An independent group of leading anti-corruption and integrity experts recommends doing more to enforce and develop anti-corruption standards and enhancing collaboration with other international organisations in a report on ways the OECD can strengthen its vital work in combating bribery and promoting integrity.

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.

Global FDI flows decreased by 7% in 2016, despite recovering well in the second half of the year following a weak second quarter, according to the latest issue of FDI in Figures. Flows remained below their pre-crisis peak, representing 2.2% of global GDP compared to 3.6% in 2007.

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.

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.

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.

The Czech Republic must strengthen its efforts to detect, investigate and prosecute foreign bribery. Seventeen years after ratifying the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, the Czech Republic has yet to prosecute a case involving the bribery of foreign public officials.

The annual reports on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises provide an account of the actions the adhering governments have taken over the previous 12 months to enhance the contribution of the guidelines to the improved functioning of the global economy.

There is no shortage of capital available globally to finance renewable-energy projects. The financial sector encompasses more than €100 trillion of assets. So how is it that investment in renewable energy is not flowing faster? This article by OECD policy analyst Geraldine Ang proposes responses to the trillion-dollar question.

Kyiv, 24-27 July 2017: The OECD, within the framework of the OECD Anti-Corruption Project for Ukraine, and in cooperation with Ukraine's Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) and the Council of Europe (CoE), has conducted a four-day training for the first recruits of ARMA.

Effective international co-operation between countries is crucial for the successful investigation, prosecution and sanction of international corruption offences.

Successfully attracting investment and innovation in renewable energy requires not only core climate policies, such as pricing carbon, but also a focus on the broader investment environment. Based on new research from the OECD, this article reviews some of the main factors holding back investment and innovation in renewable energy and looks at what governments can do to take action.

Evidence on the role played by investment in global value chains (GVCs) can assist policy work on GVCs, trade, investment and development. Drawing on new and improved measures of trade and investment, these country notes provide relevant statistical information from OECD databases on trade, investment, the activities of multinational enterprises and global value chains.

Chile must make further progress on key recommendations of the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions, more than three years after its Phase 3 evaluation in March 2014.

Sweden has still not implemented reforms to its Penal Code initially recommended by the OECD Working Group on Bribery in June 2012. Sweden’s legal provisions on corporate liability do not meet the requirements of the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions.

Ukraine has achieved remarkable progress on anti-corruption reforms since the 2014 Revolution of Dignity. Despite these major achievements, there is a serious risk of backsliding on reforms, according to a new OECD report.

Global FDI flows decreased by 3% to USD 788 billion in the first half of 2017 compared to the second half of 2016. The overall decrease was due to an 11% drop in Q2 after increasing 3% in Q1.Inflows to the EU decreased by 46%, partly due to a drop in the United Kingdom from the very high levels recorded in the second half of 2016, while outflows decreased by a more modest 12%.

This web page presents the 10 dimensions of the framework for the governance of public infrastructure. The dimensions relate to how governments prioritise, plan, budget, deliver, regulate and evaluate infrastructure investment. Each area covers the principal objective of policy in each area, followed by key questions decision makers need to address and indicators identifying the enabling factors.

G20 Leaders are firmly committed to open trade and investment and to resisting protectionism in all its forms. They have mandated WTO, OECD and UNCTAD – the leading international organisations in the area of international trade and investment policies – to monitor policy developments and report publicly on these commitments.

The “Freedom of Investment" (FOI) process hosted by the OECD Investment Committee monitors investment policy developments in the 58 economies that participate in the process. This report covers investment measures taken between 16 February 2017 and 15 September 2017.

The OECD is developing a general Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct to provide practical support to companies on the implementation of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The Due Diligence Guidance contains plain language explanations of the due diligence recommendations and associated provisions in the OECD Guidelines and can be used by companies in any sector of the economy.

The OECD Working Group on Bribery is leading global efforts to fight bribery of foreign public officials in international trade and investment. The fight against foreign bribery is a core shared value that unites all 43 Parties to the Anti-Bribery Convention. This brochure provides a snapshot of 18 years of implementation and enforcement of the Anti-Bribery Convention.

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.

This study looks at common sources of detection in foreign bribery cases, untapped sources which are under or not utilised in foreign bribery investigations, and ways in which these methods of detection may be enhanced.

Significant corruption, labour, human rights and environmental risks are associated with the organisation of large sporting events. The OECD has 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.

Lithuania has taken significant steps to strengthen its legislative framework to combat foreign bribery. Yet further efforts are needed to ensure effective enforcement of anti-bribery laws with regard to corporate liability and imposing sanctions for foreign bribery, including confiscation, according to a new report by the OECD Working Group on Bribery.

The next review of Sweden’s implementation of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, which was scheduled for October 2018, has been delayed until 2019. This is due to the fact that Sweden has not yet enacted legislation to urgently address remaining recommendations to reform its laws on corporate liability for the bribery of foreign public officials.

Australia has stepped up its enforcement of foreign bribery since 2012, when the OECD Working Group on Bribery last evaluated Australia’s implementation of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, with seven convictions in two cases and 19 ongoing investigations.

This paper reviews alleged societal benefits and costs of International Investment Agreements (IIAs) as suggested by academia, governments, business and civil society. It sets out the wide range of issues that diverse actors have proposed in the context of assessing the societal benefits and costs of IIAs.

