With economic development and job creation in many countries of the Middle East and North Africa likely to hinge on increased domestic, regional and foreign investment, ministers from MENA countries in charge of investment policy reform will meet with their OECD counterparts in Jordan on 13-14 February to discuss ways to create a more attractive environment for private enterprise. 
The two-day MENA Investment Ministerial Meeting will review recent policy reforms in the region and set new targets for further action. Ministers are invited to adopt a Declaration on common principles and good practice for attracting investment to MENA countries. The meeting will be open to the media and will end with a press conference.
A highlight will be a Business Forum on Monday 13 February in which the private sector will have an opportunity to express their views on key elements for a successful region-wide reform strategy. This will also be the occasion for the announcement of a number of "investor of the year" awards honouring successful investment projects in MENA countries.
Also on 13 February, ministers will participate in discussion panels covering such themes as how to improve the image of the region for investors, the tax framework for investment, corporate governance and the role of financial markets in supporting entrepreneurship. On Tuesday 14 February, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and OECD Secretary-General Donald J. Johnston will address the conference.
The meeting follows more than a year of discussion and analysis of specific issues in MENA countries, as part of the MENA-OECD Investment Programme. The Programme is part of a two-pronged initiative on "Governance and Investment for Development", led by the governments of the MENA region and also including the so-called "Good Governance for Development" initiative.
© 2006 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
