Building on over seven years of successful collaboration with the MENA region on Knowledge Economy issues, the World Bank Institute’s Growth and Crisis Practice, together with the Tunisian government and the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) hosted a high-level conference in Tunis, under the auspices of and opened by Tunisian President, Zine Elabidine Ben Ali, on: “Building 21st Century Knowledge Economies for Job Growth and Competitiveness in the Middle East”. The event was attended by over 100 experts and high-level dignitaries from across the MENA region.
The outcomes of the conference were substantial: after rich discussions and debates, the conference participants adopted the Tunis Declaration (PDF, 42Kb) – an important step in moving the countries of the region toward Knowledge Economies.
The declaration stresses the importance of Knowledge Economies for all countries in the region, and calls for the creation of a network of specialized experts and technical officials who would share experiences and expertise, follow up on national efforts, encourage regional initiatives, and publicize international experiences on knowledge-based economies. It also calls on the Tunisian government, ISESCO, and the World Bank to continue their efforts to help build Knowledge Economies in the region and facilitate regional collaboration. More at World Bank.