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This report assesses the state of Armenia’s sanitation services, which are in poor shape, and proposes ways forward for reforming the sector by: ensuring equitable access by all and identifying solutions that work for the poorest and most remote communities; generating economies of scale and scope, and reducing both investment and operational costs for the efficient delivery of sanitation services; and moving towards sustainable cost recovery for the sanitation sector, by identifying how much funding can be mobilised from within the sector and how much external transfers are required. The state of Armenia’s sanitation services are inadequate, with 51% of the population in rural areas using unimproved facilities, causing direct damage to the environment and exposing inhabitants to health risks, and better access but degraded sewerage-system infrastructure in urban areas, posing health hazards due to potential cross-contamination between sewage and drinking water. According to preliminary estimates, EUR 2.6 billion of investments will be required to meet Armenia’s sanitation needs, with approximately EUR 1 billion needing to be spent in the next 7 to 10 years. Given the country’s current economic situation, this investment will have to be spread over time and targeted to avoid further deterioration of infrastructure and increase of the financing gap.

Norway has long used technology to streamline processes within the public sector and bring the government closer to citizens and businesses. Now the country is going further, seeking to transform its public sector through the full assimilation of digital technologies. The goal is to make it more efficient, collaborative, user- and data-driven, and better able to respond to the changing needs and expectations of citizens and businesses. This review analyses the efforts under way and provides policy advice to support the Norwegian government in implementing digital government.

Regulatory differences across jurisdictions can be costly for traders. While these costs may reflect variations in domestic conditions and preferences, they may also be the result of rule-making processes working in isolation and of a lack of consideration for the international environment. Thus, some of the trade costs of regulatory divergence may be avoided without compromising the quality of regulatory protection. Building on lessons learnt from OECD analytical work and the experiences of OECD countries in regulatory policy and trade, this report proposes a definition of trade costs of regulatory divergence and analyses various approaches to addressing them, including unilateral, bilateral and multilateral approaches. It focuses on the contribution of good regulatory practices, the adoption of international standards, and the use of cross-border recognition frameworks and trade agreements. Based on this, the report provides indications for policy makers on how to reduce trade costs through international regulatory co-operation.

Regulatory reform has been a top priority in Korea for several successive administrations. Maintaining momentum for reform in Korea will be essential for producing tangible results and supporting inclusive growth, productivity and innovation. The Regulatory Reform Review of Korea provides key insights into a mature regulatory system and follows two previous Regulatory Reform Reviews of Korea completed in 2000 and 2007. It identifies a number of areas where improvements could help Korea reap the full benefits of the reforms introduced so far.It stresses the need for a clear strategy for regulatory policy in order to make better use of the resources deployed.