An official session was held this Thursday 4 December 2025 at the headquarters of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, dedicated to the presentation of Mauritania's application for membership in the Organization's Development Centre.
The Minister of Economic Affairs and Development, Mr. Abdallahi Ould Souleymane Ould Cheikh Sidiya, delivered a detailed presentation to the Centre's Governing Board, in the presence of our country's ambassador to Paris, Mohamed Yahya Ould Teiss, and the Director General of Financing and Economic Cooperation, Mohamed Salem Ould Nani.
He examined in detail the pillars of the official application and its development and economic dimensions, in addition to the reform process that Mauritania has undertaken in recent years.
The Minister emphasized that Mauritania is undergoing a phase of profound economic and institutional transformation, driven by structural reforms that have strengthened macroeconomic stability and increased the growth rate over the past three years, with a reduction in public debt and foreign exchange reserves covering more than six months of imports, which guarantees a comfortable situation for our country.
He highlighted the efforts of our government to modernize the investment climate, activate the law on public-private partnerships, and strengthen transparency through laws on asset declaration and the fight against corruption.
He explained that our country's development vision – in accordance with the Accelerated Growth and Shared Prosperity Strategy (SCAPP 2016-2030) – is based on economic diversification, human capital development, inequality reduction, and strengthening climate resilience, reflecting a clear political will to build a modern and competitive economy capable of facing regional and international challenges. Regarding the partnership with the OECD, the Minister stated that Mauritania already participates in the Organization's main initiatives, including the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes and multilateral agreements on administrative assistance in tax matters, in addition to our country's membership in the Inclusive Growth Initiative.
He affirmed that the application for membership in the Development Centre is a continuation of the process of integration into the analytical and normative frameworks offered by the Organization, emphasizing the added value that membership in this Centre represents for both parties. This will allow Mauritania to benefit from the Organization's comparative expertise in the areas of energy transition, skills development for the digital economy, and innovation, while the Centre will benefit from the experience of a country undergoing profound reforms and situated at the crossroads of North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.
In his speech, the Minister indicated that the Mauritanian government has put in place institutional arrangements to ensure optimal use of the membership once approved, through the creation of a national focal point, a joint coordination unit, and the strengthening of the role of the embassy in Paris, in addition to internal monitoring mechanisms to integrate the Centre's recommendations into public policies.
At the end of the session, the Minister reaffirmed our country's commitment to contributing constructively to the work of the Development Centre and actively participating in the development of shared visions on development challenges, renewing Mauritania's commitment to the partnership with the Organization and its hope for the support of member states for the approval of the membership application in the coming stages.
Following the Minister's presentation, the Steering Committee welcomed the presentation and remarks made and decided to forward our country's application to the Governing Board with a recommendation for approval of its membership.
Mauritanian News Agency (AMI)
