For Official Use C(2017)88 Organisation de Coopération et de Développement Économiques Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 15-Sep-2017

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_____________ English - Or. English COUNCIL

Council

OECD COMMUNICATION IN 2017

MID-YEAR REPORT

JT03418821

Complete document available on OLIS in its original format

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delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTEXT ...................................................................................................................................................... 3

THE NARRATIVE IN ACTION: AN OVERVIEW ...................................................................................... 5

DETAILED REVIEW OF KEY MOMENTS, JANUARY TO JUNE 2017 .................................................. 8

COMMUNICATIONS HIGHLIGHTS: JANUARY-JUNE 2017 ................................................................ 18

OECD FORUM 2017 .................................................................................................................................... 19

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 19 Broadening our engagement ...................................................................................................................... 20 What we heard: Impressions from Forum panel discussions ..................................................................... 28 OECD IdeaFactories .................................................................................................................................. 38 Discovery Lab ............................................................................................................................................ 39 “15/15” Talks ............................................................................................................................................. 41

CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................. 42

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1. This report provides a mid-year review of the implementation of the 2017 OECD corporate

communications narrative and approach, as outlined in C(2017)14 “OECD Communications in 2017”, and

discussed in Council in January 2017.

2. It begins with an overview of a number of key moments in the implementation of the 2017

narrative up until the end of June, including their external impact. This is followed by an in-depth analysis

of the 2017 OECD Forum, as the major external communications and engagement event of the year. The

final section of the report includes a summary of key numbers and figures relating to corporate

communications in the first half of the year.

CONTEXT

3. As the Council session on Communications in January made evident, OECD communications in

2017 would be taking place against a very different backdrop to the past, with the emergence of “Post-

Truth”, a phenomenon driven by two interrelated trends:

The outpouring of a lack of trust in political institutions and elites generated by the feeling by

many that the benefits of globalisation have not been equally shared, that their views are not

listened to or represented by mainstream politics and that the causes of the 2008 financial crisis

have been left unaddressed.

The increasing fragmentation of news and media sources and the speed of communication.

In the social media world, everyone is a publisher, and traditional news organisations are no

longer the predominant source or gatekeepers of news. The increasing prominence of

algorithms are also contributing to the creation of silos of opinion, in which we surround

ourselves with people who think like us and are fed information which is intended to fit our

preferences rather than challenge our thinking.

4. For OECD whose brand platform, value-added, credibility and reputation is based on being

objective, open, bold, pioneering and ethical, this new landscape represents a genuine existential threat.

In an environment characterised by scepticism and a lack of trust in experts and a fragmentation of sources

of information, we find ourselves competing and battling for attention with traditional “ground rules”

shifting under our feet in a very disconcerting fashion.

5. Against this backdrop, we argued that the communications narrative and priorities for 2017

should focus on the OECD’s response to the backlash against globalisation:

taking a proactive stance to attack isolationism and promote co-operation and integration

associated with economic globalisation models developed in response to previous global

conflagrations

“shaking up” globalisation by recognising and seeking to redress the failings and failures in

delivering beneficial outcomes across the breadth of our societies

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reframing our view as we make policy – in part by listening and incorporating disenfranchised

views to counter a tendency to create and operate within our own “People Like Us” silos.

explaining the role of international organisations in delivering benefits from international

cooperation, and in redressing the failures of the globalised international system, and earning our

fundamental place in the success of an interconnected world.

6. Central elements of this narrative included transitioning from diagnosis to action regarding policy

solutions to deliver inclusive growth as well as addressing the transformational effects of digitalisation,

impacting all areas of people’s lives, both drawing strongly on the OECD’s work on New Approaches to

Economic Challenges (NAEC),.

7. We emphasised the importance of adjusting the way we communicate in order to operate more

effectively against the backdrop of this “new communications normal”, underlining the need to appeal as

much if not more to the heart as to the rational head. We challenged ourselves to apply the “8

communications principles” which were alluded to in the presentation at the 2017 January Council on

Communications, notably:

Shifting from launches to campaigns – Moving beyond an output-driven

communications cycle, towards more needs-based campaigns.

Listening and talking to the right people – Placing as much emphasis on listening and

engaging as we do on broadcasting and informing, not falling into the trap of just talking to “people like us”.

Responding to the “geography of discontent” – Broadening our channels of

communication and engagement beyond capitals and metropolises.

