c

In with the in-crowd

Over the last few years there has been increased interest among start-ups in using Internet-based platforms to crowdsource a wide variety of resources, including funding, labour, design and ideas. Does this approach work?




c

10th Forum on responsible mineral supply chains

10-12 May, Paris: The 2016 forum focused on compliance and implementation of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance, including how to maximise the positive impacts on livelihoods through due diligence; viable options for trade in artisanal and small-scale mined gold; and identifying and preventing the worst forms of child labour in the mineral supply chain.




c

All on board to increase productivity for a more inclusive world

For Chile, it is a great honour and opportunity to chair the 2016 OECD Ministerial Council Meeting. It is an opportunity to celebrate Chile’s first five years as a member of the OECD and is yet another demonstration of the increasing relevance of emerging and developing economies, which today account for more than half of world GDP.




c

Organising sporting events: Preventing corruption and promoting responsible business conduct

This brochure looks at the corruption, labour, human rights and environmental risks associated with the organisation of large sporting events. It describes how OECD instruments and expertise in implementation of complex projects can help host governments, event organisers and their business partners ensure that the world of sport remains associated with the traditional values of excellence and fair play.




c

A new boost to transparency in international tax matters: 6 new countries sign agreement enabling automatic sharing of country-by-country reporting

As part of continuing efforts to boost transparency by multinational enterprises (MNEs), Canada, Iceland, India, Israel, New Zealand and the People’s Republic of China signed today the Multilateral Competent Authority agreement for the automatic exchange of Country-by-Country reports (“CbC MCAA”), bringing the total number of signatories to 39 countries. The signing ceremony took place in Beijing, China.




c

The economic empowerment of women for more productive and inclusive societies

This year’s OECD Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM), chaired by Chile, is devoted to productivity. Ministers will discuss what governments, firms and individuals can do to improve productivity with the aim of fostering inclusive growth.




c

For an optimistic revolution

The world has seen more than one industrial revolution and another one is already upon us. We should face it as optimists.




c

The productivity and equality nexus

Productivity growth has slowed since the crisis and inequality of income and opportunity has been getting worse. Could they be impacting each other?




c

It’s up to us all to end child labour

A young boy named Kalu, who had been rescued from a carpet-weaving unit in Bihar, once raised a compelling and very significant question when he met then-President Bill Clinton. In conversation with the President, Kalu politely inquired about his plans and policies with regard to the world’s children and their condition.




c

Towards a more productive, inclusive world

Despite nearly a decade of policy efforts, the global economy remains in the repair shop. The legacies of the crisis are still very much present: weak growth, persistently high unemployment in several countries, faltering trade and investment and a profound loss of public confidence and trust. Any prospect of a strong upturn in advanced or emerging economies has dimmed in the past year.




c

New OECD indicators trace productivity growth slowdown pre- and post- crisis

Productivity growth – the central driver of rising economic output and material living standards – has been slowing in many advanced and emerging economies in the wake of the crisis, according to new data released today in the OECD Compendium of Productivity Indicators.




c

The twin challenges of promoting productivity and inclusive growth

Advanced economies remain in the doldrums. People’s incomes are rising at a very low pace, especially in the lower half of the distribution. Two global trends–the slowdown in productivity and the rise in inequality–reflect the state of policy, and point to the challenges policymakers face to change prospects for their citizens and the global economy.




c

Forging a digital society

Digital innovation is an opportunity—for governments, for business, for the public, and for the way in which they relate to each other.




c

How to implement Social Impact Bonds (SIB) in Poland?

The purpose of the seminar is to provide the practical information about how to implement SIBs in Poland using international experiences. The seminar is addressed to the potential applicants interested in the implementation of SIB within the call for proposals planned to be launched by the Ministry of Economic Development.




c

New ‘nexus’ approach needed to tackle productivity and inequality challenges, says OECD report

Declining productivity growth and rising inequality are two of the biggest obstacles to improved economic performance, according to a new OECD report.




c

OECD Action Plan on the Sustainable Development Goals

Sound public policies grounded in evidence – and implemented effectively – will be crucial for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This document outlines four broad areas for future action for the OECD, highlighting what it could do more of – or do differently – to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. C/MIN(2016)6.




