OECD Civil Society Newsletter 14

OECDCivSoc September 2009 Newsletter 14

Civil Society at the OECD

Dear Civil Society Representative,
I would like to use this latest issue of the OECD Civil Society Newsletter as an opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Jenny Bisping and I am the OECD’s new Civil Society Liaison. Some of you might know me from my previous job at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where I worked on civil society outreach for many years. I am looking forward to hearing from and meeting many of you over the coming months. If you have any questions, comments, or ideas on how to improve OECD-Civil Society relations, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I can be reached at jennifer.bisping@oecd.org.
Warm regards,
Jenny Bisping

Calendar of recent and upcoming OECD events with Civil Society

Recent OECD Publications

OECD Observer
articles

	OECD Week 2009 The highpoint in the OECD’s annual calendar was OECD Week, held at the OECD Conference Centre in Paris on 23-25 June. It brought together member and partner governments from around the world, as well as leading representatives of business, labour, NGOs, academia and the media. Read more
	Green Growth Declaration The world’s main economies are looking to “green growth” as the way forward out of the current crisis. In a Declaration on Green Growth, OECD ministers tasked the OECD with developing a Green Growth Strategy bringing together economic, environmental, technological, financial and development aspects into a comprehensive framework. Read more
	Upcoming Employment Ministerial OECD Employment and Labour Ministers will meet on 28-29 September 2009 in Paris to discuss how best can labour market and social policies help workers and low income households weather the storm of the crisis. A Policy Forum will take place prior to the OECD Labour and Employment Ministerial Meeting in the morning of 28 September. Read more
	educationtoday - OECD’s education lighthouse for the way out of the crisis This collaborative space offers you evidence and analysis on the impact of the crisis on education, concrete examples of how governments and institutions in different countries are coping, information on high priority issues such as education budgets, stimulus packages, the effects of unemployment on motivation and learning attitudes, and much more. Register now and contribute to this information sharing platform with other members of the fast-growing OECD social network: educationtoday
	The MENA-OECD Ministerial Conference in Marrakech on 23 November 2009 will be a unique opportunity to strengthen partnerships between MENA and OECD economies, and pave the way for an economically and socially sustainable future. At a Business Forum and Governance Forum on 22 November, a wide range of stakeholders will be able to exchange their experiences on efforts to craft inclusive, transparent, and citizen-centred policy-making and investment strategies. the Business Forum will be opened with a Women Business Leaders Summit. Read more
	The first meeting of the OECD Eurasia Competitiveness Programme’s South Caucasus and Ukraine initiative (SCU), held in Bodrum, Turkey, on 3 July 2009, provided an excellent opportunity to initiate a dialogue between governments, business intermediaries and foreign investors of the region on ways to strengthen the SCU region’s investment climate and its countries’ investment policy reform agendas. The Eurasia Competitiveness Programme will hold a similar workshop for its Central Asia initiative (CA) in Astana, Kazakhstan, on 17 September 2009. Read more
	Civil Society helps OECD assess investment climates in South East Europe The OECD Private Sector Development Division South East Europe (SEE) Programme is finalising the second Investment Reform Index (IRI) and has actively sought the contributions of business associations, academics, think tanks and trade unions in every country in SEE. Read more

Useful Links:
OECD civil society

Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD

Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD

OECD Observer magazine

This Newsletter has been prepared by the Public Affairs Division of the OECD for the purpose of informing the public of OECD cooperation with civil society. The Public Affairs Division acts as a clearing house for information about OECD dialogue with civil society. OECD staff who are in contact with civil society through consultations, workshops or other activities contribute to this newsletter.

OECD Week 2009
The highpoint in the OECD’s annual calendar was OECD Week, held at the OECD Conference Centre in Paris on 23-25 June. It brought together member and partner governments from around the world, as well as leading representatives of business, labour, NGOs, academia and the media. The first OECD week event was the 10th OECD Forum, which was attended by over 1000 stakeholders. It featured 18 sessions on a range of topics including restoring confidence in financial systems, weathering the jobs crisis and green growth and water. The second event was the Ministerial Council Meeting, chaired by Korean Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, who also delivered the keynote address at the Forum.

