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This report examines the impacts of ICT on business performance and the policies that can help seize its benefits. It argues that ICT remains an important technology for the years ahead, as ICT networks have now spread throughout the economy. What counts now is how the technology should be made to work.

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The future sustainability of health systems will depend on how well governments are able to anticipate and respond to efficiency and quality of care challenges. Bold action is required, as well as willingness to test innovative care delivery approaches.

The greatest promise for transformational change is in applications that encourage new, ubiquitous, participatory preventive and personalised smart models of care. A whole new world of possibilities in using mobiles and the Internet to address healthcare challenges has opened up. The potential of mobile devices, services and applications to support self-management, behavioural modification and "participatory healthcare" is greater than ever before.

A key hurdle is, however, the big data challenge, dealing with the exponentially accelerating accumulation of patient data – all of which must be mined, stored securely and accurately, and converted to meaningful information at the point of care. In order to fully exploit the new smart approaches to care, acceptance, privacy and usability issues will also have to be carefully considered.

Information communication technologies (ICTs) are crucial to reducing poverty, improving access to health and education services and creating new sources of income and employment for the poor. Being able to access and use ICTs has become a major factor in driving competitiveness, economic growth and social development. In the last decade, ICTs, particularly mobile phones, have also opened up new channels for the free flow of ideas and opinions, thereby promoting democracy and human rights.

The OECD and infoDev joined forces at a workshop on 10-11 September 2009 to examine some of the main challenges in reducing the discrepancies in access to ICTs and use of ICTs between developing countries. The workshop discussed best practices for more coherent and collaborative approaches in support of poverty reduction and meeting the Millennium Development Goals.

There is much work to be done on improving policy coherence and there is a need to engage more actively with partner countries. Making the most of ICTs requires that they are seen as part of innovation for development, rather than just another development tool.

This publication examines access to ICTs, as a precondition to their use; broadband Internet access and governments' role in making it available; developments in mobile payments; ICT security issues; ICTs for improving environmental performance; and the relative priority of ICTs in education.

For more information

infoDev: www.infoDev.org

For the first time, the IEA has reviewed the energy policies of the European Union which shape the energy use of almost 500 million citizens in 27 EU member countries. A unique entity governed under complex and almost constantly evolving structures, the EU constitutes a challenge for energy policy makers. Its energy policy has a global impact, not only because of its 16% share of world energy demand, but also because of the EU leadership in addressing climate change.

Strong policy drives are underway in the EU to achieve the completion of the internal energy market, increase renewable energy supply, reduce CO2 emissions and make the EU more energy-efficient. Concerns about security of supply have also led to a greater focus on improved energy relations with supplier countries, and new institutional structures are being put in place. How much progress has been made in the field of security, internal market and external energy policies? And in which of these areas has the EU already implemented a fully integrated policy? IEA Energy Policies Review: The European Union - 2008 addresses these questions and also analyses the impact of the most recent major EU policy measures, in particular the Energy & Climate Package of January 2008 and the 3rd Liberalisation Package of September 2007.

This book finds that both of these proposals are highly ambitious. But implementing them and reviewing both volume and allocation of energy R&D will be necessary to achieve a sustainable energy future in a fully competitive integrated EU energy market.

Measuring and assessing how much has been done by member countries over the years to follow their underlying principles is not an easy task. Each country is unique in terms of economy, geography, climate, energy resources, etc. Taking into account some of these specificities, the IEA Scoreboard 2009 compares what has been achieved by member countries in diversifying their energy mix, in promoting non-fossil fuels and energy efficiency, in encouraging research and development, and, more generally, in creating a policy framework consistent with their shared policy goals.

Since the IEA Scoreboard 2009 is published in conjunction with the 35^th anniversary of the IEA, 35 themes, ranging from diversification to prices, show how IEA countries have performed in their efforts to attain energy security, environmental protection and economic growth.   This book, which combines statistical rigour with easy access and readability, is an ideal resource for anyone who would like to have a quick overview of energy development in IEA member countries over the last 35 years. The publication also includes selected energy-related statistics for over 140 countries, economies and regions in the world.

The structure of education systems varies widely between countries. In order to produce internationally comparable education statistics and indicators, it is necessary to have a framework to collect and report data on education programmes with a similar level of educational content. UNESCO’s International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) is the reference classification for organising education programmes and related qualifications by education levels and fields. The basic concepts and definitions of ISCED are intended to be internationally valid and comprehensive of the full range of education systems.

ISCED 2011 is the second major revision of this classification (initially developed in the 1970s and first revised in 1997). It was adopted by the UNESCO General Conference in November 2011. Prepared jointly by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), the OECD and Eurostat, this operational manual provides guidelines and explanatory notes for the interpretation of the revised classification, by each education level. It also includes country examples of programmes and qualifications that have been classified to ISCED 2011.

