Browse by: "2010"

Using this Guide will facilitate the practical implementation of the OECD Guidelines on Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises in the areas of transparency and accountability. It provides viable policy options and a step-by-step road map on how to address typical difficulties, risks and hurdles that may be encountered. It also provides concrete examples of good practices that can serve as a reference and inspiration. The Guide will help governments, their ownership entities and other stakeholders to evaluate existing practices and support reforms.

In most countries, improving transparency and accountability in state-owned enterprises entails a number of complex challenges. Addressing these, with the help of this Guide, is an important step in the process of establishing well-governed and economically sound state-owned enterprises

Aquaculture now provides more than 50% of the global supply of fisheries products for direct human consumption. This conference proceedings addresses key policy challenges of the aquaculture sector. Policy makers, academics, industry representatives, NGOs and international organisations gathered to discuss the critical economic, environmental and social aspects of aquaculture.  This publication presents a selection of key issues covered by the workshop and includes a large number of country case studies, which provide specific examples of national approaches to aquaculture management.

 

Since 2002, the annual African Economic Outlook has been charting the progress of the continent’s economies. Africa was propelled by seven years of strong growth from 2002 to 2008, only to be stopped in its tracks by the world’s deepest and most widespread recession in half a century. This edition finds the continent struggling to get back on its feet and identify new, more crisis-resilient practices for moving forward. In this context, decision makers in African and OECD countries, both in the public and private sectors, will find this year's analysis of particular interest for their activities.

Jointly published by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the OECD Development Centre and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Economic Outlook project is generously supported by the European Development Fund. It combines the expertise accumulated by the OECD – which produces the OECD Economic Outlook twice yearly – with the knowledge of the AfDB, UNECA and a network of African research institutions on African economies.

This year’s Outlook reviews recent economic, social and political developments and the short-term likely evolution of 50 African countries. The African Economic Outlook is drawn from a country-by-country analysis based on a unique common framework. This includes a forecasting exercise for 2010 to 2012 using a simple macroeconomic model, together with an analysis of the social and political context. Its overview chapter provides a comparative synthesis of African country prospects which places the evolution of African economies in the world economic context. A statistical appendix completes the volume.  

African Economic Outlook 2010 focuses on public resource mobilisation and aid in Africa, presenting a comprehensive review of best practices in tax administration, policies and multilateral agreements, including recommendations for meeting future challenges. The role that aid should play to help African countries mobilise their public resources to meet their development goals is also discussed. The original dataset that resulted from the 50-country analysis will be made available for free on www.africaneconomicoutlook.org.

This report is a unique source of up-to date estimates of support to agriculture. It provides an overview of agricultural support in the OECD areas, complemented by individual chapters on the development of support in all OECD countries. Agricultural Policies in OECD Countries: At a Glance is published every other year, alternating with the longer report, Agricultural Policies in OECD Countries: Monitoring and Evaluation. This book includes StatLinks, URLs under graphs and tables linking Excel® files with the underlying data.

This 2010 edition finds that in 2009, support to farmers in OECD countries accounted for 22% of the farmers’ gross receipts (%PSE). This was slightly up from 21% in 2008, and marks a return to the level shown in 2007. This is the first increase in support levels in five years, after a steady decline that began in 2004. Higher commodity prices in 2007 and 2008 were behind falls in the measured support for those years, but in 2009 these prices returned to the same level as in 2007. 

Despite a long-term reduction in both the level of support and the share of the most distorting forms of support, the latter still dominates in the majority of OECD countries. Some countries have taken clear steps towards reducing the level of support and/or implementing more decoupled support, while others have lagged behind. In some countries, support is becoming increasingly conditional on famers following specified production practices as part of their government’s pursuit of broader policy objectives. 

Adequate airport capacity is crucial to allowing the global economy to grow. Present regulatory arrangements are not efficient because the airline and airport markets have changed enormously over recent years. There is scope to do much better.

The challenge is to create conditions for efficient infrastructure development in a sector where in some circumstances some airports have market power and might abuse this position. It is important that regulatory intervention only occurs where it is actually needed as it is costly in terms of administrative effort and altering the market. All regulatory controls on the pricing of aviation services carry the risk of getting investment incentives wrong. A number of regulators are beginning to experiment with this key control, with promising results.

This report reviews recent experience with airport regulation on the basis of discussions at the International Transport Forum between leaders of airlines and airports together with regulators and economists. Liberalisation of aviation markets combined with privatisation of most airlines, and now many airports have changed aviation markets rapidly and profoundly. Regulatory models have tended to evolve more slowly and need reform if they are not to become a drag on global growth.

The Guidelines are recommendations to international business for conduct in such areas as labour, environment, consumer protection and the fight against corruption.  The recommendations are made by the adhering governments and, although not binding, governments are committed to promoting their observance.  This Annual Report provides an account of the actions taken by the 41 adhering governments over the 12 months to June 2009 to enhance the contribution of the Guidelines to the improved functioning of the global economy. In nine years, the Guidelines have consolidated their position as one of the world's principal corporate responsibility instruments

This edition focuses on consumer empowerment and responsible business conduct, notably the positive impact responsible consumers can exercise on international business behaviour through their purchasing decisions and OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises’ role in promoting and protecting consumer interests. Special attention is given to supply chains, financial institutions and climate change.

The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises are recommendations to international business for conduct in such areas as human rights, labour, environment, consumer protection, the fight against corruption and taxation.  The recommendations are made by the adhering governments and, although not binding, governments are committed to promoting their observance. 

This Annual Report provides an account of the actions taken by the 42 adhering governments over the 12 months to June 2010 to enhance the contribution of the Guidelines to the improved functioning of the global economy.
 
Ten years after the 2000 revision of the Guidelines, work is starting on an update of the Guidelines to ensure their continued role as a leading international instrument for the promotion of responsible business conduct.  This edition focuses on three core issues for consideration during the update: supply chains, human rights, and climate change.

Experience from decommissioning projects suggests that the decommissioning of nuclear power plants could be made easier if it received greater consideration at the design stage and during the operation of the plants. Better forward planning for decommissioning results in lower worker doses and reduced costs. When appropriate design measures are not taken at an early stage, their introduction later in the project becomes increasingly difficult. Hence, their early consideration may lead to smoother and more effective decommissioning.

It is now common practice to provide a preliminary decommissioning plan as part of the application for a licence to operate a nuclear facility. This means, in turn, that decommissioning issues are being considered during the design process. Although many design provisions aiming at improved operation and maintenance will be beneficial for decommissioning as well, designers also need to consider issues that are specific to decommissioning, such as developing sequential dismantling sequences and providing adequate egress routes. These issues and more are discussed in this report.

Using data from PISA 2006, this book analyzes to what extent investments in technology enhance educational outcomes. One of the most striking findings of this study is that the digital divide in education goes beyond the issue of access to technology. A new second form of digital divide has been identified: the one existing between those who have the right competencies to benefit from computer use, and those who do not. These competencies and skills are closely linked to the economic, cultural and social capital of the student.

This finding has important implications for policy and practice. Governments should make an effort to clearly convey the message that computer use matters for the education of young people and do their best to engage teachers and schools in raising the frequency of computer use to a level that becomes relevant. If schools and teachers are really committed to the development of 21st century competencies, such an increase will happen naturally. And only in these circumstances will clear correlations between technology use and educational performance emerge.

Illustrated with graphics and maps, the Atlas of Gender and Development gives readers a unique insight into the impact of social institutions − traditions, social norms and cultural practices − on gender equality in 124 non-OECD countries.

Gender inequality holds back not just women but the economic and social development of entire societies. Overcoming discrimination is important in the fight against poverty in developing countries and for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Tackling these inequalities is not easy: in many countries, discrimination against women is deeply rooted in social institutions such as the family and the law. These long-lasting codes of conduct, norms, traditions, and informal and formal laws determine gender  outcomes in education, health, political representation and labour markets.