CEMAFI

on Multidimensional Poverty and "Pro-poor" Growth in the MENA Countries

Centre d’Etudes en Macroéconomie et Finance Internationale, Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, June 11-12, 2009. This workshop is organized within the framework of the project "Croissance et pauvreté multidimensionnelle dans les SUDS" (PROPOORSUDS) financed by the Agence Nationale pour la Recherche.

Background
Objectives
Program
Organisation
Pictures

During the last decades, the transition of MENA countries toward open economic structures and a new market economy, in particular with the Structural Adjustment Programs which guided reforms, have entailled dramatic changes in terms of poverty. At the same time, different policy measures have been adopted in these countries to accompany economic reforms and have produced contrasted results on the side of poverty with an amplification of social vulnerability or, on the contrary, a reduction of the inequalities.
The analysis of the social costs of development strategies based on the assumption that the progression of the GDP may guarantee the realization of other social objectives by a trickle-down effect, justifies the inclusion of other dimensions in the evaluation of any development strategy. In particular, tackling the analysis of “pro-poor” growth within multidimensional approaches of poverty, notably by focusing on non-monetary dimensions of human development, enables to check whether similar improvements could be identified in the social field or whether giving the priority to the economic growth objective have been to the detriment of social dimensions in theMENA countries. Moreover, it stresses the importance of an appropriate targeting of policy measures to the poorest. Studies on these topics will significantly enrich comprehension of the linkages between economic growth and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, as well as our knowledge of the types of social expenditures that are the most effective for poverty reduction.

To illustrate the state of the art in multidimensional poverty measurement as well as in “pro-poor” growth analysis.

To ease the exchange of knowledge and experiences on poverty reduction within the specific context of MENA countries.

To highlight the lessons that can be drawn from recent growth spells in terms of poverty alleviation.

D'AMBROSIO C. Family of unit consistent multidimensional poverty indices (co-authored by Satya Chakravarty).

KLASEN S. Measuring pro-poor growth in income and non-income dimensions.

DUCLOS J.-Y., BIBI S., VERDIER-CHOUCHANE A. Comparing absolute and relative pro-poor growth, with an application to four African countries.

BOULILA G., GABSI C., TRABELSI M.Regional pro-poor growth and convergence in Tunisia.

KABBANI N., MEHCHY Z. Poverty and community empowerment in rural Syria.

GOTTLIEB D., S. ABU-BADER S. Poverty, education, and employment in the arab-bedouin society: a comparative view.

SILBER J., DEUTSCH J. Measuring pro-poor growth with a variable poverty line.

BERENGER V., BRESSON F. On the "pro-poorness" of growth when needs differ.

MALIKI S., BENHABIB A. Poverty measurement by water for Algeria: a multi-items approach.

YAZBECK M., BIBI S., MAKDISSI P. Housing poverty in Lebanon

CHTIOUI N., AYADI M. Multidimensional generalized Sen-Shorrocks-Thon poverty measures

ELKHIDER A., EL BOUHDI A., KCHIRID M. Multidimensional measure of poverty based on the axiomatic approach: the Case of Morocco.

MAROTTA D., EL LAITHY H., ABOU-ALI H., AL-SHAWARBY S., YEMTSOV R. Was growth in Egypt between 2005 and 2008 pro-poor? From static to dynamic poverty profile in Egypt.

FERABOLI O., TRIMBORN T. Trade liberalisation and income distribution: a CGE model for Jordan.

BOULILA G., MOKADDEM L., HADDAR M. La croissance pro-pauvres dans les pays du Moyen-Orient et de l’Afrique du Nord.

FUSCO A., GUIO A.-C., MARLIER E. An EU approach to material deprivation using EU-SILC and Eurobarometer data.