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This report represents the second outcome of the collaboration between the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to improve the measurement and analysis of productivity developments across APO and OECD member economies. The report discusses the potential impact of COVID-19 on productivity and examines the role of Multifactor Productivity (MFP) as a major driver of economic growth and changes in living standards. It then identifies the most important factors influencing MFP growth and describes the most important challenges affecting the measurement of each of these factors as well as the estimation of their impact on MFP. The report provides key recommendations to improve the reliability and interpretation of the empirical evidence for economic analysis.

Illegal trade in environmentally sensitive goods, such as threatened wildlife, timber, hazardous waste, and ozone-depleting substances, has been a long-standing issue in the international trade and environment agenda.  The nature of such illegal trade makes it difficult to fully understand its extent and impact on the environment.  Developing effective policies to reduce illegal trade requires a clear understanding of what drives this trade and the circumstances under which it thrives.  In this report, evidence-based on customs data and information from licensing schemes is used to document the scale of illegal trade, as well as the economic and environmental impacts of such trade.  National and international policies have an important role to play in regulating  and reducing illegal trade and the report highlights a range of measures that can be taken at both levels.

This report is a first step towards building a qualitative understanding of the way illicit or criminal activities interact with the economy, security and development of West African states. Going beyond a traditional analysis of illicit financial flows (IFFs), which typically emphasises the scale of monetary flows, the report examines the nature of thirteen overlapping, and oftentimes mutually reinforcing, criminal and illicit economies, with a view to identify their resulting financial flows and development linkages. In taking this approach, this report identifies the networks and drivers that allow these criminal economies to thrive, with a particular emphasis on the actors and incentives behind them. As a conclusion to this work, this report proposes a series of policy considerations to assist countries to prioritise and focus their responses to reduce the development impacts of IFFs. Resolving the problem of IFFs requires responding to underlying development challenges, and tackling all parts of the problem in source, transit and destination countries.

This publication identifies the main areas of weakness and potential areas for action to combat money-laundering, tax evasion, foreign bribery, and to identify, freeze and return stolen assets. It also looks at the role of development agencies and finds that the potential returns to developing countries from using ODA on issues like combating tax evasion or asset recovery are significant.  Finally, it identifies some opportunities for a scaled-up role for development agencies.

This report assesses the magnitude, flows and drivers of illicit trade and the illegal economy including: narcotics, human trafficking, wildlife, sports betting, counterfeit medicines, alcohol and tobacco. The negative socio-economic impacts that these markets have in consumer countries are as worrisome as the goverance gaps that are exploited in source countries. This report examines each illicit sector in terms of the geographic sources, destinations and key trade routes, the current trend of infiltration by organized crime networks, and good practices or future policy solutions with which to combat illicit trade within the various sectors.

To contribute to the existing pool of evidence on the dynamic interplay between illicit trade and armed conflicts, this report looks at illicit trade flows in four separate conflict-affected countries in the MENA region: Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen. For the case of Yemen, the report also presents a deep-dive analysis of illicit trade flows and the relevant governance environment. The findings highlight that illicit trade networks in these countries are dynamic, complex, and heavily integrated into regional and global networks.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted various aspects of human activity, including illicit trade. Criminal networks have adapted quickly to exploit disrupted supply chains and increased demand for essential goods, creating new opportunities for profit. This report examines how the pandemic has reshaped the trade in counterfeit goods. It looks at the multifaceted effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the trade dynamic, particularly in the European Union. It also explores its effects on the trade in counterfeit goods, drawing on both law enforcement and industry expertise, as well as global customs seizure data. In particular, it highlights the challenges faced, the changing modus operandi of counterfeiters and the solutions that have emerged during this unprecedented health crisis.

Trade in illicit alcohol products is an attractive target for organised crime, as both the market and potential profits are large, in some cases requiring little investment. The illicit alcohol trade not only fuels criminal networks, but also poses significant risks to public health and safety. This report structures and enhances existing evidence on illicit alcohol trade. It examines the nature and scope of illicit trade in the sector, assesses the impacts of illicit trade on socio-economic development, and identifies the factors driving illicit trade in the sector.

This report analyses the sequence of labour market support that individuals receive and evaluates two large public works programmes. It uses rich administrative data and finds positive labour market impacts of the Community Employment and Tús employment programmes. Building on the results of the analyses, the report makes recommendations on how Ireland can further adapt its active labour market policies (ALMPs) to better support its current and future jobseekers. This report on Ireland is the thirteenth country study published in a series of reports on policies to connect people with jobs, and is part of a joint project with the European Commission to strengthen countries’ capacity to evaluate ALMPs. The report is written jointly by the OECD, the Department of Social Protection of Ireland and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.

This report uses rich administrative data from different registers in Greece to evaluate the impact of two types of active labour market policies (ALMPs): wage subsidies and training for unemployed people. The report finds a positive impact of both types of ALMPs and makes recommendations for further improving the effectiveness of Greece’s ALMPs and strengthening the capacity of the authorities to conduct ALMP impact evaluations. This report is the twelfth in a series of country reports on policies to connect people with better jobs. It was produced as part of the OECD’s project with the European Commission which aims to raise the quality of the data collected and their use in the evaluation of the effectiveness of ALMPs.

This report on Lithuania is the tenth country study published in a series of reports looking into how policies connect people with jobs. This report is produced in the framework of a project of the OECD with the European Commission which aims to raise the quality of the data collected and their use in the evaluation of the effectiveness of active labour market policies (ALMPs). The report uses rich administrative data from different registers in Lithuania to evaluate the impact of two types of ALMPs: employment subsidies and vocational training for unemployed people. The analysis examines the outcomes of the selected ALMPs beyond just the probability of employment and how different population groups are affected. Finally, the report makes recommendations for improving the effectiveness of Lithuania’s ALMPs and strengthening the capacity of the Lithuanian authorities in conducting ALMP impact evaluations.

This Round Table examines some of the factors which determine the demand for high-speed transport, in particular standards of living and land-use planning.

This round tables examines how the structure and extent of urban development affects the choice of modes of transport. and related transport investment planning, pricing and subsidies, and policy making.

This Round Table uses a planning approach to examine the impact of urban development on transport choices in medium-size conurbations.