Title

Twenty-Eighth Meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts (ICE)
Promoting diversification and sophistication for the structural transformation of North African economies
Tuesday, February 26, 2013 to Friday, March 1, 2013
Rabat, Morocco

The Intergovernmental Committee of Experts (ICE) is the statutory deliberating organ of the Office for North Africa, of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA/SRO-NA). It is in charge of the supervision of the office activities and meets annually to : (i) review the report of activities of (ECA/SRO-NA); (ii) review short and medium term action plans, the programme of work and strategic orientations of the ECA for the sub-region of North Africa.The ICE is the formal framework of analysis and exchange between experts from national administrations, regional economic communities operating in the sub-region (AMU, CEN-SAD), researchers, stakeholders of the private sector and civil society, about the economic and social conditions in the sub-region, in order to elaborate recommendations on national strategies for development and enhancing the regional integration in North Africa.The 28th session of the ICE was be held in Rabat (Kingdom of Morocco) from February 26 to March 1st, 2013, in a regional environment characterized by the continuous political transition in some countries of the sub-region, the persistence of the crisis of sovereign debts and public deficits in many European Countries, a very weak growth in European Union economies – the main trade partner for North Africa, and the expansion of security risks in the sahelo-saharan region. Considering these various factors, the consequences of which are self-perpetuating and interacting among each other, continue to have negative impacts on the economic and social performance in the countries of the sub-region, mainly on growth, exportations, foreign direct investments, tourism and employment.