Morocco Steps Up Cooperation with OECD

Head of Moroccan Govt Saad Eddine El Othmani and Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) Angel Gurría signed on Tuesday a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to renew the Country Program to support the reform agenda set by the North African Kingdom.

Following the implementation of the first phase of the Country Program, the renewal of this 3-year program will enhance further cooperation between Morocco and the OECD.

So far, the Program has demonstrated its effectiveness in supporting the implementation of key reforms, including the strengthening of public policies, encouraging a participatory and open government approach and reinforcing a culture of evaluation and monitoring.

“The MoU we have signed lays the groundwork for an even more ambitious agenda of collaboration between Morocco and the OECD,” said OECD Secretary General Angel Gurría at the signing ceremony in Paris.

“It will enable Morocco to intensify the implementation of recommendations of the first Country Program and address other important challenges, such as the fight against corruption, the promotion of investments and the undertaking of structural reforms that can boost inclusive and sustainable growth”, added the OECD chief.

For his part, Mr. El Otmani stressed the importance of the Country Program which has allowed Morocco to get closer to standards and good practices promoted by the OECD in different areas such as public governance, economic competitiveness and social inclusion.

“The OECD cooperation program has therefore both served as a challenge and a catalyst for decision-makers to improve the design and implementation of public policies”, he underlined.

The Country Program is an innovative OECD tool that enables some partner economies to leverage OECD expertise and best practices, strengthen institutions, and build capacity for successful policy reforms.

Morocco is one of four partner economies along with Kazakhstan, Peru and Thailand, which have been selected for this bilateral work program covering multiple areas, including investment, public governance, education and territorial development.

The Country Program for Morocco comprises 15 projects and policy reviews, possible adherence to 20 OECD legal instruments and reinforced participation in OECD bodies.

It seeks to improve Public governance, support the fight against corruption, economic growth, investment, human capital, education, gender equality, territorial development…

During the ceremony, Morocco’s economy & finance minister Mohamed Benchaaboun signed the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting.

Signed by 89 jurisdictions, the Convention is the world’s leading instrument for updating bilateral tax treaties to reduce opportunities for tax avoidance by multinational enterprises. In March 2019, Morocco joined the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting.