This report presents the second OECD overview of countries’ progress in governing critical risks over the period 2017–2023, based on the 2014 OECD Recommendation on the Governance of Critical Risks. Drawing on a cross-country survey of 34 countries, it examines how governments have strengthened their capacity to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and learn from major shocks with national consequences.
The report shows that most countries have continued to make progress in implementing the Recommendation and have used it to shape new policy initiatives, revise national strategies, and adapt institutional arrangements. However, progress remains uneven across countries and across different aspects of risk governance. The COVID-19 pandemic, alongside other large-scale crises, severely tested national systems and highlighted persistent gaps in managing complex, fast-moving, and cross-border risks. Leading practices are found in countries where the rapidly evolving security context is reflected in country risk profiles and a whole-of-society approach to risk management incorporates actions to preserve social cohesion.
