Nassim Oulmane

Nassim Oulmane is the Director of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Subregional Office for North Africa, based in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco. Previously, he was Chief of the Natural Resources, Green and Blue Economy, and Food Security Section in the Climate Change, Food Security and Natural Resources Division of ECA, based at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He has over 25 years of professional experience spanning academia, national government, international organizations, and the United Nations system. He has also served as Acting Director of ECA’s Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resources Division and Acting Director of the ECA Subregional Office for North Africa.

An economist by training, Oulmane specializes in sustainable development, climate change, green and blue economy, biodiversity and carbon markets, natural resource governance, international trade, economic transformation, and development policy. His recent work focuses on advancing climate-resilient and inclusive growth pathways in Africa, promoting sustainable natural resource management, strengthening blue economy governance, supporting the development of carbon and biodiversity markets, and mobilizing innovative financing for sustainable development, including climate finance, blue finance, and sustainable debt instruments.

At ECA, he has played a leading role in several continental initiatives related to climate finance, natural capital valuation, sustainable debt, critical minerals, blue economy development, and regional integration.  Oulmane also coordinated the African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, the continent’s premier platform for reviewing progress on the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063, and for preparing Africa’s collective input to the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. In this role, he contributed to strengthening regional consensus-building and accelerating sustainable development efforts across the continent.

Prior to joining ECA, Oulmane held positions in academia, government, and international institutions, including serving as Coordinator of the World Trade Organization Chairs Programme. He has taught economics, international trade, and development policy at universities in Africa, Asia, and Europe.

 Oulmane is the author and co-author of numerous books and scholarly publications. He regularly advises African governments, regional organizations, and international partners on blue economy strategies, climate resilience, innovative financing, sustainable debt solutions, ocean governance, natural capital management, and sustainable development pathways for coastal and island states. His work seeks to bridge economic transformation, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion in support of Africa’s development priorities and the broader Global South agenda