EVENT: 41st Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts for North Africa (ICSOE-NA)
THEME: “Strengthening economic resilience mechanisms to address the repercussion of simultaneous global shocks in North Africa”
DATE: 3 - 5 November 2026, starting at 9 am GMT, 12.00 pm EAT
LOCATION: Rabat, Morocco, and online
REGISTRATION LINKS:
ICSOE NA 2026 (3-5 November 2026) : https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ehCwC4JjQNyL3xOyQCkLZw
EGM NA 2026 (4 November 2026): https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pWhggiJ1Sz-aHQWDHtXpTw
LANGUAGES: Translation will be available in English, French and Arabic
Rabat, 28 October 2026 (ECA) - The UN ECA Office for North Africa will hold 41st Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts for North Africa (ICSOE) on 3–5 November 2026 in Rabat, Morocco, and online. The meeting’s theme is “Strengthening economic resilience mechanisms to address the repercussion of simultaneous global shocks in North Africa.”
A statutory deliberative body of the ECA, the ICSOE will review the Office’s results over the past year and set its work programme and strategic orientations for the year ahead. It will also provide country representatives and experts with an opportunity to share experiences and best practices in mitigating the impact of multiple and overlapping shocks. Participants will explore innovative mechanisms and practical policies to strengthen national resilience, support long term economic transformation and diversification, and accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2030 (SDGs) and Agenda 2063.
On 4 November, the ECA office for North Africa will hold an ad-hoc Expert group meeting under the theme: “Preparing for Future Transformations: Policy Design for Resilient Societies, Economies, and Ecosystems.” The meeting will study options for North African countries to design and implement development pathways that strengthen their resilience to global challenges and multidimensional shocks while accelerating structural transformation and striving for long-term sustainable development.
Over the past decade, North African countries have demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of multiple and overlapping global shocks. They have strengthened domestic resource mobilization, unlocked alternative sources to finance development and implemented structural reforms to support macroeconomic stability and attract investment. They have also leveraged strategic international partnerships to support growth and better withstand future shocks and worked to implement the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to enhance regional economic integration and reduce their vulnerability to external market fluctuations.
In the year ahead, North African countries’ main challenge will be to sustain their economic recovery while strengthening their resilience to external shocks. These include disruptions caused by the ongoing global energy shock, the increasing impact of climate change in North Africa and worldwide, geopolitical tensions, and tighter global financing conditions.
Their success will hinge on policymakers’ ability to successfully navigate heightened geopolitical uncertainty, climate risks and reduce dependence on international financial and trade markets through interventions and reforms to strengthen domestic resource mobilization, improve public expenditure efficiency, maintain sustainable fiscal position and macroeconomic stability and accelerate structural diversification.
Based in Morocco since 1963, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s Office for North Africa supports seven countries: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, and Tunisia. Its goal is to contribute to enhancing the environment for accelerated and inclusive growth and sustainable development in North Africa.
Recommendations from the 41st ICSOE and Expert group meeting will be submitted to the 59th Session of the Economic Commission for Africa and Conference of Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (COM2027) scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 17 to 23 March 2027, under the theme “Shaping the future of work in Africa: youth employment.”
Note to editors
For more information about these meetings, please visit https://www.uneca.org/forty-first-session-icsoe-north-africa. To request an interview with our experts, please email filali-ansary@un.org or a WhatsApp message to: (+212) 673 734 462.
