b

Strengthening Global Growth: The G20 Brisbane Summit’s Challenges and Contributions

The G20 needs to go structural, social, and green! With fiscal and monetary policy room nearly exhausted, structural reforms are the best choices, sometimes the only choice. The OECD battle cry in this regard has been unchanged since 2008: “go structural!”.




b

Scale of international bribery laid bare by new OECD report

Most international bribes are paid by large companies, usually with the knowledge of senior management, according to new OECD analysis of the cost of foreign bribery and corruption.




b

Launch of the OECD Foreign Bribery Report

The OECD Foreign Bribery Report was launched by the OECD Secretary-General in Paris on 2 December 2014. This ground breaking report analyses data emerging from all foreign bribery enforcement actions concluded since the entry into force of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and for the first time ‘measures’ the crime of corruption.




b

Public consultation on Phase 4 monitoring of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention

The OECD Working Group on Bribery invited public comments on the next phase of country monitoring under the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention between 5 November and 1 December 2014. The call for comment is now closed.




b

International investment continues to struggle: Foreign direct investment in figures - December 2014

Global FDI flows for 2014 have stalled at levels substantially below the peak levels reached before the financial crisis and ensuing global recession that began in 2008 according to preliminary estimates in the December 2014 issue of FDI in Figures.




b

Consultation on Phase 4 monitoring of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention

On the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day, this Working Group on Bribery consultation with the private sector and civil society focused on the development of the Phase 4 evaluation process of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention.




b

Argentina seriously non-compliant with key articles of Anti-Bribery Convention, says OECD

The OECD Working Group on Bribery doubts Argentina’s commitment to fight foreign bribery. Argentina still has no law to punish companies for foreign bribery or prosecute its citizens who commit this crime abroad. Widespread delays continue to plague complex economic crime investigations.




b

France - OECD Anti-Bribery Convention

This page contains all information relating to implementation of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention in France.




b

Infrastructure versus other investments in the global economy and stagnation hypotheses: What do company data tell us?

“Why do financial institutions and investors see so little risk, while companies investing in the real economy see so much risk?” This is perhaps the most important question facing policy makers today. This paper sets out some of the possible hypotheses for lack of investment in the world economy. It uses data drawn from 10 000 global companies in 75 advanced and emerging countries.




b

G20: Remarks for Session 2 - Framework for Strong, Sustainable and Balanced Growth

We therefore need a “copernician” change in our approach to the growth – inequality nexus: let’s not think growth first, and inequality thereafter but let’s consider both of them, together, in their circularity. In other words, let’s think “Inclusive Growth”, right from the start, and let’s make it another touchstone of our efforts and complement the Pittsburgh tryptic of strong, sustainable and balanced growth!




b

Survey on the contribution of SMEs to due diligence for responsible mineral supply chains

The German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), supported by the OECD, has initiated a study to assess the contribution of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) to due diligence for responsible mineral supply chains. To gather information for this study, SMEs were invited to take part on a confidential survey of due diligence activities by SMEs.




b

The Dark Horse, The Paper Tiger and Chicken Little: Lessons from the OECD Foreign Bribery Report

One of the more startling findings in the OECD Foreign Bribery Report, is that some level of corporate management was involved in over 50% of the cases sanctioned. This paper by Leah Ambler, published in the Journal of Business Compliance (01/2015), examines what went wrong and why from a corporate governance and compliance perspective.




b

Public consultation on the FAO-OECD guidance for responsible agricultural supply chains

This public consultation was held to gather comments on the draft FAO-OECD guidance for responsible agricultural supply chains which is designed to help enterprises observe standards of responsible business conduct along their agricultural supply chains. The deadline for comment was 20 February 2015.




b

2nd Online public consultation on updating the Policy Framework for Investment

This online public consultation was held to gather interested stakeholders' comments on the draft Policy Framework for Investment currently being updated. The consultation ran until 25 February 2015.




b

Fifth Annual High-Level Anti-Corruption Conference for G20 Governments and Business

Jointly organised by the Turkish Presidency of the G20 and the OECD, participants discussed cutting-edge compliance challenges faced by companies in their day-to-day operations and innovative solutions to address these risks.




b

15th Tokyo Roundtable on Capital Market and Financial Reform in Asia

This roundtable offers a forum for regulators, policy-makers, experts, practitioners, scholars and international organisations to discuss issues relating to capital market reform in Asia.




