Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Zina Nimeh

Author

Zina Nimeh
Associate Professor of Public Policy, United Nations University MERIT and Maastricht University

Dr. Zina Nimeh is an Associate Professor of Public Policy at UNU-MERIT and Maastricht University, with over two decades of professional and academic experience in the areas of public policy, social policy, public sector reform and governance. She studied Finance at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Labor and Human Resources at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. She obtained her PhD in Social Protection and Public Policy at Maastricht University through a Marie Curie Research grant. She currently is the co-coordinator of the Social Protection, Inclusive Innovation and Development research theme at UNU-MERIT. Her content area of expertise is on public policy, social protection policy and financing, social cohesion and governance. Regionally she has extensive expertise in the MENA region, as well as in the emerging markets contexts. Outside academia she has had managerial and consulting experience in the areas of human development, social policies and public sector reform with focus on employment, education and social exclusion.

Content by this Author

Social protection in Jordan: towards collaborative implementation

Jordan has an ambitious national strategy for social protection, adopted in 2019. But as this column explains, implementing it has not been easy in the context of economic challenges, the global pandemic and geopolitical instability. Achieving transformative social protection requires a new social contract, citizen engagement and effective support from the international donor community.

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A Macroeconomic Accounting of Unemployment in Jordan:  Unemployment is mainly an issue for adults and men

Since unemployment rates in Jordan are higher among young people and women than other groups, unemployment is commonly characterised as a youth and gender issue. However, the majority of the country’s unemployed are adults and men. This suggests that unemployment is primarily a macroeconomic issue challenge for the entire labour market. The appropriate response therefore is coordinated fiscal, monetary, structural and institutional policies, while more targeted measures can still benefit specific groups.

Global value chains and sustainable development

What is the role of exchange rate undervaluation in promoting participation in global value chains by firms in developing countries? What is the impact of the stringency of national environmental regulations on firms’ GVC participation? And how do firms’ political connections affect their participation in GVCs? These questions will be explored for the MENA region at a special session of the ERF annual conference, which takes place in Cairo in April 2025.

Adoption of decentralised solar energy: lessons from Palestinian households

The experience of Palestinian households offers a compelling case study of behavioural adaptation to energy poverty via solar water heater adoption. This column highlights the key barriers to solar energy adoption in terms of both the socio-economic status and dwellings of potential users. Policy-makers need to address these barriers to ensure a just and equitable transition, particularly for households in conflict-affected areas across the MENA region.

Migration, human capital and labour markets in MENA

Migration is a longstanding and integral part of the MENA region’s economic and social fabric, with profound implications for labour markets and human capital development. To harness the potential of migration for promoting economic and social development, policy-makers must aim to deliver mutual benefits for origin countries, host countries and migrants. Such a triple-win strategy requires better data, investment in return migration, skill partnerships, reduced remittance costs and sustained support for host countries.




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