In the 3rd century B.C., Archimedes declared: “Give me a place to stand and with a lever I will move the world.” This phrase speaks to the potential of the right tools at the right time, but as anyone who has tried to build flatpack furniture will confirm, not having the right tools can derail any project, however grand. More...
Mapping the Geography of Political Violence in North and West Africa
The security situation in North and West Africa has taken a worrying turn. Within the span of a few years, Mali has faced a military coup, a secessionist rebellion, a Western military intervention, and several major terrorist attacks. In the Lake Chad region, Boko Haram is attempting to revive an Emirate, killing thousands and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee to neighbouring countries. More...
The Human-Centred Business Model: An Innovative Ecosystem for Sustainable Development
Many argue that current public policies and business practices are not delivering widespread prosperity for people and the planet (Wolf). During the last ten years, the OECD has gathered a significant body of evidence on the increased inequalities of income and opportunities in many countries. The top 20% of the income distribution earns 9 times more on average than the bottom 20%. The distribution of wealth is even more unequal, with the top 20% keeping half, while the bottom 40% holds only 3%. Corporate profits are at historic highs in many countries: shareholder payouts hit a new record in 2018 as global dividend payments neared the USD 500 billion mark. More...
Strengthening development in the face of the climate crisis and environmental degradation
The climate emergency and broader environmental destruction — from forest devastation to loss of biodiversity to depleted water supplies — are challenging international aid agencies’ collective ability to support sustainable development. More...
Nigeria’s border closure: Why it will not pay off
It has been three months since Nigeria closed its land borders and to date there are few indications as to when they will open again. The country said it wants to reduce the smuggling of goods and stop illegal inflows of Asian rice and outflows of subsidised fuel. More...
How can we achieve data-driven government?
When we developed the OECD Recommendation on Digital Government Strategies in 2014 it emphasised the role of data. Since then we’ve worked with numerous countries to put that Recommendation into practice and explore the use of data, both as Open Government Data and within government itself. More...
Charting the way forward for digital competition policy
Competition policy has received an increasing amount of media attention recently, as a debate rages about the size, conduct and influence of large digital firms. Calls for more strict antitrust law enforcement, or new regulatory measures to address a range of digital policy concerns, are surfacing in many jursidictions. More...
The Appropriate Financial Policy Toolkit in an Integrated World
Cross-border financial positions more than tripled as a share of world GDP between the mid-1990s and the global financial crisis, bringing the global economy to an unprecedented level of financial integration. More...
Innovation skills and leadership in Brazil’s public sector
Today the OECD reports Innovation Skills and Leadership in Brazil’s Public Sector and The Innovation System of the Public Service of Brazil: An exploration of its past, present and future journey were launched by Marcos Bonturi, Director of Public Governance, OECD, at the Brazilian Public Sector Innovation Week. More...
Collective bargaining 4.0: using labour law to extend coverage to new forms of work
Trade union membership and overall coverage of collective agreements have declined in OECD countries. The proportion of employees who are covered by collective agreements has steadily fallen over the last three decades, from 45% on average in 1985 to 32% in 2017. More...