“Civic tech” and public engagement – Exploring mechanisms for more direct

engagement with citizens.

Shifting from books to tweets, vids, viz – Adapting our content to suit different

audiences, acknowledging people’s ever decreasing time and attention spans.

Using a language people understand – Avoiding jargon and technical language and

focusing instead on simple and clear messages.

Getting to the top – Ensuring that our content is more findable, usable and sharable

online by end-users, and we are using the power of algorithms to our advantage.

Improving the use of impact evaluation – Increasing the use of professional impact

evaluation to improve our ability to engage effectively with our audiences.

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THE NARRATIVE IN ACTION: AN OVERVIEW

8. OECD work and communications in the first half of the year placed the Organisation at the heart

of the debate on globalisation. This issue, which is front and centre of the public’s concerns, is

consequently a high priority for OECD Members and Partners, many of whom are considering the merits

of different policy responses in the current climate and looking for evidence and analysis to guide and

support them.

9. We approached the communications calendar from the perspective of the story we sought

to convey, within a broader ecosystem, rather than taking individual atomised reports and events as our

starting point. We aimed at creating a framework that would enable us to turn a disaggregated and

somewhat mechanical work plan of publications and events into a clear and unified OECD response to the

backlash against globalisation.

10. In a context where other Intergovernmental Organisations such as the International Monetary

Fund and the World Bank have also been active in this debate, OECD has been able to place its

multidisciplinary approach in full evidence, connecting analysis and recommendations across the full

policy spectrum as well as at the country level.

11. OECD Week, bringing together the OECD Forum and Ministerial Council meeting was

identified as the major high point of the year in externalising this narrative and bringing several strands of

the story together. In the run up to and around this high point, we identified major moments and “building

blocks” that would enable us to put in place a piece of the narrative or to reinforce a specific set of

messages. The section below highlights some key moments for the narrative in the lead-up to OECD

Week. This is followed by a more detailed readout of the first six months of the year.

12. In building towards OECD Week, a key area of focus for the narrative and response was

trade, often the target or “lightening rod” of those most critical of globalisation. OECD seized a unique

opportunity to take this issue head-on when the Secretary-General was invited to Minneapolis, Minnesota,

to receive the Bill Frenzel Champion of Free Trade Award from the Economics Club of Minnesota in

April. Accepting the award was a fitting occasion to take a step back from tried and tested mantras

regarding free trade, and to acknowledge the real concerns and experiences of those for whom the benefits

have not been so evident. It was a chance to adopt a fresh approach, reconciling OECD’s evidence-based

conviction that the benefits of open trade must be preserved, with the need to place trade in a broader

policy context, geared towards inclusive growth. A key message revolved around the need to move from

playing defence on trade to playing offense on a host of other policies that make the system work for

all, both at the domestic and international level. Specific attention was given to simple language, for

example using analogies to describe technical terms such as Global Value Chains (which were likened to

relay races), or using local sporting examples such as the National Football League draft pick to describe

redistributive policies to address inequality. Choosing Minnesota as a location to deliver this message was

also significant. Falling outside of the East Coast corridor of New York and Washington, Minnesota is

representative of the sort of place that OECD must aspire to reach and engage through its work.

13. Building on the messages delivered in Minnesota, the conference “Making Globalisation Work

for All”, organised at the initiative of the Danish Chair together with the Confederation of Danish

Enterprise, provided an opportunity for the OECD to preview some of the themes and focus of the

forthcoming OECD Week, drawing diagnosis produced for the Global Strategy Group meeting, notably the

Better Policies brochure “Fixing Globalisation: Time to make it work for all”. The messages delivered in

Copenhagen included broader solutions to be explored at the MCM, including the “empowering state”, the

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evolution of social protection systems, gender inclusion, the integration of migrants as well as better

international co-operation to address the race to the bottom in standards, including in the field of taxation.

The need to engage more effectively with citizens was also flagged as a crucial part of resolving the

tensions around globalisation and in developing solutions for more inclusive growth.