c

International Economic Forum on Latin America and the Caribbean

The theme of the 2016 Forum taking place in Paris on 3 June is "New Challenges and Innovative Partnerships in a Shifting World". Key issues on the agenda include redefining partnerships to support inclusive and sustainable growth, and innovative policies to increase productivity and tackle inequalities.




c

OECD Report to G7 Leaders on Responsible Business Conduct

This note describes work undertaken by the OECD to support the implementation of the 2015 G7 Leaders’ Declaration in the area of responsible business conduct. Four areas of action are covered: outreach on responsible business conduct (RBC) standards to other countries; development of guidance for supply chain due diligence; monitoring of multi-stakeholder initiatives; and strengthening National Contact Points.




c

Tackling policy fragmentation: the key to getting onto a path of rapid and sustainable productivity growth

Further structural reforms are needed to help the business sector boost productivity growth and overcome the key challenges of sluggish investment in advanced economies and excess capacity in emerging economies, according to a new OECD report.




c

Inclusive Entrepreneurship Policy

A three-year programme of co-operation between the European Commission and LEED on self-employment and entrepreneurship in Europe.




c

15 years of the National Contact Points

Fifteen years after the creation of National Contact Points as a means to improve the implementation of the Guidelines, the OECD has conducted an analysis of the functioning and performance of the National Contact Points.




c

G20 agrees Guiding Principles for Global Investment Policymaking

Shanghai, 9-10 July 2016: G20 Trade Ministers reinforced their "determination to promote inclusive, robust and sustainable trade and investment growth" with the adoption of the G20 Guiding Principles for Global Investment Policymaking.




c

The Policy Framework for Investment (PFI)

The Policy Framework for Investment (PFI) is a non-prescriptive tool for improving investment policy for development. It helps governments to design and implement policy reforms to create a truly attractive, robust and competitive environment for domestic and foreign investment.




c

Annual Report on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises 2015

This report covers the activities undertaken to promote the effective implementation of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises by governments and National Contact Points from July 2014 to December 2015.




c

OECD Steel Committee says urgent structural challenges remain unaddressed

The global steel industry continues to face difficult conditions due to excess capacity, weak global demand and growing trade tensions, the OECD Steel Committee said after meeting this week. While global steel trade remains relatively robust, there has been a sharp increase in steel trade actions by governments, it said, noting that trade actions should respect international obligations.




c

Roundtable on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the Law

17 September 2016, Washington DC - This event brought together legal practitioners and experts to focus on how international standards on responsible business conduct are impacting legal practice as well as how legal tools can be used to strengthen ethical business practices throughout global supply chains.




c

Green shoots of recovery in entrepreneurship beginning to appear

The post-crisis recovery in entrepreneurial activity remains mixed across countries, but new data released today by the OECD provides tentative signs of a turning point, with trends in enterprise creation rates pointing upwards in most economies.




c

OECD launches business survey on tax certainty to support G20 tax agenda

The OECD received a strong endorsement from both the G20 Leaders and Finance Ministers to work on solutions to support certainty in the tax system with the aim to promote investment, trade and balanced growth. As part of a wider project, the OECD launches a Business Survey to invite businesses and other stakeholders to contribute their views on tax certainty.




c

Seminar on open and orderly capital movements

Co-organised by the OECD and the German Federal Ministry of Finance, the seminar focused on the policy implications of the increasingly interconnected global financial and economic system and the need for an open and orderly regime for capital flows in the context of the review of the OECD Code of Liberalisation of Capital Movements.




c

Empowering the 40% of young Latin Americans not in formal jobs, education or training could spark new growth engines, says latest Latin American Economic Outlook

Latin America and the Caribbean’s (LAC) GDP will shrink by between 0.9% and 1% in 2016, according to the latest estimates, the second consecutive year of negative growth and a rate of contraction the region has not seen since the early 1980s. According to the Latin American Economic Outlook 2017, the region should recover in 2017, but with modest GDP growth of between 1.5% and 2%, below expected growth in advanced economies.




c

Boosting competition will help Greece’s consumers and businesses

Lifting many of the regulations stifling business competition in Greece would benefit both consumers, through lower prices, and firms, via higher turnover, according to the OECD.




c

Mayors can play a key role in making inclusive growth a reality

Mayors and local leaders from around the world launched today a plan of action to help tackle inequality, boost job creation and harness economic development.




