From Political to Economic Awakening in the Arab World : The Path of Economic Integration - Deauville Partnership Report on Trade and Foreign Direct Investment, Volume 1. Overview Report

World Bank

Washington, DC

关键词: ACCESS TO INFORMATION;    ADVANCED ECONOMIES;    ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES;    AGREEMENT ON TRADE;    AGRICULTURE;   

RP-ID  :  68832

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

The forces unleashed by the Arabpolitical awakening have the power to be transformational.One critical parameter of success will be whether the Arabpolitical awakening is accompanied by a concurrent economicawakening. Economic integration through increased trade andforeign direct investment (FDI) is one key means availablein the short to medium term to policy makers to put thePartnership countries on a higher path of sustainableeconomic growth and in a position to decisively tackle theproblem of unemployment, especially youth unemployment. Tobe sure, skepticism abounds in the region over the merits oftrade and FDI and the integrity of the private sector inlight of "crony capitalism," where the benefits ofpast policies are perceived to have accrued only to awell-connected few. Leadership is needed in both Partnershipcountries and Deauville partners to provide a crediblelong-term vision and explain the mutual benefits of economicintegration. One such powerful vision could be the pursuitof a partnership aimed at gradually promoting four keyfreedoms in the Mediterranean and beyond: the free movementof goods, services, capital, and eventually persons. Theimplementation of far-reaching domestic reforms inPartnership countries will be critical to effectively reapthe growth and employment opportunities offered by greatereconomic integration and regulatory convergence with themost advanced economies. To further enhance trade and FDIand to achieve the vision of an Arab world more integratedinto global markets, the trade and commerce pillar of theDeauville Partnership could therefore focus on fouroverarching priority areas of reforms and support: (a)improve market access opportunities and market regulations;(b) foster competitiveness, diversification, and employment;(c) facilitate trade and mobilize trade finance and diasporaresources; and (d) promote the inclusiveness, equity, andsustainability of the structural transformation broughtabout by the process of integration.