This year’s Forum came at an important juncture, with most of the world facing an unprecedented crisis. In the opening plenary session, Prime Minister Han cited the “incontrovertible fact” that the world faces a two-fold challenge: a global financial crisis and climate change, both of which, he said, “require creative solutions”. “The cost of failure,” he said, “is incalculable.” The road to recovery, Mr Han said, will be long, the journey arduous, and success is “contingent on all stakeholders doing their part.” For summaries of the sessions, see the OECD Forum 2009 website.

Discussions at the Forum fed directly into the two-day OECD ministerial meeting. In the conclusions of the ministerial meeting, ministers committed to resist pressures for trade and investment protectionism and to promote integrity and transparency in international business dealings. They also pledged to maintain emergency support measures for national economies as long as these are needed, and to proceed cautiously in unwinding them once recovery is assured. Noting the heavy pressure put on public budgets by the cost of financing emergency support measures, they promised to rein in debt once their economies recover. “Just as we adjusted fiscal policies expeditiously in response to the crisis, their balance should shift to a sustainable path once our economies are sufficiently strong,” they said. For more information on the ministerial meeting, visit the meeting website.

Green Growth Declaration
The world’s main economies are looking to “green growth” as the way forward out of the current crisis, opening up new prospects for climate-change negotiations ahead of the 15th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP15) in Copenhagen in December. In a Declaration on Green Growth, signed by all 30 OECD countries plus Chile, Estonia, Israel and Slovenia, OECD ministers tasked the OECD with developing a Green Growth Strategy bringing together economic, environmental, technological, financial and development aspects into a comprehensive framework.
The declaration was issued at the recent OECD Ministerial Meeting, where ministers welcomed OECD efforts to provide policy analysis and recommendations on macroeconomic and structural issues that will help achieve a sustainable, healthy recovery. The Green Growth Strategy will analyse green growth measures in OECD as well as in major non-member countries, and will fully take into consideration the OECD Innovation Strategy, the OECD Environmental Outlook to 2030, the OECD work on the economics of climate change, the results of the Copenhagen UN Climate Change Conference of December 2009 and inputs from the IEA.
“We are talking about a paradigm shift in policy,” said Korean Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, who chaired the meeting. “Technological development and actions to protect the environment and combat climate change can also be harnessed in favour of economic growth.” The OECD will provide the cross-cutting policy expertise needed to support governments in addressing these challenges, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría said. A first report will be delivered to the OECD’s next Ministerial Council Meeting in 2010.

Upcoming Employment Ministerial
The financial and economic crisis has rapidly turned into a jobs crisis with large job losses and potentially severe social consequences. The OECD Employment and Labour Ministers will meet on 28-29 September 2009 in Paris to discuss how best can labour market and social policies help workers and low income households weather the storm of the crisis. A Policy Forum will take place prior to the OECD Labour and Employment Ministerial Meeting (www.oecd.org/employment/ministerial) in the morning of September 28. The Forum will provide an opportunity for the social partners, researchers, Ministers and representatives of the civil society to discuss the social dimension of the economic crisis and how best policy-makers could respond to the challenges of rapidly rising unemployment which is likely to persist for some time even after the recovery gets underway. For more information regarding registration for this event, please contact the OECD Secretariat.