14. OECD Week provided a central platform for externalising the core message on the

importance of bridging divides in order to make globalisation work for all. Around OECD Week, and in

quick succession, three flagship publication launches were planned: the Business and Finance Outlook

(30 May), the Economic Outlook (7 June) and the Employment Outlook (13 June). As evidenced by the

high media visibility and interest across OECD’s corporate publishing channels, these flagships are crucial

vehicles for conveying key messages for the Organisation. Core messages were also echoed in the

Inclusive Growth Report and the Key Issues Paper, which were also broadly disseminated. Collectively,

these presented an opportunity to consolidate the Organisation’s narrative, providing complementary data

and evidence to support it. Through our communications, we deliberately emphasised the links between

these three strands of work, presenting them as connected pieces of a broader narrative, rather than

standalone reports. Given the proximity of the launches, and the attention we expected them to receive, we

took extra care to ensure consistency and coherence in our messages. In positioning vis-à-vis the media and

stakeholders, we presented the reports both in the context of the broader story and in conjunction with one

another, ensuring appropriate cross-referencing.

15. The Business and Finance Outlook focused on the fact that Globalisation had failed to create a

level playing field in trade, investment and corporate behaviour, and that this has been one of the factors

contributing to a backlash against openness in many countries and a decline in confidence in government

institutions. The report argued that countries need to work together in order to level the playing field and

ensure that people respect the rules of the game. The Economic Outlook argued that new approaches are

needed to ensure the benefits from globalisation are more widely shared. It further reinforced the messages

from Minnesota through a special chapter focusing on trade. The Employment Outlook made the case that

although the jobs gap was closing, many people were not feeling the benefits as they face stagnant wages

and no career prospects. The report made a clear call for a more inclusive labour market that reconnects the

benefits of the economic model with those who work in it. The Bridging the Gap: Inclusive Growth 2017

Update Report focused on activities undertaken in response to the 2016 Ministerial Council Meeting

Declaration on Enhancing Productivity for Inclusive Growth, underlining the steps being undertaken in

rethinking the traditional model of economic growth to put people’s well-being centre-stage. The Key

Issues Paper outlined the central arguments behind the narrative in terms of key messages for Ministers.

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Key moments, January – June 2017

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16. The following section provides a detailed chronological list of all major moments and

communications building blocks of the first six months of 2017. As explained above, we approached each

moment, to the extent possible, within the framework of the global narrative. Putting the eight principles in

practice, we challenged ourselves to address a set of questions before planning individual launches and

events, moving thus from launches to campaigns:

How does this event’s design or messaging contribute to the overall narrative?

To what extent is it mainstreaming our response to inequalities and the geography of discontent?

What are the opportunities to talk and listen to people beyond “people like us”?

Are we talking a language people understand? Are we using the most appropriate vehicle,

moving beyond books to data viz, videos, etc.?

Are we helping to turn the tide toward engagement and co-construction, inviting comment and

input to what we’re doing?

Is our content easily findable, ‘topical’/’sexy’, helping us to “get to the top”?

Are we measuring impact and adjusting?

DETAILED REVIEW OF KEY MOMENTS, JANUARY TO JUNE 2017

12 January │OECD/G20 conference Key Issues for the Digital Transformation in the G20

17. Digital transformation is an issue closely linked to the public backlash against globalisation. As

well as being a catalyst for growth, digital technologies may be disruptive, with far-reaching effects on

productivity, employment and well-being. The message at the OECD/G20 conference on barriers to

digitalisation was clear: the G20 and OECD can help to ensure that digitalisation remains a positive

force and to close the gap between those who benefit from it and those who don't. This underpinned

the policy recommendations put forward in the OECD report on "Key Issues for the Digital Transformation

in the G20".

The core messages were underlined in a joint op-ed piece by Sigmar Gabriel and Angel Gurría

“Policy 4.0: Bringing the People on Board in a Digital World” published in German in the

Handelsblatt and in English in the Huffington Post.

The message was reinforced by Doug Frantz’s post on the OECD Insights blog “Going Digital –

Making the transformation work for growth and well-being”.

The report was later annexed to the Declaration of the G20 Digital Ministerial, which took place

in Dusseldorf on April 6-7.

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16-17 January │OECD Health ministerial meeting and policy forum

18. The Health Ministerial, The Next Generation of Health Reforms, was held back to back with

“People at the Centre: Policy Forum on the Future of Health” on 16-17 January. This was an

opportunity to convey strong messages around the importance of good health for well-being, for labour-

markets, and for inclusive societies, harnessing the power of digitalisation.

A special edition of OECD Observer focused on how digitalisation can contribute to patient-centred

healthcare. It included an editorial by UK health secretary Jeremy Hunt, and guest articles from

leading healthcare professionals such as Olivia Wigzell, Director of the Sweden’s National Board

of Health and Welfare, Samir Sinha of Mount Sinai in Canada, and David Blumenthal, President

of the Commonwealth Fund.

