Report on subregional initiatives

Abstract

Over the past ten years, North Africa has registered appreciable average growth in gross domestic product of between 4 and 5 per cent, in spite of fallout resulting from the 2008–2011 world economic crisis and the duration of the political transitions underway in certain countries in the sub region. In terms of social progress, the 2010 to 2013 Millennium Development Goal (MDGs) reports indicate that many of the targets have been met. However, the challenges for sustainable and inclusive development are many, especially with respect rising youth unemployment, increasing migratory pressure, the persistence of social and regional of climate change and the widening of security risks. The present report will briefly review the above initiatives, analyze their scope, and propose certain avenues of reflection and action over the medium-term to allow the sub region to better exploit its potential for development and position itself within the regional economic groups currently being constituted.