MENA-OECD Ministerial Conference to Feature Business and Governance Forums along with Women’s Business Leaders Summit
The MENA-OECD Ministerial Conference in Marrakech on 23 November 2009, hosted by the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco, will be a unique opportunity to strengthen partnerships between MENA and OECD economies, and pave the way for an economically and socially sustainable future. MENA and OECD Ministers dealing with investment and public governance policies, and representatives from businesses and the civil society will come together to develop strategies for a strong reform agenda. A Declaration will be issued at the end of the meeting with inputs received from business and civil society representatives, the regional working groups of the OECD-MENA Initiative, and specialised networks from the MENA region.
A Business Forum and Governance Forum the previous day, on 22 November 2009, will be a unique opportunity for a wide range of stakeholders – from government, civil society, and business –to exchange their experiences on efforts to craft inclusive, transparent, and citizen-centred policy-making and investment strategies.
Private investment is a driving force for economic growth and employment. The Business Forum, opening with a Women Business Leaders Summit, will bring together business representatives at the highest level aiming to strengthen their advocacy in the policy process of business climate development and reform. At the centre of discussions will be concrete measures to promote and protect investment, develop a dynamic financial sector, and encourage good corporate governance. Specific focus will be on developing an enabling environment for women’s entrepreneurship. Concrete recommendations from the Business Forum will be put forward in a Business Statement, which will be endorsed by Ministers in the Ministerial Declaration the following day.
The stronger involvement of citizens and civil society representatives in policy making is an emergent trend in MENA and OECD countries. At the Governance Forum, representatives from civil society and the media will discuss with central and local authorities the use of communication, strategic planning, and evaluation mechanisms for transparent and inclusive policy making. In particular, the involvement of women in decision-making and the integration of gender approaches in public policies will be addressed by key actors from the Arab civil society. The involvement of citizens in the local arena and their contribution to territorial development will be a main aspect of the discussions. Both policy issues will play a key role in the framework for MENA- OECD co-operation during the coming years. For more information, see the Ministerial website at: www.oecd.org/mena/ministerial2009 or contact mena.ministerial@oecd.org.

Business to Play Active Role in OECD South Caucasus and Ukraine and OECD Central Asia initiativesl
Bringing the business community to the table as an active stakeholder is essential for helping governments correctly identify emerging business opportunities and threats which need to be addressed if regions want to sustainably enhance competitiveness, investment and private sector development within and across their borders. The first meeting of the OECD Eurasia Competitiveness Programme’s South Caucasus and Ukraine initiative (SCU), held in Bodrum, Turkey, on 3 July 2009, provided an excellent opportunity to initiate a dialogue between governments, business intermediaries and foreign investors of the region on ways to strengthen the SCU region’s investment climate and its countries’ investment policy reform agendas. The Black Sea Economic Co-operation Business Council (BSEC BC) and the Union of Black Sea and Caspian Confederation of Enterprises (UBCCE) and their members were active participants at this inaugural meeting, and will remain strongly engaged in the future work of the initiative.
The Eurasia Competitiveness Programme will hold a similar workshop for its Central Asia initiative (CA) in Astana, Kazakhstan, on 17 September 2009 to inaugurate the Working Group on Investment Climate, Policy and Promotion – whose success will equally depend on the inputs given by local and international companies active in the region. For more information, see www.oecd.org/daf/psd/eurasia or contact: Daniel.Quadbeck@oecd.org.

Civil Society helps OECD assess investment climates in South East Europe The OECD Private Sector Development Division South East Europe (SEE) Programme is finalising the second Investment Reform Index (IRI). The IRI measures where SEE countries stand in implementing policy reform to improve their investment environment. Key components of the analysis are the views and experiences of the private sector – those who will benefit from the reform responses of government. The IRI team has actively sought the contributions of business associations, academics, think tanks and trade unions in every country in SEE. For example, the Montenegrin Chamber of Commerce and the Montenegrin Business Alliance filled in the entire IRI assessment framework and presented their views to OECD officials in Podgorica on 1 July 2009. Another example is Serbia, where the Serbian Chamber of Commerce gathered business leaders to meet and present their views on government reforms to the OECD on 2 July 2009. For more information, see www.investmentcompact.org or contact: Alistair.Nolan@oecd.org

Calendar of recent and coming OECD events involving civil society

2009

June 2009
3-4 June: OECD Conference on Household’s Response to Environmental Policy Civil society was invited to the conference, including the European Environmental Bureau and Consumer International. The objective of the Conference organised by the Environment Directorate was to present the overall results of the OECD Household Survey on Environmental Behaviour and to discuss policy implications. Ten experts teams coordinated by the OECD presented their main findings in five key areas: residential energy use, transport choices, waste generation and recycling, organic food consumption and water use. The Conference also provided an opportunity to explore avenues for the new round of the OECD Survey to be implemented in 2010. Further information is available here.

