Browse by: "2011"

While efficient ports are vital to the economic development of their surrounding areas, the related ship traffic, the handling of the goods in the ports and the hinterland distribution can cause a number of negative environmental impacts.  

This book examines the environmental impacts of international maritime transport, and looks more in detail at the impacts stemming from near-port shipping activities, the handling of the goods in the ports and from the distribution of the goods to the surrounding regions. It focuses on five ports: Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, the United States; Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Port Metro Vancouver, Canada; and Busan, Korea. 

The book provides examples of the environmental problems related to port activities (such as air pollution and emissions of greenhouse gases, water pollution, noise, spread of invasive species, etc.) and highlights a number of different policy instruments that can be used to limit the negative impacts. It is a valuable resource for policy makers and researchers alike. 

Avec la construction de centrales nucléaires dans plusieurs pays et des projets de construction additionnels pour répondre à la demande croissante d’électricité, les ressources en uranium, sa production et la demande y afférentes suscitent toujours un intérêt notable. Au vu de l’augmentation projetée de la demande d’uranium et de la diminution des stocks, l’industrie de l’uranium, premier maillon critique dans la chaîne d'approvisionnement en combustible pour les réacteurs nucléaires, accroît sa production, et des projets de capacités supplémentaires sont prévus dans un futur proche. Cependant, des conditions de marché fortes seront nécessaires pour déclencher les investissements requis pour satisfaire la demande projetée.

Le « Livre rouge », préparé conjointement par l’Agence de l’OCDE pour l'énergie nucléaire et l’Agence internationale de l’énergie atomique, est un ouvrage de référence de notoriété mondiale. Il se fonde sur des données officielles communiquées par 40 pays, dont les principaux producteurs et consommateurs d’uranium. Cette 23e édition présente les résultats d’un examen approfondi de l’offre et de la demande mondiale d’uranium au 1er janvier 2009, ainsi que des données sur l’exploration mondiale de l’uranium, les ressources, la production et les besoins des réacteurs. Elle est enrichie de nombreuses informations nouvelles en provenance de tous les grands centres de production au niveau mondial, ainsi que des pays développant de tels centres pour la première fois. Des projections de la capacité de production nucléaire et les besoins en uranium des centrales jusqu’en 2035 sont également présentées ainsi qu'une analyse des questions relatives à l'offre et à la demande d'uranium à long terme.

La educación ha sido una prioridad central para Chile desde hace mucho tiempo y un factor clave para su desarrollo económico. Durante las dos últimas décadas, el país ha hecho un gran esfuerzo por aumentar el número de jóvenes que acceden a la educación superior. En 2008, Chile lanzó una prometedora iniciativa para desarrollar su capital humano con un programa de becas en el extranjero – el Programa Becas Chile – con el objetivo de formar a los 30 000 mejores estudiantes, incluyendo profesores y técnicos, en instituciones a su elección del mundo entero.

Este informe conjunto de la OCDE y el Banco Mundial, proporciona una visión general del capital humano en Chile; describe las características del Programa Becas Chile; analiza puntos estratégicos y operacionales; y proporciona recomendaciones para mantener y mejorar el programa de becas en el extranjero. Este informe será de utilidad tanto a los profesionales de la educación en Chile como a sus colegas internacionales.   

This Review of Corporate Governance in Slovenia describes the corporate governance setting including the structure and ownership concentration of listed companies and the structure and operation of the state-owned sector. The Review then examines the legal and regulatory framework and company practices to assess the degree to which the recommendations of the OECD Principles of Corporate Governance and the OECD Guidelines on Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises have been implemented.

Criminalisation is a key component of all international anti-corruption instruments. For example, the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (Anti-Bribery Convention) and the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) both require States Parties to enact specific criminal offences on bribery. The Asian Development Bank (ADB)/Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Anti-Corruption Initiative's Action Plan commits countries to ensure ‘the existence of legislation with dissuasive sanctions which effectively and actively combat the offence of bribery of public officials’.

