidate peace and stability as well as helps rebuild the economy through private sector development.

• 29-30 Jun | MENA-OECD Business Advisory Board | Conclusions: From Recovery to Resilience
• Summer 2022 | Launch of the Libya PPD platform 
• August | Tripoli, Libya PPD on 5 sectors
• September | Bengazi, Libya PPD on 5 sectors
• October | Misrata, Libya PPD on 5 sectors
• November | Sabha, Libya PPD on 5 sectors
• 23 June 2022 | Promoting Investment and Business Climate Reforms in Jordan’s ICT Sector | Issues Paper
• 5 April 2022 | Public-Private Dialogue on Enhancing the Investment Climate in Tunisia's Pharmaceutical Sector | Issues Paper: English or French 

The MENA-OECD Business Advisory Board (BAB) is a dedicated regional platform for public-private dialogue on policy solutions to immediate and long-term challenges throughout MENA. Open to private sector organisations from the 19 members of the MENA-OECD Competitiveness Programme and from OECD countries, it is a unique network of business associations creating opportunities for networking, sharing knowledge and best practices across MENA and OECD countries.

The BAB has three main objectives:

• Strengthen the capacity of business organisations
• Promote new forms of effective public-private dialogue
• Inform the work of the MENA-OECD Competitiveness Programme with the needs of the private sector

In order to meet these objectives, the BAB organises annual high-profile meetings between business associations and governments.

The latest BAB annual meeting took place 29-30 June 2022 and discussed the role of business associations, governments and civil society in building the foundations for economic resilience and regional integration in the MENA region.  Agendas:  English | Arabic | French

Read the conclusions: From Recovery to Resilience, BAB Annual meeting 2022, 29-30 June, OECD Istanbul Centre

Find out more about the BAB:

• Strategic note: Building private sector coalitions for competitiveness policies English | Arabic
• Mapping of employers’ organisations in the MENA region