8-10 February │5th OECD Parliamentary Days

19. The OECD Global Parliamentary Network (GPN) has evolved significantly in recent years to

become a central vehicle for engagement with legislators. The February Parliamentary Days was a

valuable opportunity to listen to and engage with Members of Parliament (MPs) around the central

narrative and priorities of the Organisation.

What did we hear? Main take-aways

OECD should strive to meaningfully translate data into what it actually means for people, to appeal to hearts through “data poets”.

Perceptions and objective data can and should be complementary. Looking at the stories behind the numbers means going beyond averages and national indicators to understand what people are experiencing at a regional and local level. "There are two pieces of bread.

You eat two. I eat none. Average consumption: one piece per person." Nicanor Parra (Chilean poet), cited by Leonardo Soto, MP Chile.

OECD should help people understand the risks of isolationism and provide advice on how

best to align effective domestic policies and international co-operation to make sure that the benefits of globalisation are more equally shared.

OECD should continue to follow the post-truth trend closely and the questions it poses in

terms of the capacity to legislate and uphold democratic values.

OECD should provide advice on trade and digitalisation policies adapted to the economic

situation in different parts of the world.

OECD should continue its work on patient-centred care and combatting wasteful health

spending.

20. MPs expressed a desire to host briefings on OECD Economic Surveys and other country reports

as they are released.

21. An increase in participation, by both OECD Members and Partners, demonstrates a consistent

and growing network of parliamentarians. This shows that the brand is recognised by both new and

incumbent MPs as a worthwhile opportunity to discuss the issues that matter for their constituencies.

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22. Content from the GPN meeting was captured through video interviews with a selection of

MPs on issues including Inclusive Growth, Trust and Digitalisation and used through social media to

contextualise the debates taking place at the OECD Forum.

7 March │OECD Interim Economic Outlook

23. The Interim Outlook was released in advance of the meeting of the G20 Finance Ministers and

Central Bank Governors. Although welcoming the modest investment-driven recovery in some countries,

the Outlook highlighted the risk of rising protectionism, which would hurt global growth and impact

the large number of jobs that depend on trade. It also stressed the importance of addressing the social

cost of the crisis, increasing inequalities, and making growth more inclusive which would help

mitigate calls for protectionism and other populist responses.

The Bloomberg article “OECD Sees Lots to Worry About in the Global Economic Outlook” and

CNBC piece “OECD warns political uncertainty, rate hikes, protectionism could derail global

growth”, both featuring audio-visual content, picked up the OECD quote “Falling trust in

national governments and lower confidence by voters in the political systems of many

countries can make it more difficult for governments to pursue and sustain the policy

agenda required to achieve strong and inclusive growth”.

The FT article “OECD warns on need to escape low growth trap” reported that “a durable exit

from the low-growth trap requires greater political commitment to implement structural

reform packages to boost inclusive growth and the use of fiscal space through effective fiscal

initiatives.”

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17 March │OECD Economic Policy Reforms: Going for Growth

24. Building on the Interim Economic Outlook, the main message of the report was that, in the

current context, ambitious reforms were needed to escape the low-growth trap, prepare for rapid

technological changes, harness new sources of growth, and make growth more inclusive and sustainable.

The report, launched in the margins of the G20 meeting, highlighted the need for policy responses whose

individual components are mutually reinforcing, bolstering growth, productivity and inclusiveness at the

same time.

As part of the media outreach, the Guardian piece “Governments must keep reforming to win

back voters' trust” picked up the message that “governments must push through more

fundamental reforms to boost growth, cut inequality and protect workers from rapid changes

in technology if they are to win back the trust of voters”. It also highlighted the fact that

“stagnating living standards in many countries have left people disenchanted and unwilling

to support more changes by their governments in areas such as jobs markets.”

Most influential entities which retweeted the OECD were the German news outlet Wirtschaft

@dw_wirtschaft, with 26K followers, and the Macro Prudential Reader @MacroPru, with 68K

followers.

Inequality was featured for the first time in the Going for Growth “compare your country”

dataviz map tool http://www.compareyourcountry.org/going-for-growth.

