D I A L O G U E
N°1 - June 1994



CONTENT

Editorial
Article 1 : Ethiopie : les enjeux de la transition
Article 2 : Le suivi de la dévaluation au Cameroun
Article 3 : Le secteur bancaire en Afrique de l'ouest
Article 4 : L'ajustement en Afrique selon la banque mondiale
Article 5 : Projet DIAL ORSTOM MADAGASCAR




EDITORIAL

Welcome to the first issue of Dialogue, DIAL's newsletter. But first, what is DIAL? It is a research institute, estabished in 1990 by ORSTOM (the French Institute for Scientific Research in Cooperation), the CESD (European Center for training statisticians-economists from developing countries) and EUROSTAT (the Statistical Department of the Commission of the European Union), with the support of INSEE (the French Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies). Its objective is to provide French and European institutions, who are in charge of development aid, with analyses and advice for implementing the macro-economic dimension of their development, by establishing a center of expertise in this area. In addition, DIAL's specific mission is to develop concepts and instruments to help define medium-to-long term strategies for sub-Saharan African countries which are under severe financial constraints.

To achieve this, DIAL has selected a two-fold approach, combining in-depth studies of certain countries (such as Cameroon and Ethiopia) with cross-country analyses. The latter treat themes that appear especially important for implementing balanced, long-term strategies: the macro-economic dimension of competitivity, labour employment and the macro-economic impact of the informal sector, and the adaptation of public finances to more market-oriented economies. DIAL's studies are listed on the last page of this newsletter.

Now, at the age of four, DIAL would like to begin to disseminate information on its approaches and open a dialogue with people interested in their results. That is the purpose of Dialogue, DIAL's newsletter, which we expect to publish every six months. DIAL would be grateful to its readers for their comments regarding their interest in the themes selected and the relevance of the analyses offered.

We would also like to take this opportunity to announce a change in DIAL's management. Having created DIAL, put in place its team and its network, and contributed to the development of its research themes, Guy de Monchy has gone to INSEE, and has been replaced by Jacques Loup, former Coordinator of Assistance to the LDCs in UNDP.

In this first issue of Dialogue, Guy de Monchy would also like to thank all who have contributed to DIAL's development,particularly colleagues in other institutes, European and African, who have participated in its work.