OUAGADOUGOU, March 7, 2023 – The objective of the Research Symposium on Growth and Development in Burkina Faso, which is being held from March 7–10 in Ouagadougou, is to deepen the analysis and strengthen the recommendations of Burkina Faso’s Country Economic Memorandum (CEM)—one of the World Bank’s key analytical documents.
The Economic Memorandum seeks to analyze economic developments in the country over recent decades, focusing on the sources of and obstacles to growth, and propose long-term growth scenarios. It provides public policy recommendations to the government to help steer the economy toward the optimistic scenario of more efficient, resilient and inclusive growth.
“This symposium is a real innovation for research work and the World Bank aims, through the Economic Memorandum, to anchor and align the analysis and public policy recommendations as closely as possible to local considerations and knowledge,” said Maimouna M. Fam, World Bank Country Manager for Burkina Faso.
This symposium, which was organized in close collaboration with the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Forecasting and Thomas Sankara University, has several objectives. Its main objective is to enrich the analyses and contributions of Burkinabe researchers and support research in economic and social sciences in Burkina Faso. It will also provide a forum for discussions with national decision-makers on ways to improve living conditions in Burkina Faso, especially for the most vulnerable.
As part of this symposium, 12 research articles produced by Burkinabe researchers were selected by a tripartite Scientific Committee composed of the World Bank, the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Forecasting, and Thomas Sankara University. These research articles will be presented at the symposium and used to inform the World Bank’s analysis.
“The World Bank’s research and statistical work, which is informed by work done by national researchers, will provide in-depth analyses and insights (including from local sources), as well as targeted public policies that can accelerate growth, while making it more resilient and equitable,” noted Kodzovi S. Abalo, Senior Economist for Burkina Faso.