b

Conference on Investment Treaties: Policy Goals and Public Support

Paris, 16 March 2015: Organised by the OECD-hosted Freedom of Investment Roundtable, this conference assessed opportunities and challenges associated with investment treaties and how the system can be improved.




b

Greece should tackle not only domestic corruption but also foreign bribery

The risk of Greek companies bribing foreign officials is substantial, but Greece has not given the same priority to fighting foreign bribery as it has to domestic corruption.




b

Holding business to account

The promotion of responsible business conduct has taken an important step forward with the launch of a new reporting framework. Businesses now have no excuse for not explaining how they’re meeting their human rights obligations.




b

Public consultation on the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement in the Extractives Sector

This public consultation is being held to gather comments on the draft OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement in the Extractives Sector which provides practical guidance to mining, oil and gas enterprises in addressing the challenges related to stakeholder engagement. The deadline for comment is 5 June 2015.




b

Life on a planet of 9 billion

Is it possible for 9 billion people to live on this planet and enjoy a good standard of living? And on such a planet, is it possible for economies to grow, businesses to profit, and communities to prosper without undermining the natural systems that support all life? And without destroying some of the planet’s last great wildernesses?




b

Prevention of Corruption in the Public Sector in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

This cross-country report on prevention of public sector corruption analyses the preventive measures that have proven to be effective and successful in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The review focuses on twenty-one countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and includes examples from OECD countries.




b

Unlocking investment for sustainable growth and jobs

This year’s OECD Ministerial Council Meeting, which we are honoured to chair, will address the issue of investment. The timing could not be better. Growth prospects have improved, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Investment has been hit especially hard since the crisis started and has yet to recover.




b

Asia-Pacific conference on aligning corporate sustainability with sustainable development goals

With a focus on the Asia-Pacific region, this conference addressed what the Sustainable Development Goals will mean for business and how business sustainability strategies can be aligned to support their implementation.




b

OECD Green Investment Bank Workshop

The OECD hosted a workshop on green investment banks on 20 May 2015. It built upon discussions of green banks at the OECD Green Investment Financing Fora (May 2015 and June 2014) and continued international dialogue on the experiences of green banks. The workshop welcomed 9 different green banks, public financial institutions, NGOs, the private sector and over 20 countries interested in the green bank model.




b

2015 G20-OECD High-level roundtable on institutional investors and long-term investment

Singapore, 28 May 2015: This roundtable will focus on key themes related to G20 work, including how policy makers and investors can facilitate private sector infrastructure financing, the development of infrastructure as an asset class, and issues relating to the regulation of long-term investment.




b

OECD Ministers launch new framework to boost sustainable investment

OECD Ministers have endorsed updated guidelines to help national governments and regional groups create the right conditions to attract domestic and foreign investment.




b

Investment in clean energy: A worthwhile goal - Insights Blog

Most of us would agree that clean energy is a worthwhile goal, and the world has invested more than $2 trillion on renewable-energy plants in the past decade. But are we doing enough?




b

Overcoming barriers to international investment in clean energy, Investment Insights - June 2015

Protectionism and local content requirements are holding back investment in clean energy and thus undermining the fight against climate change. This Investment Insights puts forward policy options for mobilising investment in clean energy and restoring order and confidence in international markets.




b

Liability of Legal Persons for Corruption in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

This cross-country report analyses the legislation on liability of legal persons for corruption and its enforcement in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, highlighting national practices that may be promoted as good practice. While it focuses on 25 countries participating in the Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ACN), examples from OECD countries are also included.




b

OECD Working Group on Bribery report on Israel launches Wednesday 24 June 2015

The OECD Working Group on Bribery will release a review of Israel’s efforts to fight foreign bribery on Wednesday 24 June 2015 at 11.00 CET.




b

OECD encouraged by Israel’s recent investigative activity, but remains seriously concerned with overall efforts to enforce foreign bribery laws

Israel is not sufficiently proactive in detecting and investigating foreign bribery, with no prosecutions over the past 7 years, despite 14 allegations of foreign bribery involving Israeli individuals or companies. The OECD Working Group on Bribery is, however, encouraged by the recently-opened investigations, and will pay close attention to how these evolve.




b

Measuring International Investment by Multinational Enterprises

This brochure explains the major changes introduced in the OECD’s 4th Benchmark Definition of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which saw widespread implementation in 2014, and assesses the impact on FDI statistics.