10 April │Chancellor Merkel’s meeting with Head of Intergovernmental Organisations

25. The 10th edition of Chancellor Merkel’s meeting with the Heads of the five Intergovernmental

Organisations, was another opportunity to reiterate a strong and common call for multilateral co-

operation.

Following the meeting, a joint press release was issued by the Chancellor, and the Heads of the

OECD, IMF, World Bank, ILO and WTO. This communiqué included references to Going for

Growth, to the OECD MNE Guidelines and the forthcoming “Growth, Investment and Climate”

report. This was well picked-up, notably in the German media.

An interview with the Secretary-General in the German paper, Handelsblatt, conducted in the

margins of this meeting, included the following quote “We created part of the problem

ourselves. We generated growth for a lot of people, but we did not take care of the ones who

did not profit from globalisation. This economic fragmentation led to a social fragmentation

that has caused a political separation. We must tackle this issue. The OECD therefore fights

for a sustainable and inclusive growth that everybody profits from.”

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19 April │Bill Frenzel Champion of Free Trade Award

26. The Secretary-General visited Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he received the Bill

Frenzel Champion of Free Trade Award from the Economics Club of Minnesota. As

mentioned in the section above, this was a key moment for the OECD

to present a new and powerful message on trade, using accessible

language and accompanied by visual products that are easily understood and

sharable. Minnesota is strategically important when it comes to US trade policy

due to its geographic proximity and trade ties to Canada, and thus a place where

the OECD’s message about the benefits of trade was particularly salient.

Addressing an audience of regional business leaders and legislators, the Secretary-

General delivered a powerful message about “playing offense on trade”.

Key messages from the speech were captured in a short video, “It’s not about trade, it’s about

people” and promoted across OECD platforms.

France 24 wrote up the Secretary General’s speech in Minnesota on “playing offense on trade”,

warning that imposing tariffs would be a shot in the foot.

Monocle magazine later featured: “An elite club for wealthy nations no more: under the guidance

of Angel Gurría and his team, the OECD has broadened its membership and kept pace with a

perplexing global economy”. It quoted him as saying “Globalisation doesn’t have a face; it

doesn’t have a neck from which you can hang it.”

OECD Twitter mentions with the #trade hashtag jumped by over 500% during the

Secretary-General’s speech and the days that followed, reaching a global audience exceeding 2

million people. Top influencers included GMA news @gmanews, a Filipino newspaper with

5.2M followers Julie Gichuru @JulieGichuru with 825K followers and Jayaprakash Narayan

@JP_LOKSATTA a politician from India with 808K followers.

This visit also provided an opportunity to liaise with US policy makers in their home state of

Minnesota. Republican Congressmen Emmer and Paulsen spoke about the value of trade at the

award ceremony, and the Secretary-General was invited to meet with Democratic Congressman

Ellison at his district office. These interactions were illuminating in bringing the OECD to an

audience where trade is highly valued, but still recognised as politically charged and divisive.

Policy makers recognise the economic importance of trade to their State but have to answer to

constituents to whom the negatives of trade seem to far outweigh the positives. Private sector

representatives discussed the importance of entering the dialogue and talking with employees and

customers about how trade benefits their bottom line, and how it has contributed to job creation.

The Working Paper “Making Trade Work for All”, which provided much of the basis for the

content for the Minnesota speech and was released subsequently in May, was reported in a piece

by L’Opinion with the headline “L’OCDE prone une mondialisation à conduite accompagnée”

or OECD promotes Globalisation with “L plates”.

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The most watched video on YouTube was “It’s not just

about trade, it’s about people” with over 3 000 views across all OECD platforms.

27 April │Pre-MCM Visit to Copenhagen

27. At the invitation of the Danish Chamber of Commerce, the Secretary-General participated in the

conference “Making Globalisation Work: Better Lives for All", where he took the opportunity to preview

some of the messages of the forthcoming OECD Week, emphasising that “globalisation is a means to an

end, not an end in itself”. As he noted “openness is worth preserving: it brings greater prosperity, peace,

innovation, diversity and cultural exchange. It is worth defending, but we may only succeed in doing so if

we ensure that its benefits are more widely shared.”

28. The Better Policies Series paper “Fixing Globalisation: Time to make it work for all” was

released on this occasion.

29. During this visit to Copenhagen,

a consultation was held with the Business

and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC)

and the Trade Union Advisory Committee

(TUAC) to discuss their views and

contributions to the Ministerial Council

Meeting. Of particular note was the

commonality of purpose, with both parties

agreeing on the need to make

globalisation work better for people.

30. The discussions were also

reflected in high profile tweets, including

from the Danish Prime Minister, Lars

Lokke Rasmussen.

4 May │OECD Skills Outlook

31. Picking up a core question in the debate around globalisation, the OECD Skills Outlook,

launched at the Institute of Directors in London, focused on how countries can make the most of global

value chains, socially and economically, by investing in skills. It also explained what countries would need

to do to specialise in technologically advanced industries.

A story in BBC News picked up the core message “The OECD analysis argues that whether a

country is a winner or loser from globalisation will depend on the level of skills in the

workforce. If countries have well-qualified, skilled populations, they will be the beneficiaries of

globalisation, taking advantage of better jobs, improved productivity, widening markets and

digital industries.”

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Top social media influencers who tweeted about the report were @gazetesozcu a Turkish

newspaper with 1.3M followers, @congjee with 1M followers and Human Rights Watch @hrw

with 3.4M million followers.

A webinar for stakeholders was organised around the launch which welcomed 270 attendees

from the stakeholder community.

10 May │The Next Production Revolution

32. The communications rollout around the Next Production Revolution focused on the core message

that business and government aren’t doing enough to maximise the potential of new technologies such as

3D printing, the Internet of Things and advanced robotics in production. The report, launched on 10 May

in the context of G7, received further visibility at the G7 Leader’s Summit (27 May), where the OECD

work appeared in the official Leaders’ Communiqué. The multimedia rollout, which took place over

several weeks, well beyond the launch of the book, included articles prepared for the OECD Yearbook,

videos, data visualisation and social media, marking new milestones in the Going Digital Campaign.

A series of short videos on 3D printing, nanotechnology and industrial robotics helped increase the accessibility of core messages.

The top influencers tweeting about the report were Tim O’Reilly, CEO of O’Reilly Media @timoreilly, with 2M followers; and Julio Alonso @JulioAlonso, Founder-CEO @weblogssl, with 138K followers.

Top Facebook post: fact-video on 3D printing with over 9 070 views, 29

shares, and 85 likes.

23 May │Investing in Climate, Investing in Growth

33. Climate change represents another central element in the narrative around globalisation. This

issue was given prominence at the Petersburg Climate Dialogue, when the Secretary-General delivered

the OECD report Investing in Climate, Investing in Growth to Chancellor Merkel. The event was also

attended by over 40 ministers and high-level representatives from all G20 members and a number of

developing countries.

“La lutte contre le changement climatique est bonne pour la croissance, selon l’OCDE”: a good

example of media pick up, this headline in Le Monde echoed closely the main message in the

report.

Multimedia roll-out included a blog on Huffpost by Catherine Mann, “What’s Good for the

Climate can be Good for Growth Too”, an op-ed on OECDInsights.org “Climate: Towards a

just transition, with no stranded workers and no stranded communities” by Sharan Burrow,

General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, videos, and social media.

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Top influencers were Rappler @rapplerdotcom, a citizen newspaper with 2.7M followers, All

Africam an African newspaper @allafrica with 308K followers and Canadian deputee Catherine

McKenna @cathmckenna with 67K followers.

30 May │OECD Business and Finance Outlook

34. As mentioned earlier, the Business and Finance Outlook was the first of a trio of OECD flagship

reports issued in the surrounds of OECD Week, addressing the issue of globalisation from different but

complementary angles. The core message was that globalisation has failed to create a level playing field

in trade, investment and corporate behaviour, which has contributed to a backlash against openness in

many countries and to a decline in confidence in government institutions. The report argues that countries

need to work together to level the playing field and ensure that people respect the rules of the game.

Media outreach included a piece from Bloomberg “OECD urges more support for

globalization’s losers amid backlash”, which picked-up the central messages: “The OECD urged

governments to give more support to people losing out from globalization”, “Frustration with

globalization has been stoked by the perception that the rich have prospered while those on

lower and middle incomes have suffered”, “In addition to domestic reforms, better global

governance can help make trade fairer”, “The backlash against globalization has grown in many

countries and too little has been done to help more people cope”, “It has become essential for all

nations to work together to ensure a level playing field in trade, investment and corporate

behaviour to better address the downsides of globalization while preserving the benefits of

economic openness.”

A piece by Adrian Blundell-Wignall posted on OECD Insights blog, “For globalisation to work

for all you have to level the playing field first”, helped to amplify messages and broaden their

reach.

