Participants in the Ministerial Segment of OECD Week discussed strategies for encouraging people to learn and maintain skills, and for fostering gender equality so women can fulfill their potential.
Noting that economies are increasingly interdependent, Ministers also discussed the benefits of a more open trading system and looked to strengthen partnerships with developing countries, as well as their relationships with the Middle East and North African region.
24 May 2012: At this year’s Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Week, participants discussed how best to restore trust and integrity in “the system” and find innovative paths for more sustainable, equitable and greener growth, and to consider which policies are delivering better lives. OECD Week combines the annual OECD Ministerial Meeting and Forum.
OCED Week was held from 22-24 May 2012, in Paris, France. The Forum, held from 22-23 May, is a public event bringing together ministers, business, labor, 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.
The ministerial segment, held from 23-24 May, focused on policies for sustainable jobs and economic recovery. Participants discussed strategies for encouraging people to learn and maintain skills, and for fostering gender equality so women can fulfill their potential. Noting that economies are increasingly interdependent, Ministers also discussed the benefits of a more open trading system and looked to strengthen partnerships with developing countries, as well as their relationships with the Middle East and North African region.
Speaking on the topic, “All on Board – Policies for inclusive growth and jobs,” OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría said, “All on board means that we need to increase our efforts to restore growth so that no one is left behind – we need comprehensive strategies that put citizens at the centre of our policy efforts.”
According to the Chair’s summary, ministers inter alia: call upon OECD to continue delivering first-class policy analysis and advice, in particular by integrating and deepening its advice to “go structural,” “go social,” “go green” and “go institutional.” Ministers recognize that structural policies, green growth, and science, technology and innovation policies can be mutually reinforcing. Ministers endorse the OECD Skills Strategy, which provides for investing in people’s skills and education to improve their marketability. Ministers agree on a mandate for the OECD to assist countries with the design of national and local skills strategies, to put such strategies into practice and to extend this work to developing countries.
Ministers welcome the OECD’s efforts and progress in strengthening its relationship with Key Partners (Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and South Africa) as a critical avenue to implementing the 50th Vision Statement’s call for the OECD to become a global and inclusive policy network. [OECD Week Website] [Chair’s Summary]