25-26 January 2018 - The first annual meeting of the G20 Global Infrastructure Connectivity Alliance will bring together policy makers and practitioners to discuss the state of play in global connectivity, innovative practices and the outlook for connectivity.

In the wake of the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh in 2013, initiatives to strengthen regulation of global supply chains in the textile and garment sector have multiplied. Tackling the issues involved requires sustained collaboration among industry, government, worker organisations and civil society. This project promotes such collaboration as well as the harmonisation of existing standards in the sector.

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.

This report is part of a series of assessments on Colombian gold supply chains and the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas. It analyses conditions of mineral extraction and related risks.

16 February 2018 - OECD and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched a pilot project in Paris today to kick-start the practical application of the OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains with 30 leading enterprises.

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.

8 March 2018, Paris - On the occasion of International Woman's Day, senior decision-makers from the public and corporate worlds, experts, academics and stakeholders considered different policy approaches and implementation tools on how to close gender gaps in the private sector.

This report builds on national reviews of seven countries in Southeast Asia. It looks at common challenges across the region and at the interplay between regional initiatives and national reforms.

Paris, 12 March 2018 - The fourth annual OECD Investment Treaty Conference addressed treaty shopping -- a controversial investment treaty issue of policy interest for many governments and stakeholders -- and explored tools to help interested governments improve their investment treaty policies.

Poland must make urgent progress on carrying out key recommendations of the OECD Working Group on Bribery that remain unimplemented, more than four years after its Phase 3 evaluation in June 2013.

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.

This annual, multi-stakeholder forum provides the opportunity to review and discuss compliance and implementation of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance, the ICGLR Regional Certification Mechanism and other initiatives to enable responsible mineral supply chains.

Latest statistics for global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows and international mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Analysis, trends and forecasts from the OECD using FDI statistics collected in accordance with latest international guidelines.

Standard & Poor's credit rating for Portugal stands at BBB with stable outlook. Moody's credit rating for Portugal was last set at Baa3 with positive outlook. Fitch's credit rating for Portugal was last reported at BBB with stable outlook. DBRS's credit rating for Portugal is BBB (high) with stable outlook. In general, a credit rating is used by sovereign wealth funds, pension funds and other investors to gauge the credit worthiness of Portugal thus having a big impact on the country's borrowing costs. This page includes the government debt credit rating for Portugal as reported by major credit rating agencies.

Portugal recorded 2499 Coronavirus Recovered since the epidemic began, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, Portugal reported 1126 Coronavirus Deaths. This page includes a chart with historical data for Portugal Coronavirus Recovered.

Housing Index in Indonesia increased to 210.97 points in the fourth quarter of 2019 from 210.33 points in the third quarter of 2019. Housing Index in Indonesia averaged 150.79 points from 2002 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 210.97 points in the fourth quarter of 2019 and a record low of 100 points in the first quarter of 2002. In Indonesia, housing index refers to the Residential Property Price Index that measures house prices in 16 cities, including small, medium and large houses. This page provides - Indonesia Housing Index- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Housing Index in Portugal increased to 144.10 points in the fourth quarter of 2019 from 143.12 points in the third quarter of 2019. Housing Index in Portugal averaged 107.98 points from 2008 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 144.10 points in the fourth quarter of 2019 and a record low of 92.25 points in the second quarter of 2013. In Portugal, Housing Index measures the evolution of housing prices in the residential market. This page provides - Portugal House Price Index - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Housing Index In the Euro Area increased to 120.37 points in the fourth quarter of 2019 from 119.54 points in the third quarter of 2019. Housing Index in the Euro Area averaged 102.77 points from 2005 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 120.37 points in the fourth quarter of 2019 and a record low of 89.60 points in the first quarter of 2005. in the Euro Area, the House Price Index measures residential property market prices. The HPI captures price changes of all kinds of residential property purchased by households (flats, detached houses, terraced houses, etc.), both new and existing. Only market prices are considered, self-build dwellings are therefore excluded. The land component of the residential property is included. This page provides the latest reported value for - Euro Area House Price Index - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Housing Index in Japan decreased to 111.71 points in December from 113.28 points in November of 2019. Housing Index in Japan averaged 104.46 points from 2008 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 116.44 points in January of 2019 and a record low of 97.26 points in October of 2009. In Japan, Housing Index refers to Residential Property Price Index, including prices of land, detached houses and condominiums. This page provides - Japan Construction Starts - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Housing Index in Turkey increased to 123.70 points in February from 120.90 points in January of 2020. Housing Index in Turkey averaged 77.80 points from 2010 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 123.70 points in February of 2020 and a record low of 45.40 points in January of 2010. In Turkey, the Housing Index is measured by the residential property price index. This page provides the latest reported value for - Turkey House Price Index - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Housing Index in Switzerland decreased to 168.74 points in the first quarter of 2020 from 169.34 points in the fourth quarter of 2019. Housing Index in Switzerland averaged 105.83 points from 1970 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 169.34 points in the fourth quarter of 2019 and a record low of 35.65 points in the first quarter of 1970. In Switzerland, housing index refers to Residential House Price Index of single-family homes. This page provides - Switzerland House Price Index - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.