In June/July 2022, in parallel of the annual meeting of the MENA-OECD Business Advisory Board, key stakeholders form the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Chambers of Commerce at governorate level, as well as Yemeni business people gathered to discuss the Private sector engagement for inclusive reform in Yemen. The dialogues were organised in the context of the EU-OECD Project on Promoting Economic Resilience in Yemen, they took place in the OECD Istanbul Centre, in Turkey and gathered 22 participants. 

The initiative made part of a broader effort of the EU and the OECD to support private sector development in Yemen. By the time of its conclusion, the project aimed to build the capacities of the private sector to strengthen its voice in policy-making whilst ensuring a balanced engagement of different voices through the participation of medium, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs) and women business associations. The workshop followed a two-pronged approach. On the one hand, Yemen is undergoing a unique situation that requires a tailored approach to private sector engagement. This entails a rigorous knowledge of both the reality on the ground and the already existing initiatives to support the private sector. On the other, there are lessons learned from the experience of other countries from which resourceful synergies can be built for collective benefits. As such, there were clear advantages in combining a context-specific approach with peer-learning from previous experiences and other contexts in order to supplement and strengthen the capacity of key institutions representing the private sector in supporting its development. 

This workshop was divided into three separate sessions:   

• “Missed economic opportunities in Yemen”  
• “Economic de-escalation and the private sector: insights from the region”  
• “The OECD approach to public-private dialogue:” 

The EU-OECD project “Promoting Economic Resilience in Yemen” is financed by the European Union and implemented by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Starting in September 2020 and with a total duration of three years, it aims to strengthen the socio-economic resilience of Yemen in order to create viable conditions for economic growth and private sector development. The project is implemented in partnership with the Yemeni Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation.