In the framework of its repositioning undertaken in 2012, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) selected the Country Profiles as their flagship publications. The development of this new production is placed under the responsibility of the Sub-Regional Offices and in particular the Sub-Regional Data Centers.

With this perspective and in application of the conclusions of the most recent workshop on the country profiles held on June 22-26, 2015 in Addis-Ababa, (Ethiopia), a mission from the ECA Sub-Regional Office for West Africa, composed of Mr. Amadou Diouf, Acting Head of the Sub-Regional Data Center and Mr. Privat Denis Akochayé, Knowledge Manager, stayed in Dakar, Senegal, on July 13-16, 2015.

The main objective of this mission was to collect the national data needed to develop the profile of Senegal and to dialogue and discuss with the leaders of this country in order to strengthen its statistical cooperation with the ECA.

Thus this mission, placed under the coordination of the General Directorate of Planning and Economic Policies (DGPPE) of Senegal and the focal point for statistics of the ECA, had fruitful discussions with the main structures of the national statistical system and other regional institutions concerned with the production of data. These are notably: the National Statistics and Demography Agency (ANSD), the Planning Department (DP), the Department of Forecasting and Economic Studies (DPEE), the Regional Integration Monitoring Unit (CSIR), the Center for Policy Studies for Development (CEPOD), and the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO).

The mission also had meetings with the Agencies and Institutions of the United Nations System based in Dakar including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Labor Office (ILO), the African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA).

After the discussions with the different national structures represented at the highest level, they greatly commended the initiative of the CEA to develop country profiles. They favorably responded to requests for data, while undertaking to consolidate the data exchange partnership with the ECA. Moreover, the officials of the organizations they met with requested the valuable assistance of the ECA in the areas of capacity strengthening for the national statistical system while advocating for better availability and the dissemination of the products of the knowledge of this institution, notably concerning structural transformation, one of the pillars of the Emerging Senegal Plan currently being implemented.

To finalize the development of the country profiles for West Africa, similar data-collection missions will be conducted in the seven other countries selected for 2015.

It should be remembered that the development of these eight (8) new country profiles in West Africa takes place following the launching of the country profiles by the ECA in March 2015 in Addis Ababa during the Annual Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development held on March 25-31, 2015.