1. Mounir BENHAMMOU Director of Administrative and Financial Department Secretariat General of the Arab Maghreb Union EN/CSC2/2014/Pres/05

2. The Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) was established on 17 February 1989 by the Treaty of Marrakech. It includes five countries: Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia. Following the Treaty of Marrakech, UMA aims “to strengthen the ties of brotherhood between states and peoples, to create the development and well being of society and the defense of their interests, to contribute in peace based on justice and the equity, to adopt common policies in all sectors, working progressively to ensure the free movement of persons, services, goods, and capitals”.

3.  UMA has several statutory bodies, including the General Secretariat based in Rabat, and several specialized ministerial commissions, which are the Committee on Food Security, the Committee on Infrastructure, the Committee on Human Resources, and the Committee on Economics and Finance.  The Ministerial Committee on Economics and Finance decided the creation of a working group on statistics. The working group held six meetings: in 1992, 1993, 2002, 2008, 2009, and 2010. Representatives of the statistical agencies of the countries of the UMA participated to this working group, which discuss topics of common interest for the five countries.

4. - The importance of preparing a draft action plan and strategy for the development of statistic in the Maghreb - The need to create a statistical cell at the General Secretariat of the UMA composed of experts in statistics, data collection, statistics on projects in this area, organization of statistical work and creation of a network between Maghreb statistical agencies, - The proposal for the creation of a Maghreb methodology basis for the preparation of population projections by 2040. The experts agreed to organize a workshop in Libya in 2011

5. - The preparation of a Maghreb statistical publication - The preparation of a Maghreb approach methods of exploitation of labor force surveys according to the criteria of the International Labour Office. It was proposed to organize a workshop in Morocco in 2011 - The organization of a workshop on the System of National Accounts 2008 in the year 2011 in cooperation with some partners, which will be followed by a training session on the System of National Accounts 2008 - The creation of statistical database in the Maghreb, based on the draft prepared by the ECA, to be submitted to the Maghreb countries.

6. - Continue the exchange of experiences and expertise between Maghreb countries in all areas of statistics and the use of new technologies - Organize training sessions - Ensure the organization of the third maghreb conference on statistics - Welcome the cooperation between the General Secretariat of the UMA and regional organizations in charge of statistics

7. In accordance with the conclusions of the working group on statistics in its six meetings, the Secretariat General of the AMU has approached several of its development partners for the implementation of these conclusions. In this regard, the African Development Bank has agreed to make a financial contribution about the terms of reference for the creation of an economic and social database and statistical cell.

8. gathering a statistic modules linking to the official websites of Member States, Regional Economic Communities and other partners of UMA in the field of socio economic development and integration in the region; preparing and collecting the key indicators of socio-economic development of the subregion; accessing information and publications of the relevant national agencies in the five countries of the UMA ;

9. As mentioned in report of ECA of 2010“Implementation Guide for The 2008 System of National Accounts (2008 SNA) In Africa” : “For an African country, the compilation of national accounts is a complex operation, especially with the choice to make use of the 2008 SNA framework”.

10. The non-periodicity of meetings of the working group on statistics The lack of funding for the completion of recommendations The necessary harmonization of standards and statistical concepts The training of Maghreb experts for the use of SNA 2008 The exchange of expertise and the creation of Maghreb network in statistics

11. The best introduction of this section is paragraph from a report of Statistical Commission, 41st session, 23-26 February 2010, “National Accounts Progress on the implementation programme for the System of National Accounts, 2008 and supporting statistics”, prepared by the Intersecretariat Working Group on National Accounts: The strategy takes as a starting point the different levels of implementation of the SNA in various countries. It acknowledges the need for coordinated action, not only at the international level but also at regional and sub-regional levels and emphasizes the need for close cooperation with regional commissions. And finally, it is a response to the expressed need by countries for technical assistance in changing over to the 2008 SNA”. “The efficiency and sustainability of the global statistical initiative for the implementation of the 2008 SNA rest on the agreed principles of the implementation strategy, namely: (a) strategic planning, (b) coordination, monitoring and reporting; and (c) improving statistical systems.

12. - The spread of the System of National Accounts 2008 by organizing workshops and training Areas of reform - The implementation of the recommendations of the working group on statistics by providing the human and financial resources - The contribution of development partners in the financing of projects and workshops

13. Our hope is that this event which we participate may give rise to an effective monitoring and financing of concrete actions for African countries in general and the Maghreb in particular, allowing to subscribe to the System of National Accounts 2008. UMA reiterated at various meetings of its bodies like the board meeting of foreign ministers or ministerial commission specialized on economy and finance, the great importance it attaches to the field of statistics. This importance is limited by many obstacles that are essentially human and financial.

14. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. 73 rue Tensift, Agdal Rabat Tel 05 37 68 13 71/72/73/74 Fax 05 37 68 13 77 Sg.uma@maghrebarabe.org www.maghrebarabe.org Secrétariat général de l’Union Du Maghreb Arabe