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Increased international co-operation on financial and corporate issues essential to making globalisation work for all

Globalisation has failed to create a level playing field in trade, investment and corporate behaviour, being one of the factors contributing to a backlash against openness in many countries and a decline in confidence in government institutions.




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Business brief: Bomare: An innovative player

Bomare Company was founded in 2001. Its current capital is DA 620 million (US$5.6 million) and its production covers two major fields: the manufacture of electronic and telephone apparatus (televisions, smartphones, tablets, satellite receivers and professional display screens) under our own brand Stream System and international brands, and subcontracting for the automobile, aeronautics and renewable energy industries.




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For business and globalisation, people hold the key

Making globalisation work, the theme for the OECD’s annual Ministerial Council Meeting 7-8 June, is more than the culmination of one of the most debated issues today. It is also a pertinent topic for the OECD in its quest to better integrate policies that deliver growth and the participation of people behind it.




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OECD Steel Committee sees tentative and vulnerable recovery amid excess capacity and market distortions

A modest recovery is under way in the global steel market but structural imbalances remain acute amid sluggish demand growth expected in the long-term demand, the OECD Steel Committee said at the end of its meeting this week.




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OECD welcomes outcome of Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity Ministerial

The OECD welcomes the outcomes of today's Ministerial meeting of the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity, and congratulates Germany on this important achievement on the last day of its G20 Presidency. The Global Forum was created by G20 Leaders, at their Hangzhou summit in September of last year. The OECD is honoured to be serving the Global Forum as its Facilitator and to contribute to its achievements to date.




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OECD Workshop on corporate disclosure and responsible business conduct

7 December 2017, Paris - This workshop addressed the growing demand for transparency and information on how companies deal with human rights, environmental, social and other "non-financial" issues with a particular focus on how companies are identifying and addressing impacts in their supply chains.




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China and the OECD partner to promote responsible business in global textile and apparel supply chains

30/01/2018 - The China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC) and the OECD today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that sets out their commitment to intensify co-operation to promote responsible business in global textile and apparel supply chains.




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Small business access to alternative finance increasing as new bank lending declines

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly turning to alternative sources of financing, while new bank lending is declining in a number of countries. Many SMEs remain over-reliant on bank credit, however, and the take-up of instruments other than straight debt varies greatly from one country to another, according to a new OECD report.




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OECD highlights serious weaknesses in the fight against illicit trade

Inconsistent penalties, insufficient checks on small parcels, and a lack of information on shipments in free trade zones allow criminal networks to traffic billions of dollars worth of fake and prohibited goods each year. Today, the OECD introduced a new phase in its efforts to help governments counter these enforcement gaps and better protect consumers and businesses.




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Avoid escalation and rely on dialogue to resolve excess capacity in the global steel industry

The OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría called on the governments of steel-producing economies to address the root causes of today’s steel crisis through multilateral approaches, and in particular through the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity.




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Call for candidates: OECD Working Party on Responsible Business Conduct seeks a new Chair

29/03/2018 - The OECD Working Party on Responsible Business Conduct is seeking candidates for a new Chairs to assist in implementing and promoting the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.




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Alignment assessment of industry programmes with the OECD minerals guidance

The OECD Due Diligence Guidance is being used as the basis and benchmark by many industry initiatives created to ensure the responsible sourcing of minerals. This report presents the findings of a pilot alignment assessment of five industry programmes against the recommendations of the OECD Guidance to gauge the coherence, effectiveness and credibility of these initiatives.




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Countries commit to step up efforts to drive more responsible business conduct through new OECD instrument

Ministers from OECD and developing economies have committed to step up their efforts to promote responsible business conduct by companies in order to drive more inclusive and sustainable economic growth.




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Financial system risk is elevated and global standards are essential in managing cross-border infrastructure investment

A new OECD report, the 2018 Business and Finance Outlook, highlights a number of major risks having the potential to disrupt global economic growth. It notes that the gradual normalisation of monetary policy in an environment of growing debt will be a major test of whether the Basel III regulatory reforms have achieved their goal of ensuring safety and soundness in the financial system.




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Responsible business conduct and human rights

70 years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, our recognition of the “inherent dignity of all members of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world” has further strengthened the alignment between responsible business conduct and human rights.




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86th Session of the OECD Steel Committee - Chair's Statement

The Steel Committee held in-depth discussions on global and regional steel market conditions, steel trade policy developments, the continuing challenge of excess capacity, technological developments contributing to sustainable practices in the steel sector, and OECD work on subsidies and other forms of government support that contribute to excess capacity in the steel sector.




