Summary:

On 22 July 2024, Tunisia’s private sector labor union, the Union of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with its Algerian and Libyan counterparts, continuing a broader effort by the current administration to bolster ties with Tunisia’s North African neighbors.  The signing of the MoU included, among other agreements, the establishment of a Partnership Council that would support regional economic development between Tunisia, Algeria, and Libya. 

The MoU was signed in Algeria in presence of Algerian Minister of Trade, Tayeb Zitouni, who welcomed the development noting that it will contribute to the economic integration of the region and continue the effort toward cooperation that began in April 2024 during the trilateral consultative meetings between the three countries’ presidents. 

Outlook: 

The latest agreements signed by UTICA are aligned with the administration’s broader efforts to attract investments from North African neighbors and to help Tunisian investors seek opportunities elsewhere in the Maghreb.  

However, doubts remain among analysts and observers regarding the effectiveness of UTICA in representing Tunisian companies as it has not organized its general assembly since March 2022, and it has yet to reschedule the National Congress which was supposed to have happened in January 2023.  

With apparent internal disarray within UTICA, including as-of-yet unscheduled executive elections, many federations within UTICA are concerned as to whether UTICA, in its present form, can play a significant and positive social and economic role in the region. 

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