b

Workshop in Ukraine on responsible business conduct

The purpose of this workshop was to share information with the Ukrainian authorities about the obligations of governments under the OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises related to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, one of four instruments of the Declaration.




b

Investigating corruption: OECD gets award for its work on foreign bribery enforcement

24 September 2015 - At the 2015 Global Investigations Review awards, the OECD collected the prize for the "most important investigations development" category. The OECD was given the award in recognition of its tireless work promoting foreign bribery enforcement around the world.




b

OECD’s Gurría urges countries to act on UN Sustainable Development Goals

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría today called on all countries to fully engage with the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and said advanced and emerging economies had a particular responsibility to translate the global goals into national policy and to support developing countries in doing the same.




b

2015 G20-OECD Global Forum on International Investment, Istanbul, Turkey

The global recovery is still hesitant and unemployment at record highs, despite ample liquidity in financial markets. OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría will open the 10th Global Forum on International Investment with Minister of Economy, Turkey, Nihat Zeybekci, to address policy options for sparking an investment comeback.




b

We need global policy coherence in trade and investment to boost growth

Mounting fears of another slowdown in the global economy call for bolder policy responses. Trade and investment are a case in point. The latest WTO forecasts suggest 2015 will be the fourth year running that global trade volumes grow less than 3%, barely at—or below—the rate of GDP growth. Before




b

Public consultation on the draft Chinese Due Diligence Guidelines for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains

This public consultation is being held to gather comments on the draft Chinese Due Diligence Guidelines for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains. They are intended to align Chinese company due diligence with international standards and allow for mutual recognition with existing international initiatives and legislations.




b

OECD Technical Workshop on Foreign Direct Investment and Global Value Chains

The workshop will discuss the first results of the OECD Secretariat’s work on integrating FDI statistics into the analysis of Global Value Chains (OECD-WTO Trade in Value Added Initiative) to better account for foreign ownership.




b

The OECD’s Revised Benchmark Definition of Foreign Direct Investment: Better data for better policy

Let’s start with a quiz. Which country is the second biggest direct investor in China? Who are the largest investors in India and Russia? You probably won’t believe it, but the answers are




b

Colombia needs to address major loopholes to hold companies liable for foreign bribery

Colombia needs to improve its capacity to investigate foreign bribery by establishing an effective corporate liability regime, improving coordination between its numerous agencies and more rigorously training law enforcement, according to a new report by the OECD Working Group on Bribery.




b

Latvia’s fight against foreign bribery overshadowed by enforcement weaknesses

Latvia has improved its laws since acceding to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention in 2014. Yet serious personnel issues until recently as well as negative government commentary concerning KNAB, Latvia’s anti-corruption law enforcement agency, have cast doubts over its capacity to enforce those laws.




b

FDI in Figures, October 2015

Global FDI flows picked up in the first half of 2015, increasing by 13% compared to the second half of 2014. If we exclude the drop in the first half of 2014, global flows have been on a rising trend since the first half of 2013.




b

Uzbekistan must enforce anti-corruption laws and strengthen public sector integrity

Uzbekistan has adopted its first anti-corruption action plan and established an anti-corruption coordination commission. Nevertheless corruption is widespread in Uzbekistan and remains a key obstacle for business.




b

Mineral supply chain and conflict links in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Focused mainly on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this report takes stock of 5 years of implementation of national and international programmes and initiatives designed to operationalise the recommendations of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance on Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas in the Great Lakes Region of Central Africa.




b

Mongolia should make combating nepotism and political corruption a priority

Mongolia’s rapid economic and social development, fuelled by the discovery of significant mineral resources, has exacerbated governance and corruption challenges.




b

2015 International Workshop on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains

This meeting will provide the opportunity to discuss the role of governments, international partners and businesses in promoting responsible mineral supply chains from conflict-affected and high-risk areas. Participants will learn first hand about international standards and approaches, and be able to ask questions to experts in supply chain due diligence implementation.




b

The problem: Clean energy does not have enough profitable projects

OECD's Adrian Blundell-Wignall explains why clean energy projects are not attracting investors despite the availability of fund for investment. This paper was presented at a high-level breakfast event on institutional investors and the low-carbon transition hosted by the OECD Secretary-General during COP21 on 9 December 2015.




b

International Anti-Corruption Day Statement by Drago Kos, Chair of the OECD Working Group on Bribery

International Anti-Corruption Day provides us all with a unique opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made over the past year in the global fight against corruption, but also to think about the work that remains to be done in the years ahead.