From Indignation and Inequality to Inclusion and Integrity
Recovering from the crisis is about returning to economic growth that can sustainably deliver better lives in all senses of the word – jobs for today and the education and skills for the jobs of tomorrow, healthy environment, and equal opportunities.
Economic growth is the foundation stone, but the crisis taught us that it has to be the right kind of growth. In many countries, people are rising up – indignant about inequalities and what they see as a lack of transparency and accountability from their governments and institutions. They are calling for new approaches that focus on growth, fairness and inclusion and address corruption, the rising cost of living and social spending cuts.
Expectations are high for international organizations such as the OECD to help governments in their efforts to find sustainable solutions. It’s a daunting task, but one we can attain if governments and citizens work together. OECD Week 2012 in Paris was a key moment for achieving this and came on the heels of the success of the OECD's 50th Anniversary last year.
What happens during OECD Week?
OECD Week combines the annual OECD Ministerial Meeting and Forum. The Forum, a public event, brings together ministers, business, labour, civil society and academia to share policies and ideas. It feeds into the Ministerial Meeting, where government leaders and ministers discuss issues on the global agenda. Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister, Ali Babacan, chaired this year's Ministerial, supported by vice-chairs Chile and Poland.
Highlights of the week included the semi-annual OECD Economic Outlook, as well as three major new reports – the Skills Strategy to ensure that today’s children and young adults are well equipped for tomorrow, the final report of the Gender Initiative and the Development Strategy.
The Forum – 22-23 May Politicians, business leaders, academics and civil society discussed and debated ways to shift from indignation and inequality to inclusion and integrity. With record numbers of young people looking for jobs, the middle class squeezed out of the system, financial regulation failures, and faith in governments and other institutions waning, how best to restore trust and integrity in the system and find innovative paths for more sustainable, equitable and greener growth?
Which policies are delivering better lives? The OECD’s Better Life Index, launched in 2011, offers people a chance to say what matters most to them – education, jobs, a nice home, clean air, money – and see how their country measures up. An updated version of the Index, released at Forum 2012, includes new dimensions for gender and inequality as well as two new countries, Brazil and Russia.
The Ministerial – 23-24 May Ministers focused on policies for a sustainable - jobs-rich, green and equitable - economic recovery. In this context, they discussed ways to encourage people to learn and maintain skills - the global currency of the 21st century - and encourage gender equality so women can fulfil their potential. As the economy of one country depends on the economy of all, ministers also discussed the benefits of a more open trading system and looked to strengthen partnerships with developing countries and their relationship with the Middle East and North African region.
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