This manual will be useful for national statisticians collecting and reporting data on education to international organisations, as well as for policymakers and researchers interested in better understanding of these data.

The ITF Transport Outlook examines the development of global transport volumes and related CO2 emissions and health impacts through to 2050. It examines factors that can affect supply and demand for transport services and focuses on scenarios illustrating potential upper and lower pathways, discussing their relevance to policy making.

This edition presents an overview of long-run scenarios for the development of global passenger and freight transport volumes, with emphasis on changes in global trade flows and the consequences of rapid urbanisation. It focuses on the characteristics of mobility development in developing countries, from Latin America to Chinese and Indian cities, highlighting the importance of urban mobility policies for the achievement of national and global sustainability goals.

 

 

The ITF Transport Outlook provides an overview of recent trends and near-term prospects for the transport sector at a global level as well as long-term prospects for transport demand to 2050. The analysis covers freight (maritime, air, surface) and passenger transport (car, rail, air) as well as CO2 emissions.

This 2019 edition of the ITF Transport Outlook specifically examines the impacts of potential disruptions to transport systems. It also reviews alternative policy scenarios for long-term trends in transport demand and CO2 emissions from all modes for both freight and passenger transport.

The ITF Transport Outlook 2023 examines the impacts of different policy measures on global transport demand and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions to 2050. The analysis covers the movement of passengers and freight across all transport modes. A particular focus is placed on transport policies that make cities more liveable. A second focus is on infrastructure investment decisions and what different policy scenarios mean for them. As a third focus, the report explores regional differences in policy impacts.

The analysis is based on two distinct scenarios for the future of transport, simulated with the ITF’s in-house transport models. The Current Ambition scenario assumes policies to decarbonise transport continue along their current pathway and considers the implications for transport demand, CO₂ emissions and further aspects over the next three decades. The High Ambition scenario assumes policies focused on accelerating the decarbonisation of the transport sector and their impact.

This profile provides a concise and policy-relevant overview of health and the health system in Iceland as part of the broader series of the State of Health in the EU country profiles. It provides a short synthesis of: the health status in the country; the determinants of health, focussing on behavioural risk factors; the organisation of the health system; and the effectiveness, accessibility and resilience of the health system.

This profile is the joint work of the OECD and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, in co-operation with the European Commission.

This profile provides a concise and policy-relevant overview of health and the health system in Iceland as part of the broader series of the State of Health in the EU country profiles. It provides a short synthesis of: the health status in the country; the determinants of health, focussing on behavioural risk factors; the organisation of the health system; and the effectiveness, accessibility and resilience of the health system. This edition has a special focus on the impact of COVID‑19.

This profile is the joint work of the OECD and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, in co-operation with the European Commission.

This profile provides a concise and policy-focused overview of the state of health and the healthcare system in Iceland, as a part of the broader series of Country Health Profiles from the State of Health in the EU initiative. It presents a succinct analysis encompassing the following key aspects: the current health status in Iceland; the determinants of health, focusing on behavioural risk factors; the organisation of the Icelandic healthcare system; and an evaluation of the health system's effectiveness, accessibility, and resilience. Moreover, the 2023 edition presents a thematic section on the state of mental health and associated services in Iceland.

This profile is the collaborative effort of the OECD and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, carried out in cooperation with the European Commission.

This study focuses on the identification and quantification of the proceeds of active bribery in international business transactions. Public and private organisations alike have long recognised that bribery of public officials is harmful to good governance, economic development and competitive conditions. Confiscation and recovery of the proceeds derived from foreign bribery are key elements in the international framework to fight corruption of public officials.

Chapter 1 introduces the international legal framework for the treatment of the proceeds of active bribery and catalogues the legal remedies available in various jurisdictions, and how these remedies may interact. Chapter 2 defines five principal types of proceeds of active bribery and analyzes how they may be quantified. Each system is illustrated by examples from countries using such methods, as well as commentary on some practical challenges linked to the calculation of proceeds. Chapter 3 offers a compilation of case summaries to illustrate the principles covered in the preceding chapters.

This study focuses on the identification and quantification of the proceeds of active bribery in international business transactions. Public and private organisations alike have long recognised that bribery of public officials is harmful to good governance, economic development and competitive conditions. Confiscation and recovery of the proceeds derived from foreign bribery are key elements in the international framework to fight corruption of public officials.

Chapter 1 introduces the international legal framework for the treatment of the proceeds of active bribery and catalogues the legal remedies available in various jurisdictions, and how these remedies may interact.

Chapter 2 defines five principal types of proceeds of active bribery and analyzes how they may be quantified. Each system is illustrated by examples from countries using such methods, as well as commentary on some practical challenges linked to the calculation of proceeds.

Chapter 3 offers a compilation of case summaries to illustrate the principles covered in the preceding chapters.