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OECD Steel Committee concerned about excess capacity in steel sector

Low growth prospects for the global economy, slowing demand for steel and virtually unchanged steelmaking capacity are driving severe and persistent excess capacity in the steel sector, the OECD Steel Committee said at the end of its meeting this week. The Committee reiterated the need for capacity reductions in relevant economies and for the removal of subsidies and other support measures that are distorting steel markets.




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Top global firms commit to tackling inequality by joining Business for Inclusive Growth coalition

A group of major international companies has pledged to tackle inequality and promote diversity in their workplaces and supply chains as part of an initiative sponsored by the French Presidency of the G7 and overseen by the OECD.




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87th Session of the OECD Steel Committee - Chair's Statement

At its 26-27 September 2019 session the Steel Committee held in-depth discussions on challenges facing the global steel industry and policy approaches to encourage adjustment and ensure a level playing field in the sector.




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Responsible business conduct in the financial sector

Promoting responsible business conduct in the financial sector is vital to building a sustainable global economy. Although the Guidelines’ due diligence recommendations can help financial institutions, the inherent complexities in the sector create challenges. This paper highlights key considerations for institutional investors in carrying out due diligence that will help to identify and respond to environmental and social risks.




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From G7 announcement in August to Paris Peace Forum, Business for Inclusive Growth (B4IG) coalition gains momentum

Powered by the OECD, spearheaded by Danone, and driven forward at the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Biarritz in August 2019, B4IG, the ambitious initiative against inequality sponsored by French President Emmanuel Macron, is a coalition of leading multinational enterprises committed to tackling inequalities and promoting inclusive growth: economic growth that is distributed fairly across society and creates opportunities for all.




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FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index

The FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index (FDI Index) measures statutory restrictions on foreign direct investment in 68 countries, including all OECD and G20 countries, and covers 22 sectors.




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Conference on business responsibilities and investment treaties

Postponed until further notice - The 6th annual OECD Investment Treaty Conference will explore how governments are integrating policies relating to business responsibilities into their trade and investment treaties, and potential policy options.




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OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct

The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises recommend that enterprises conduct due diligence in order to identify, prevent or mitigate and account for how actual and potential adverse impacts are addressed. This Due Diligence Guidance provides practical support to enterprises by providing plain language explanations of due diligence recommendations and associated provisions.




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Covid-19 crisis underscores need to address trade in fake pharmaceuticals, say OECD & EUIPO

Recent seizures of fake medical supplies being marketed as protection against Covid-19 underscore the need to address a growing international trade in counterfeit pharmaceuticals that is costing billions of euros a year and putting lives at risk, according to the OECD and the EU’s Intellectual Property Office.




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2020 Global Forum on Responsible Business Conduct

19 May 2020: The 2020 Global Forum will be held virtually and in two parts. The first part on 19 May 2020 will focus on how governments and businesses can use an responsible business conduct approach to address the COVID-19 crisis and build more resilient supply chains.




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International community continues making major progress to end tax evasion

The Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes published today 9 new peer review reports, including a Phase 1 Supplementary Report for Switzerland, demonstrating continuing progress toward implementation of the international standard for exchange of information on request.




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Hungarian economy expanding but reforms needed to boost skills, business investment and incomes

The Hungarian economy has expanded strongly in recent years, helped by robust exports and firm domestic demand. But incomes are among the lowest in the OECD and structural reforms will be needed to sustain growth over the medium term, strengthen business investment and better match skills to labour market needs, according to a new OECD report.




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Hungary has made progress on greening its economy and now needs to raise its ambitions

Hungary has made progress in greening its economy and cutting emissions, but it needs to speed up efforts to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, improve energy efficiency in buildings and promote sustainable transport, according to a new OECD Review.




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Top global firms commit to tackling inequality by joining Business for Inclusive Growth coalition

A group of major international companies has pledged to tackle inequality and promote diversity in their workplaces and supply chains as part of an initiative sponsored by the French Presidency of the G7 and overseen by the OECD.




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A clean energy economy - Lessons from Iceland

In his speech to OECD Ambassadors, the President of Iceland discussed how Iceland could offer lessons on the nature of a clean energy economy; and presented some insights from Iceland's recent challenges in dealing with the financial crisis.




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Iceland’s Inter-Ministerial Steering Group Must Make Prompt Progress in Fighting Foreign Bribery

The OECD Working Group on Bribery has serious concerns about Iceland’s lack of progress in combatting the bribery of foreign public officials, and to implement the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions.




