OECD.org

Trade in counterfeit and pirated goods has risen steadily in the last few years–even as overall trade volumes stagnated–and now stands at 3.3% of global trade, a new report by the OECD and the EU’s Intellectual Property Office says. The report puts the value of imported fake goods worldwide based on 2016 customs seizure data at USD 509 billion.

Do you remember the first thing you ever bought, or sold, online? A lot has changed since the OECD held its first ministerial meeting on the digital economy two decades ago. As OECD Going Digital Summit gets under way today, 11-12 March, here is food for thought as we embark on the next 20 years.

Governments around the world are paying more attention to gender equality but progress is too slow and uneven, and much remains to be done to increase women’s rights, opportunities and participation in public life and senior jobs, according to the OECD.

Economic prospects are now weaker in nearly all G20 countries than previously anticipated, as vulnerabilities stemming from Europe and China, combined with a slowdown in trade and global manufacturing, policy uncertainty and risks in financial markets could undermine medium-term growth worldwide, the OECD’s latest Interim Economic Outlook says.

The four years since the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 have been the hottest on record. Policy efforts to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions must be stepped up. Can investment in clean electricity help? Yes, according to a recent working paper.