However, criminalisation can be a challenging task, as experienced by many countries Party to the Anti-Bribery Convention. This report reviews the criminalisation of bribery offences in Asian countries under the UNCAC. Drawing on the experience of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention's monitoring mechanism, the review focuses on each member's implementation of UNCAC Articles 15, 16 and 26 (domestic and foreign bribery by natural and legal persons). The review also identifies trends and challenges across the Asia-Pacific region.

Learning for Jobs is an OECD study of vocational education and training (VET) designed to help countries make their VET systems more responsive to labour market needs.

In Texas, secondary level career and technical education (CTE) is provided within a comprehensive high school framework. Texas has encouraged a wide variety of innovative learning initiatives, established good articulation between high school CTE and postsecondary programs and benefits from a strong network of community colleges and universities. At the same time the state faces some challenges in ensuring minimum quality standards in CTE, in providing sufficient good quality career advice, and providing an adequate range of workplace learning opportunities.

The OECD review assesses the main challenges faced by the CTE system and presents an interconnected package of policy recommendations. For each recommendation, the report describes the challenge, the recommendation itself, supporting arguments, and issues of implementation.

The International Energy Agency's comprehensive 2011 review Poland's energy policies and programmes.  The review finds that Poland has made commendable efforts to develop a solid energy policy framework over the last years. As energy security is a high policy priority, the country is enhancing gas supply security by building an LNG terminal, expanding underground storage capacity and increasing domestic gas production. Polish plans for developing electricity and gas cross-border links will also contribute to regional security of supply. In addition, the government has announced an ambitious nuclear programme by 2030, envisaging the first unit to enter operation by 2022. Other achievements include energy intensity improvements, an increased share of renewables and a stronger focus on energy research and development (R&D).

Despite these positive developments, there is room for improving Poland�fs energy strategy. First, a more integrated energy and climate policy is needed to put Poland firmly on a low-carbon path while enhancing energy security. Second, energy policy could put more emphasis on promoting competition to make the energy markets more efficient. Decarbonising Poland�fs power sector will be a particularly significant challenge requiring huge investments. Coal accounts for 55% of Polish primary energy supply and 92% of electricity generation, raising significant climate change and environmental challenges. To this end, Poland�fs efforts to improve energy efficiency and to diversify the country�fs energy mix are praiseworthy and should be pursued. The government�fs attention to R&D on clean coal technologies, including carbon capture and storage (CCS) is also encouraging. The government could put more focus on the positive role that gas can play in decarbonising the electricity mix, especially if Poland�fs potential resources of unconventional gas are confirmed. To tap these resources, it will be vital to put the necessary legal and regulatory framework in place.

This in-depth review analyses the energy challenges facing Poland and provides sectoral critiques and recommendations for further policy improvements. It is intended to help guide the country towards a more secure and sustainable energy future.

L’état de santé de la population des pays de l’OCDE n’a cessé de s’améliorer comme l’indiquent l’allongement de l’espérance de vie et la hausse des taux de survie pour certaines maladies comme le cancer. Néanmoins, les dépenses de santé s’élèvent à présent à plus de 9 % du PIB en moyenne dans l’OCDE. Dès lors, améliorer l’efficacité-coût dans le secteur de la santé est un objectif important pour tous les pays de l’OCDE. 

Ce livre offre une vision approfondie des systèmes de santé dans les pays de l’OCDE. Quel est l’état de santé de la population ? Comment évaluer la contribution des dépenses de santé ? Comment mesurer l’efficacité des systèmes de santé ? Comment les politiques et institutions de la santé affectent-elles la performance des dépenses de santé ? Ce livre offre des réponses à ces questions. Les chapitres décrivent : l’évolution récente des résultats et des dépenses ; les approches pour mesurer l’efficacité ; les nouveaux indicateurs de politiques et institutions de la santé ; les caractéristiques et performances des systèmes de santé.

