Summary of a Workshop on Global Convergence Scenarios

This document forms a record of a workshop held on 16 January 2006, aimed at examining the mechanisms  underlying  cross-country  convergence  of  per  capita  GDP,  to  what  extent  they  operate  in  practice,  and  the  implications  for  policies,  including  those  requiring  plausible  long-term  projections  of  economic  growth  by  country  or  region.  The  workshop  included  presentations  by  leading academics  and  OECD  staff  from  the  Economics  Department,  the  Directorates  of  the  Environment,  Science  and  Technology, and Statistics and the Development Centre. A list of the main participants, and links to their  presentations,  are  given  in  an  Annex.  At  the  end  of  the  workshop,  a  panel  of  senior  policy  advisers  discussed the policy implications for OECD countries.