9-10 June: OECD Global Forum on Trade Several NGOs were invited to theForum. Those who attended included the Global Subsidies Initiative, the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), and the European Federation for Transport and the Environment (T&E). The Global Forum brought together trade and climate-change experts and policy makers from OECD countries and a number of emerging economies to discuss how to make trade and climate-change policies mutually supportive. Representatives from academia, civil society and key multilateral organisations also contributed to the discussion. Specifically, the Global Forum on Trade this year examined several important issues at the interface between trade and climate-change policies: the importance of removing barriers to trade in climate-friendly technologies; the links between trade liberalization, the demand for transport, and emissions of greenhouse gases; carbon accounting and labelling; and subsidies to fossil fuels. Further information is available here.

10-12 June, Chisinau, Moldova: Annual Meeting of the Regulatory Environmental Programme Implementation Network in Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia The Network was established in 1999 under the OECD/EAP Task Force umbrella as a mechanism for dialogue on issues of environmental compliance assurance in Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia (EECCA). Currently, its scope of work covers environmental policy implementation and financing. The Network aspires to facilitate implementation of environmental policy objectives at least costs, and promote the rule of law and a level playing field for businesses. NGOs and business community are regularly involved in REPIN events and consulted on products developed by the OECD in support to policy innovation in EECCA. During the 2009 meeting, a civil society initiative to conduct independent assessments of environmental actions under the European Neighbourhood Policy implementation plans was presented by the NGO delegate. Several documents aiming, inter alia, to correct the level playing field for businesses were discussed, most importantly the “Guidance on the Determination and Application of Administrative Fines for Environmental Offences”. See more on www.oecd.org/env/policy

30 June, Marseille, France: World Bank Urban Research Symposium The OECD hosted a session on cities and climate change at the symposium, entitled Assessing Local Climate Vulnerability, Impacts, and Assessing Policy Options: Coastal Zones. The research symposium was attended by several hundred non-governmental representatives from the business, environmental and academic community. Environmental Policies, Enforcement and Compliance

July 2009
2 July, Workshop on Innovative International Financing for Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use Worldwide concern for biodiversity loss has led to many calls to conserve or sustainably use natural habitats. For decades now, conservationists have struggled to find mechanisms to finance such conservation. The workshop, organized by the Working Group on Economic Aspects of Biodiversity’s and to which stakeholders were invited to participate, examined a number of innovative approaches to scale-up existing biodiversity finance and how to make it more environmentally- and cost-effective. More information can be found here.

15-17 July, Conference on Environmental Benefits of Nanotechnology The conference, in which stakeholders participated, covered both the opportunities and the challenges of the use of nanotechnologies for potential environmental benefit. The conference aimed at learning from international expertise and identifying ways in which to improve in a timely manner policies with the potential to enhance both short- and long-term economic growth. Additional information on the conference can be found here.

September 2009
18 September,Paris: Conference on Economics of Climate Change The OECD has been working on the economics of climate change since the late 1980s. Thanks to this experience, we have developed a capacity to help countries to identify and implement cost-effective policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as to integrate adaptation to climate change into all relevant policy areas. The purpose of the Conference is to bring together high level experts, government decision-makers and representatives from civil society to discuss how climate change mitigation and adaptation can best be tackled in an economically efficient manner, including by ensuring sufficient incentives for participation by all. Stakeholders participation will be co-ordinated through BIAC for business and industry, TUAC for trade unions and labour and the EEB for NGOs. Click here for more information.

22-24 September, Copenhagen, Denmark: Workshop on Endocrine Disrupters Testing and Assessment Stakeholders will attend this workshop, which will analyze how OECD Test Guidelines and other tools and information are used in OECD countries for different types of decision levels concerning identification, assessment and management of endocrine disrupters.

October 2009
15-16 October, OECD Headquarters, Paris: Annual Meeting of the EAP Task Force. The Task Force for the Implementation of the Environmental Action Programme is an inter-government body established in 1993 as part of the “Environment for Europe” process in order to support OECD partner countries in Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia (EECCA) in reforming their environmental policies and institutions. International organizations and financial institutions, business and civil society actively participate in the work of the Task Force. The main purpose of the Annual Meeting will be to discuss the progress in the implementation of the EAP Task Force's Programme of Work. Among other things, IFIs and donor countries will be invited to present their views on environmental cooperation involving EECCA countries. Furthermore, a Special Session on Water Supply and Sanitation will be held back-to-back with the Task Force Meeting on Friday16 October. For additional information see www.oecd.org/env/eap