Many countries around the world have introduced systems of asset declarations for public officials in order to prevent corruption. These systems vary greatly from country to country. The impact of such systems on the actual level of corruption is not well known.

This study provides a systematic analysis of the existing practice in the area of asset declarations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and in some OECD member states in Western Europe and North America. It examines the key elements of asset declaration systems, such as policy objectives, legal frameworks and the institutional arrangements; the categories of public officials who are required to submit declarations, and types of required information; procedures for verifying declared information, sanctions for violations, and public disclosure. The study also discusses the cost-effectiveness and overall usefulness of declaration systems. It includes four case studies covering Lithuania, Romania, Spain and Ukraine, and many additional country examples and references.

The study presents policy recommendations on the key elements of asset declaration systems. These recommendations will be useful for national governments and international organisations engaged in development, reform and assessment of asset declarations systems on a country level.

Public administration has entered a new age. In the 1980s, “less” government was the prevailing idea; in the 1990s and early 21st century, “New Public Management” was the dominant theme. Today, public administration is moving in new directions. Reforms are focusing on the quality of services for citizens and businesses and on the efficiency of administration (the “back office” of government). The OECD is studying these new trends in a multi-annual, cross-country project called “Value for Money in Government”.

This publication focuses on the Netherlands and provides an overview of previous Dutch reforms and recommendations for further reforms in view of the need to get better value for money from government.

Developing growth strategies that promote greener lifestyles requires a good understanding of what factors affect people’s behaviour towards the environment. Recent OECD work based on periodic surveys of more than 10 000 households across a number of countries and areas represents a breakthrough by providing a common framework to collect unique empirical evidence for better policy design.

This publication presents responses from the most recent round of the OECD survey implemented in 2011 in 5 areas (energy, food, transport, waste and water) and 11 countries: Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Israel, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Analysis comparing the data across countries, policy conditions and households’ characteristics reveals which measures most effectively change behaviour. Each round of the survey also allows to track changes over time and to explore new emerging issues.  

The new survey confirms the importance of providing the right economic incentives for influencing our decisions. The findings indicate that “soft” measures such as labelling and public information campaigns also have a significant complementary role to play. Spurring desirable behaviour change requires a mix of these instruments. 

This book is a milestone for all those interested by the challenging question of ways to promote greener behaviour, from policy makers to individual citizens.  

L’Inde a réalisé des avancées considérables sur la voie de l’instauration d’un environnement propice à l’investissement. De ce fait, le pays a vu sa croissance accélérer et les flux d’investissement direct étranger entrants progresser de façon impressionnante. Toutefois, l’investissement n’est pas encore à la hauteur des besoins du pays, en particulier dans le domaine des infrastructures. Il est nécessaire d’intensifier les efforts déjà déployés pour renforcer et libéraliser le cadre réglementaire de l’investissement et d’accélérer l’application de la législation relativement avancée de l’Inde en matière économique à l’échelon national ainsi que dans les États et les territoires de l’Union.

L’Examen des politiques de l’investissement de l’Inde réalisé par l’OCDE décrit les progrès accomplis par l’Inde en termes d’instauration d’un cadre d’action destiné à promouvoir l’investissement et à le mobiliser au service du développement, en particulier depuis l’accélération des réformes qui s’est amorcée à partir de 1991. Il porte principalement sur les politiques conduites dans les domaines de l’investissement, des échanges commerciaux, de la concurrence et dans d’autres domaines de l’environnement des affaires. Enfin, il décrit certaines des difficultés auxquelles se heurte la mise en œuvre, au niveau des États indiens fédérés, de réformes adoptées à l’échelon fédéral.   

The Review of Corporate Governance in Israel was prepared as part of the process of Israel’s accession to OECD Membership. The report describes the corporate governance setting including the structure and ownership concentration of listed companies and the structure and operation of the state-owned sector. The Review then examines the legal and regulatory framework and company practices to assess the degree to which the recommendations of the OECD Principles of Corporate Governance and the OECD Guidelines on Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises have been implemented.