News & Events

News

Governments and industry should invest more in financial education, warns OECD

29-Apr-2008

Many people have a poor understanding of the financial issues that affect their lives, according to OECD analysis. To help them, OECD countries have agreed new good practices on financial education relating to private pensions and insurance that call on governments and business to work together to improve financial literacy in order to give people the tools they need to secure their future.

Economic survey of Ireland 2008: Financial stability: banking on prudence

16-Apr-2008

Lending has been strong, with debt ratios reaching very high levels. The Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland (CBFSAI) had clearly identified the major vulnerabilities and taken action to mitigate them. The Irish banks are well-capitalised and profitable, which provides a cushion to weather the more difficult times ahead. This chapter reviews financial market developments, the actions by the CBFSAI and the new policy issues that have come to the fore with the financial market turmoil.

OECD Financial Markets Committee calls for fundamental reform of financial markets

15-Apr-2008

Fundamental reform of the financial system and its regulation is needed to address the issues highlighted by the current financial markets crisis, according to the OECD Financial Markets Committee. Priority should be given to private sector initiatives to speed up the recovery of financial markets but government intervention may be needed.

OECD releases report on subprime crisis: size, deleveraging and some policy options

15-Apr-2008

This report reviews previous estimates of losses from subprime mortgages and indicates these could amount to between US$ 350 and 420 billion, what the losses mean for deleveraging in the economy and what policy options there are to deal with the negative economic consequences of deleveraging.

Managing for and Communicating about Development Results

10-Apr-2008

This DevCom Network meeting was organised in collaboration with the Joint Venture on Managing for Development Results and attended by representatives of more than twenty bilateral and multilateral aid agencies. Policy makers and development communicators were able to share their respective views on development results. Discussions constituted a first step in the development of guiding principles on the role of communications in managing results.

OECD countries stay open to commercial investments by sovereign wealth funds

09-Apr-2008

OECD countries are committed to keeping their investment frontiers open to sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) as long as these funds invest for commercial, not political ends. That is the message in a letter from OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría to G7 Finance Ministers detailing a common OECD position on policies towards sovereign wealth funds.

Factbook 2008 shows wide variations in productivity across OECD countries

08-Apr-2008

Labour productivity has grown strongly in the Slovak Republic, Hungary and Korea in recent years while  growth rates in some other OECD countries such as Italy, Mexico, Portugal and New Zealand have slowed markedly.

Public consultation on an Implementation Guide to Ensure Accountability and Transparency in State Ownership

06-Mar-2008

Adopted in 2005, the OECD Guidelines on Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises have become a global benchmark. To assist countries in implementing the Guidelines, the OECD is developing an implementation guide in the area of accountability and transparency. The draft text was made available for public comment through an online consultation between 15 February and 3 March 2008.

OECD launches Global Network on Privatisation and Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises

06-Mar-2008

The OECD launched its Global Network on Privatisation and Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises with an inaugural meeting in Paris on 5 March 2008. Participants from 45 countries agreed that the Global Network will serve as a platform for policy dialogue and exchange of experience in the areas of corporate governance of state-owned enterprises and privatisation. This meeting also provided Network members with the opportunity to discuss the draft Implementation Guide for Transparency and Accountability in State Ownership.

The OECD examines the issue of proportionality and corporate governance

07-Feb-2008

At its meeting on 14 November 2007, the Steering Group on Corporate Governance agreed on a common position based on the OECD Principles of Corporate Governance about the issue of whether there should be proportionality between ownership and control (also known as one-share-one-vote)  in listed companies. 


Events

Non-listed Companies Focus Group meeting

on 02-Dec-2005

The focus group met in Paris in December 2005 to further advance discussion on corporate governance in non-listed companies on the legal and regulatory framework, transparency requirements, and ownership structures and financing.

National Treasury of South Africa/OECD/Bond Exchange of South Africa Regional Workshop on African Debt Management and Bond Markets

from 24-Apr-2007 to 26-Apr-2007

This Regional Workshop was held in Johannesburg, complementing the first annual OECD Forum on African Public Debt Management and Bond Markets which was held in Amsterdam in December 2006.  Motivated by African countries, the workshop’s purpose was to disseminate the recommendations and conclusions from the OECD Forum to a wider audience of officials in Africa.

The Sixth meeting of the Forum for Asian Insolvency Reform

The sixth meeting of the Forum for Asian Insolvency Reform will take place in 2008.  It will build on the initial work and input of the Network on Asian Insolvency Reform, which is currently being established and will be held in co-operation with the FAIR partner organisations.  The venue of the FAIR is currently under discussion.

The Fifth Meeting of the Forum for Asian Insolvency Reform (FAIR)

from 26-Apr-2006 to 27-Apr-2006

The fifth meeting of the Forum for Asian Insolvency Reform (FAIR) took place in Beijing, China on 27-28 April 2006. FAIR V discussed insolvency initiatives in Asia during the last decade and distilled the relevance of international guidance to past and future reforms in Asia.

Meeting of the Asian Roundtable on Corporate Governance in Singapore

from 26-Jun-2007 to 27-Jun-2007

The OECD organises the Asian Roundtable on Corporate Governance to support corporate governance reforms in 13 Asian economies. The Roundtable comprises Asian policy-makers, regulators and business leaders, as well as regional and international experts. The last meeting of the Asian Roundtable on Corporate Governance was hosted by Singapore on 26-27 June 2007.

Policy Dialogue on Corporate Governance in China, Shanghai, China

from 29-Mar-2007 to 30-Mar-2007

Chairmen of the boards of China’s largest listed companies met with OECD decision-makers to discuss boardroom challenges and how to make improvements, at a meeting hosted by the Shanghai Stock Exchange on 29-30 March, 2007.

Quelle politique de réendettement pour les pays africains après une decennie de remise de dette ? (Repère n° 36)

La mise en œuvre successive des plans d'allègement de la dette PPTE et IADM ont permis de réduire considérablement la charge du service de la dette pour les pays africains qui en ont bénéficié. Dotés d'une solvabilité restaurée et par ailleurs confrontés à des besoins de financement importants, ces pays souhaitent désormais se ré-endetter. Ce Repère dont la publication fait suite à un séminaire d'experts consacré aux économies africaines et organisé conjointement le 8 juin 2006 par l'AFD et le Centre de Développement, évalue les conditions d'un tel processus de ré-endettement.

16th OECD Global Forum on Public Debt Management

from 06-Dec-2006 to 07-Dec-2006

The 16th OECD Global Forum on Public Debt Management which took place in Amsterdam on 6-7 December 2006 focused on recent trends and developments in public debt management in emerging markets; the role of retail instruments in issuing strategies and risk management of government debt.

The Inaugural New Zealand Symposium on Financial Literacy: Wellington, 1 December 2006

on 01-Dec-2006

The Symposium explored the importance of financial literacy and what's happening in New Zealand and overseas.

G8 International Conference on Improving Financial Literacy

from 29-Nov-2006 to 30-Nov-2006

This Conference, convened under the auspices of Russia' G8 Presidency, will be held in Moscow on 29-30 November 2006. The aim of the conference is to recognise the increased need for financial education in both developed and developing countries.



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Financial crisis: Save our savings

Amid the worst current financial crisis since the 1930s, EU leaders have pledged to protect savers’ deposits. Already most OECD countries have explicit deposit insurance schemes for savings up to certain limits. In a number of countries these have now been raised temporarily.

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