c

Lower public R&D spending and protectionist risks may pose a threat to innovation

A decline in government funding of science and technology research in a number of countries could pose a threat to innovation at a time when global challenges like climate change and ageing populations demand solutions, according to a new OECD report.




c

Roundtable on 40 years of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

19 December 2016, Paris: On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, this roundtable convened a wide range of stakeholders from international organisations, governments, business, civil society, and academia involved in working with the Guidelines.




c

New approach needed to tackle rising drug prices

The proliferation of high-cost medicines and rising drug prices are increasing pressures on public health spending and calling into question the pharmaceutical industry’s pricing strategies.




c

New OECD due diligence guidance targets the garment and footwear sector

8/2/2017 - The OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector will help enterprises to identify and prevent potential negative impacts related to human rights, labour, the environment and corruption in garment and footwear supply chains worldwide.




c

OECD Steel Committee says persistently high excess capacity threatens recovery

There are signs of a modest return to growth in global steel demand and production and a price recovery from the lows of 2015, yet these trends could turn out to be temporary, the OECD Steel Committee said after meeting this week. Considerable structural imbalances remain unaddressed in the steel sector, it said, reiterating the urgency of tackling persistently high excess capacity.




c

Ukraine signs OECD agreement to strengthen investment climate

27/03/2017 - Ukraine has become the 47th country to adhere to the OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises. The Declaration commits Ukraine to provide an open and transparent environment for international investment and to encourage the positive contribution foreign investment can make to economic and social progress.




c

Responsible business conduct for institutional investors: Key considerations for due diligence under the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

Promoting responsible business conduct in the financial sector is vital to building a sustainable global economy. This paper will help institutional investors implement the due diligence recommendations of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises in order to prevent or address adverse impacts related to human and labour rights, the environment, and corruption in their investment portfolios.




c

Anti-Corruption Strategies for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Organised by GOV, CFE participated in the 2017 OECD Global Anti-corruption & Integrity Forum 30-31 march 2017. The session Anti-Corruption Strategies for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.




c

Lending volumes and credit conditions are improving for SMEs, but many firms continue to struggle to obtain financing that meets their needs

Lending volumes and credit conditions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have gradually improved, according to a new report from the OECD, but demand-side obstacles such as a lack of financial knowledge are contributing to holding back a stronger recovery.




c

Investment governance and the integration of environmental, social and governance factors

This paper presents the findings of an international stocktaking of the regulatory frameworks that apply to institutional investment in different jurisdictions and how these frameworks are interpreted by institutional investors in terms of their ability or responsibility to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in their governance processes.




c

Child labour risks in the minerals supply chain

Practical actions for companies to identify and address the worst forms of child labour in mineral supply chains is for use by companies to help them identify, mitigate and account for the risks of child labour in their mineral supply chains. It builds on the due diligence framework of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas.




c

Improving adult skills can help countries benefit from globalisation

In an increasingly competitive international environment, providing workers with the right mix of skills can help ensure that globalisation translates into new jobs and productivity gains rather than negative economic and social outcomes, according to a new OECD report.




c

US manufacturing decline and the rise of new production innovation paradigms

Between 2000 and 2010, US manufacturing experienced a nightmare. The number of manufacturing jobs in the United States, which had been relatively stable at 17 million since 1965, declined by one third in that decade, falling by 5.8 million to below 12 million in 2010 (returning to just 12.3 million in 2016). Certainly, the 2007–08 recession accelerated the disruption, but the causes were also structural, not simply financial.




c

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.




c

Continued slowdown in productivity growth weighs down on living standards

The slowdown in productivity growth - already underway before the crisis – combined with sluggish investment, continued to undermine rises in economic output and material living standards in recent years in many of the world’s economies, according to a new report released today by the OECD.




c

OECD Business and Finance Scoreboard

The OECD Business and Finance Scoreboard accompanies the OECD Business and Finance Outlook by providing a commented overview of selected indicators and data related to corporate performance, banking, capital markets, pensions and investments.




c

Can better international co-operation help build a fairer global economy?

Drawing on data presented in the 2017 OECD Business and Finance Outlook, this article looks at some of the forces influencing recent economic developments and asks what can be done to ensure a “fairer” global economy.




c

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.