26-28 October, OECD LEED Trento Centre for Local Development, Trento, Italy: Seminar on Getting the Young into Jobs: the Role of Partnerships Civil society is playing an important role in ensuring a smooth and quick transition from education to employment and in fighting education drop-out. In the EU-27 countries, four out of every ten unemployed belong to the age group 16-29-years-old, and in the OECD area around 12 percent of this age group are neither in employment, nor in education or training. The to-do-list of governments is long and evidence confirms that those performing well are partnering with civil society organisations, education and training providers and the private business sector. Across OECD countries such partnerships have been active in advancing evidence-based decision making and the effective delivery of policies to prevent the economic downturn producing a ‘lost generation’ to the labour market. Some partnerships more involved in the delivery of policies, whereas others seek to also influence priorities, targets and the ways of delivery. All share the same aims: to increase the effectiveness of policies to get the young into jobs, in terms of output and outcome achievement, and to improve local governance. Much can be learned from an international exchange regarding the rationale behind partnership working, successful techniques, the results achieved, and how the pitfalls and barriers encountered have been addressed. Click here for more information about the seminar and contact Elisa Campestrin to participate.

27-30 October, Busan, Korea: OECD 3rd World Forum on Statistic, Knowledge and Policy This year’s Forum will focus on Charting Progress, Building Visions, Improving Life. It will attract some 1500 high level participants and more than 200 authoritative speakers with a mixture of politicians and policy makers, heads of international organisations, opinion leaders, Nobel laureates, statisticians, leading academics, journalists and representatives of civil society from both OECD countries and non-member economies. The Forum will build on the outcomes of the previous Forum, which led to the “Istanbul Declaration” and the establishment of the Global Project on “Measuring the Progress of Societies”, hosted by the OECD, and run in collaboration with several international organisations, non-governmental organisations, research institutes and foundations. The deadline for the Forum registration is 5 October 2009: http://www.oecdworldforum2009.org/

November 2009
4-5 November, Paris, France: Global Forum on Eco-Innovation The Global Forum will be an opportunity to take stock of what we know on policies to support the development and diffusion of environment-friendly innovations (including green technologies) and to discuss policy challenges. It will be an important milestone in the preparation of the OECD Innovation Strategy and the Green Growth Strategy. Preliminary information, including a draft agenda and a registration form, is available at www.oecd.org/environment/innovation/globalforum

18 November, Trento, Italy: Conference on Social Inclusion The results of peer reviews in the areas of social inclusion, lifelong learning and active employment policies will be presented at an international conference, organised by the OECD LEED Programme. The review of the four Italian regions (Friuli Venezia Giulia, Marche, Toscana and Trentino) and of the Polish one (Podlachia) showed that the active involvement of civil society is a key element of any successful strategy pursuing social inclusion. Public policies in the analysed fields are likely to be more effective when they have both been defined taking into account civil society needs and suggestions, and when civil society is involved in implementing them. Interesting case studies will be presented. For more information on this conference contact emma.clarence@oecd.org.

20 November, Kielce, Poland: A Capacity Building Seminar will present the results of the OECD study on the social economy and social inclusion. Three regions (Malopolskie, Mazowieckie, Swietokrzyskie), with different economic and social backgrounds were analysed during the study carried out by the OECD LEED Programme. Social economy organisations, including associations and cooperatives, play an important role in fighting against social exclusion in Poland. The study shows how to create a good environment for them to operate in. For more information, please contact antonella.noya@oecd.org

24–25 November, Bucharest, Romania: Joint Meeting of the EU Water Initiative’s (EUWI) Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) Working Group and the OECD/EAP Task Force’s Group of Senior Officials responsible for Water Sector Reform in EECCA. The aim of the event, held annually, is to take stock of progress made in implementing the EUWI EECCA Working Group Work programme for 2009 and discuss a number of topical issues such as: the achievement of water-related Millennium Development Goals; impacts of decentralisation in the water supply and sanitation sector and measures to cope with over fragmentation in the sector etc. The event will gather not only members of the aforementioned groups but also representatives from civil society, including regional environmental centres and NGOs active in the water sector. For more information, please contact: peter.borkey@oecd.org or tatiana.efimova@oecd.org.