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Switzerland tops fixed broadband ranking, while Korea leads in wireless broadband

Switzerland tops for the first time the OECD fixed broadband ranking, with 39.9 subscribers per 100 inhabitants, followed closely by the Netherlands (39.1) and Denmark (37.9). The OECD average is 25.6, according to new OECD statistics.




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Methodology for Constructing Wireless Broadband Price Baskets (OECD Digital Economy Paper 205)

The OECD has adopted a new basket methodology for benchmarking wireless broadband prices. It adds to the existing baskets for voice, leased lines and fixed broadband services and reflects the increasing importance of wireless broadband for laptops, tablets and smartphones.




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OECD Technology Foresight Forum 2012 - Harnessing data as a new source of growth: Big data analytics and policies

The 2012 Technology Foresight Forum will focus on the potential of big data analytics as a new source of growth, which could help generate significant economic and social benefits




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OECD Insights: Stimulating competition through open access networks

Even though the term “open access” is widely used in policy discussions surrounding broadband networks, there is little universal agreement as to what it means. A new OECD report helps to shed some light on this important concept by examining how and why open access policies have been implemented in communication markets around the world.




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More competition essential for future of mobile innovation, says OECD

OECD countries must ensure mobile markets remain open and competitive in order to sustain innovation and meet rising demand for data services, according to a new OECD report.




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The Internet Economy on the Rise: Progress since the Seoul Declaration

This publication reviews progress made since 2008 and identifies areas for future work. It demonstrates that the Internet economy has now reached a point where it has become a new source of growth, with the potential to boost the whole economy, to foster innovation, competitiveness and user participation, and to contribute effectively to the prosperity of society as a whole.




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ICTs and the Health Sector: Towards Smarter Health and Wellness Models

The future sustainability of health systems will depend on how well governments are able to anticipate and respond to efficiency and quality of care challenges. Bold action is required, as well as willingness to test innovative care delivery approaches. This book examines the whole new world of possibilities in using mobiles and the Internet to address healthcare challenges.




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Connected Televisions: Convergence and Emerging Business Models

Connected television allows the provision of certain new and valuable services to end-users that will also have implications for the activities of all players in the content distribution ecosystem. In addition to identifying the new services that connected TV enables, this report analyses their effects and includes a discussion of policy implications raised for the actual connected television devices and for network infrastructure.




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Broadband access network speed tests by country

The actual performance of Internet connections, particularly their speed, is critical to meeting various objectives set out by a range of stakeholders including consumers, policy makers and regulators. This page provides links to network speed tests in OECD countries.




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What difference does one more or one less mobile operator make to you? - OECD Insights

In countries with four or more mobile operators benefits to consumers are visible through more competitive, more inclusive, and more understandable offers. International mobile roaming is another area where challenger brands are changing markets.




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Wireless Market Structures and Network Sharing

A key issue for policy makers and regulators is market structures that will best deliver efficient and inclusive mobile communication services. This report addresses recent experience in selected countries that have changed or held constant the number of facilities-based operators; and initial experience and key questions that have arisen with wireless network sharing.




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Countries should address disruptive effects of the digital economy

Countries are making increased efforts to develop their digital economies in a way that will maximise social and economic benefits, but now need to address the risk of disruption in areas like privacy and jobs, according to a new OECD report.




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Business brief: The ascendancy of digital trade: A new world order?

We are so used to all things digital that we can sometimes lose sight of just how enormous the phenomenon has become, and how disruptive it can be.




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World must act faster to harness potential of the digital economy

Governments must act faster help people and firms to make greater use of the Internet and remove regulatory barriers to digital innovation or else risk missing out on the potentially huge economic and social benefits of the digital economy, the OECD told ministers and high-level officials from almost 40 countries today.




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Mobile technology-based services for global health and wellness: Opportunities and challenges

OECD expert consultation co-sponsored by Harvard Global Health Institute, Swedish Vinnova, Canada Health Infoway and Global Coalition on Aging, held in Boston on 5-6 October 2016.




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New technology still underused by businesses

Businesses need to step up the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, materials and processes if countries are to reap their full potential in terms of productivity gains, according to a new OECD report.




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Corporate accountability is essential to human rights in the network society

The truth is that human rights are not sustainable, or in some places even possible, in today’s networked society unless public and private actors take responsibility. Governments and corporations alike must commit to design, manage, and govern technologies in a manner that is consistent with international human rights standards.




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Unequal access and usage could hold back potential of digital economy

Internet infrastructure is improving and the usage of digital tools is growing. However, progress is uneven across countries, businesses, and within societies. Broadening access to digital opportunities and helping those lagging behind to catch up would increase the benefits of the digital transformation and help ensure they are widely shared across economies and people, according to a new OECD report.