Welcome remarks

Anthony Gooch, Director for Public Affairs and Communications, OECD

Message from OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría (read the transcript of the video message)

What a strong health system means now

Francesca Colombo, Head of the Health Division, Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, OECD

Discussant: Ricardo Baptista Leite, Member of Parliament, Portugal, Founding President of ‘UNITE – Global Parliamentarians Network to End HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis and other infectious diseases’

The COVID-19 global pandemic has had a huge impact on the health of populations worldwide. It has exposed major vulnerabilities in health systems, and tested their resilience. This session explored early lessons for stronger health systems. It discussed the need for greater investment in population health and disease prevention to reduce vulnerabilities in disadvantaged population groups. Health systems ability to rapidly scale-up screening, invest in health workforces, and strengthen primary health care and mental health services will be key. Building more resilient health systems for the future will also require greater ability to share and use granular and timely data, agility in managing health system response, and renewed efforts for collaboration within and across countries.

• See the speaker's presentation (PDF)
• Workforce and safety in long-term care during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Treatments and a vaccine for COVID-19: the need for coordinating policies on R&D, manufacturingand access
• Testing for COVID-19: A way to lift confinement restrictions
• Latin America and the Caribbean countries need to spend more and better on health to be better able to face a major health emergency like COVID-19 effectively
• Who cares? Attracting and retaining care workers for the elderly
• Resilient Health Systems: What we are learning from the COVID-19 crisis

Break

Learning from international education responses to the crisis

Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills and Special Advisor on Education Policy to the Secretary-General, OECD

Discussant: Mojca Škrinjar, National Assembly, Slovenia

The pandemic has exposed the many inequities in our education systems - from the broadband and computers needed for online education, through the supportive environments needed to focus on learning, up to our failure to attract talented teachers to the most challenging classrooms. But as these inequities are amplified in this time of crisis, this moment also holds the possibility that we won’t return to the status quo when things get back to “normal”. Where school closures are needed in the short term, we can mitigate their impact for learners, families and educators, particularly for those in the most marginalised groups. We can collaborate internationally to mutualise open online educational resources and digital learning platforms, and encourage technology companies to join this effort. We can rapidly enhance digital learning opportunities for teachers and encourage teacher collaboration beyond boarders. And we can use the momentum to reshape curricula and learning environments to the needs of the 21st century. 

• See the speaker's presentation (PDF)
• Schooling disrupted, schooling rethought – How the COVID-19 pandemic is changing education
• A framework to guide an education response to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 
• The impact of COVID-19 on education: Insights from OECD’s Education at a Glance 2020
  
• Supporting the continuation of teaching and learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic 

A tightrope walk to recovery - Economy & Employment

Laurence Boone, Chief Economist, Head of the Economics Department and Special Counsellor to the Secretary-General, OECD
Stefano Scarpetta, Director for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, OECD

Discussants: 
Luděk Niedermayer, Member of the European Parliament, Czech Republic
Lina Galvez Muñoz, Member of the European Parliament, Spain

The COVID-19 pandemic is the largest health, economic and social shock to the global economy since the Second World War. Despite containment and mitigation policies severely affecting social and economic activities, initial government responses were rapid, impressive and appropriate. However, in an environment of high uncertainty they now face crucial and urgent policy decisions to continue supporting workers, their families and companies.

The session covered the global economic outlook and how to foster an inclusive and sustainable recovery, provide support to the vulnerable and minimise long-term joblessness, income loss and scarring of individuals and economies.

Through a first assessment of the initial labour market impact of the COVID-19 crisis and of countries’ wide set of policy responses, it also explored how countries could adapt the measures taken in the first months of the crisis during the gradual reopening of the economy in a context in which we still have to coexist with the virus.

• See the presentation by Laurence Boone (PDF)
• See the presentation by Stefano Scarpetta (PDF)
• OECD Economic Outlook, Interim Report September 2020
• OECD Employment Outlook

Break

Business and Financial Outlook: Stabilising finances and fostering business & SME resilience

Greg Medcraft, Director for Financial and Enterprise Affairs, OECD
Lamia Kamal-Chaoui, Director, Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities, OECD

Discussant: Alexander Kulitz, Member of Parliament, Germany

Governments around the world have made commitments to a “green recovery” from the COVID-19 pandemic. Public resources are already being mobilised to this end – but private sector financing and business activities, too, must engender a more resilient and sustainable recovery. While many industries are considering environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in investment decision-making, investors lack readily available, verifiable, comparable data to judge ESG performance and direct capital accordingly.

This session took stock of what financial markets can deliver to support sustainability outcomes, and what policy makers can do to make ESG investing more efficient and fairer. It also provided an early look at new OECD work on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and on government policy responses.

• See the presentation by Greg Medcraft (PDF)
• See the presentation by Lamia Kamal-Chaoui (PDF)

• Sustainable and resilient finance
• "Evolution and trends in SME finance policies since the global financial crisis", report submitted to the meeting of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors on 18 July 2020
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): SME policy responses, regularly updated

Closing remarks

Anthony Gooch, Director for Public Affairs and Communications, OECD