Tunis — The ECA Office for North Africa will organize, in partnership with the Tunisian Ministry of Development, Investment and International Cooperation (MDICI) and the Tunisian Union of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA) the 33rd Session of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts (ICE) from 30 October to November 2nd, 2018 in Tunis (Tunisia).
A statutory body of the ECA Office in North Africa, the ICE is an annual meeting of member country representatives (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia) in which participants examine North Africa's economic and social context and define ECA's strategic orientations in the region. This is the first time the ICE meeting will be taking place in Tunis (Republic of Tunisia). This important event will be held at the invitation of the Tunisian Government.
The 33rd ICE meeting will take place under the theme: "Data Revolution in North Africa: Using Data in Support of Structural Transformation" and back to back with an ad hoc expert group meeting on the same theme. Participants at both meetings will examine North Africa's data ecosystem, current requirements for the production of high quality statistical data, protocols governing data production, analysis, confidentiality and ethics, as well as the role of new technologies in collecting, analyzing and sharing information. In addition, participants will examine the data needed to follow up the implementation of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union's Agenda 2063 in their respective countries.
Participants will discuss a number of other key topics including youth employment in North Africa, the progress made towards the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, the integration of migration into national development policies and the promotion of the blue economy in North Africa. Participants will also take part in the presentation and launch of the Office's report on SDG implementation by 2030.
The Intergovernmental Committee of Experts and Expert group meeting will take place with the participation of high level representatives of the governments and national institutions of Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Sudan and Tunisia. Other participants will include the General Secretariat of the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) and representatives of other UN, intergovernmental and civil society organizations as well as academics.
The meeting recommendations will be presented at the ECA Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development in preparation for their implementation.
Note to editors
ECA is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Its Office for North Africa aims to foster the development of seven countries across the sub region (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Tunisia and Sudan) by helping them formulate and implement policies and programs that support their economic and social transformation, with key areas of work including regional integration and Employment, Skills & Sustainable development.
For more information, please download the meeting documents on: https://www.uneca.org/ice33-na and https://www.uneca.org/egm-na-2018
Communication Team
Economic Commission for Africa
Office for North Africa
Tel: +212 (0) 537 548 749