December 2009
5 December, Moscow, Russian Federation (date to be confirmed): Joint OECD and World Bank Event on Private Sector Participation in Water Supply and Sanitation in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA). The main objective of this event organized, hosted by Russian authorities, is to raise awareness of key stakeholders about modern tools and good practices international of private sector participation (PSP) in water supply and sanitation, to review achievements and obstacles of PSP in the region, and to identify measures for improving the policy and regulatory environment for PSP. The meeting will gather national and local level policy makers, as well as domestic and international private operators. It will further enhance communication with civil society representatives on PSP issues, particularly with NGOs specialised on water issues. For more information, please contact: alexandre.martoussevitch@oecd.org or celine.kauffmann@oecd.org.

15 December, Warsaw, Poland: An International Conference will present, at national level, the results and the policy recommendations of the OECD study on social economy and social inclusion in Poland. International best practices on how civil society can contribute to economic and social development in Poland will be presented and discussed. For more information, please contact antonella.noya@oecd.org

Recent OECD Publications of interest to civil society

		Focus on Citizens: Public Engagement for Better Policy and Services
This book is a valuable source of information on government performance in fostering open and inclusive policy making in 25 countries. Based on a survey of governments in 25 countries, 14 in-depth country case studies and 18 opinion pieces from leading civil society and government practitioners. It includes 10 guiding principles to support open and inclusive policy making and service delivery in practice. Now available from the Online Bookshop.


		Society at a Glance 2009 OECD Social Indicators
Society at a Glance provides a concise quantitative overview of social trends across OECD countries. This 2009 edition includes coverage for demography and family characteristics, employment and unemployment, poverty and inequality, social and health care expenditure, and work and life satisfaction. Now available from the Online Bookshop.


		Flexible Policy for More and Better Jobs
This book provides a new indicator for benchmarking labour-market policy, reviewing the flexibility available in its management throughout OECD countries. Now available from the Online Bookshop.


		Taxing Wages 2008
Taxing Wages provides unique information on income tax paid by workers and on social security contributions levied upon employees and their employers in OECD countries. It also specifies family benefits paid as cash transfers. Now available from the Online Bookshop.


		*OECD Insights* International Trade Free, Fair and Open?
Argues that prosperity has rarely, if ever, been achieved or sustained without trade. Trade alone, however, is not enough; policies targeting employment, education, health and other issues are also needed to promote well-being and tackle the challenges of a globalised economy. Use the widget on the OECD Online Bookshop to read, post and share this title.


		Ensuring Environmental Compliance Trends and Good Practices
This report examines the strategies and instruments that governments use to ensure compliance with pollution prevention and control regulations, particularly in the industrial sector. Now available from the Online Bookshop.


Recent OECD Observer articles by civil society authors
Progress, what progress? By Joseph Stiglitz, Professor, Columbia University The global economic crisis has focused minds on restoring growth. But does growth necessarily mean progress? http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/2793/Progress,_what_progress_.html A stress test for the OECD? By John Sweeney, President of the AFL-CIO and Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD To be useful in helping countries to move out of the crisis, it is necessary for the OECD to look at its own history as an organisation and draw the right lessons for the future. http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/2977/A_stress_test_for_the_OECD_.html Water and the economic crisis Back to Basics By Jack Moss, Chair of BIAC Water Group & Senior Water Advisor, AquaFed Water, is as essential to human activity as air. When cities or societies neglect water, they face collapse. http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/2845/Water_and_the_economic_crisis.html A transparent roadmap to recovery By Huguette Labelle, Chair, Transparency International Governments must put transparency and accountability at the heart of all rescue and reform measures if they are to regain public trust and investor confidence. http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/2959/A_transparent_roadmap_to_recovery.html

Since its creation, the OECD has had co-operative activities with civil society, principally through the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD (BIAC) and the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC). Over the last decade, this co-operation has been complemented by increasing activities with other civil society organisations.
For further information about OECD cooperation with civil society, see the OECD civil society web page or contact: CivilSociety@oecd.org