Top influencers tweeting about the report on social media were The Financial Times

@FinancialTimes with 5.7M followers, the Indian express @IndianExpress with 2.5M followers

and @RT_com with 2.6M followers.

7 June │OECD Economic Outlook

35. The OECD Economic Outlook was launched at a joint session of the MCM and OECD Forum1.

The main message was that new approaches are needed to ensure the benefits from globalisation are

more widely shared.

In the article “OECD says global economic outlook has improved”, the Financial Times pointed

out that: “Against a backdrop of heightened hostility to globalisation (…) the OECD also argued

that economies and people’s lives would be improved by a global trade recovery and more

globalisation so long as countries help those hit by greater competition.”

The Associated Press story “World economy seen picking up, political uncertainty a risk”, (used

by the NYTimes/ Washington Post/Fox Business/ABC News/NBC/NY Daily News/Voice of

America/US News/Daily Mail) quoted the OECD as saying that: “more effective targeted

1 Media pickup around OECD Week beyond the Economic Outlook is discussed in the following section.

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policies are needed to support people and regions that risk getting left behind” by the

globalisation of business.

The Guardian article “OECD: outlook for global economy is ‘better, but not good enough” said

that: The OECD devoted a significant proportion of its report to the possible forces behind a

backlash against globalisation… It cited multiple reasons for popular dissatisfaction, including

the rise in inequality in many countries since the early 2000s that meant many households had

had little or no gain in disposable income…

In social media top influencers were @WSJ with 14.2M followers; @FinancialTimes with 5.7M

followers and @SkyNews with 4.1M followers; as well as @memetsimsek with 8.1M followers.

The recommendations from the Economic Outlook were debated immediately following the

launch during a panel at the OECD Forum, including Ministers from Sweden, Australia, India,

Brazil, Denmark, as well as representatives

from Business and Trade Unions.

Updates of the data viz tools for the OECD

Economic Outlook: 38 000 page views since

the new version went online in June; embeds

on third-party platforms, notably The Irish

Times and La Repubblica.

Making OECD content “smarter”: During the first half of 2017 a pilot digital product (https://oecd.github.io/sem-poc/) was designed to provide users with innovative ways to interact with the Economic Outlook and Going For Growth content and find insights (e.g. find content in the same topic or country, browse the main topics addressed over the time, access supplementary key facts and data, navigate by country or subject, provide definition of terms).

13 June │OECD Employment Outlook

36. This final report in the trio of flagships released around OECD Week was launched by the

Secretary-General and Germany’s Federal Minister of Employment and Social Affairs at the High-Level

Policy Forum on the new OECD Jobs Strategy in Berlin. The report highlights the fact that even though the

jobs gap is closing, many people do not feel the benefits, as they face stagnant wages and no career

prospects. The report makes a clear call for a more inclusive labour market that reconnects the benefits of

the economic model with those who work in it.

Media coverage included this piece in The Financial Times, “Employment rate passes 2007 peak

in developed world, says OECD” which said “The report highlighted what the OECD called a

“paradoxical” moment for the developed world: employment is rising but so is workers’ anger

about globalisation and inequality”.

The top influencers tweeting about the

report were @FinancialTimes with 5.7M

followers; @TheEconomist 21M followers;

@WELT 1.25M followers and @STPS_mx

279.8K followers.

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Data innovation highlight: Labour market performance dashboard was developed on the basis of

the Employment Outlook key indicators.

29 June │OECD International Migration Outlook

37. The International Migration Outlook was launched by the Secretary-General alongside Dimitris

Avramopoulos, EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship. The launch provided an

opportunity to reinforce key OECD messages on the need to improve the integration of immigrants and

their children. The report stressed that integration is not only a domestic question, and that the economic,

political and social costs associated with the lack of integration in one country may have negative spill-

overs for others. A strong call was made for an ambitious international agenda on integration – and

one with measurable outcomes.

A shareable, embeddable 30-second social media video, presenting key facts was embedded on the front page of the Daily Mail’s website, where it was also accompanied by an OECD tweet: “Improving the integration of immigrants and their children, including refugees, is vital to delivering a more prosperous, inclusive future for all”.

A shareable, embeddable Compare Your Country data viz tool, allowing users to

compare countries in terms of permanent flows, family migration and asylum seekers was picked up by Il Sole 24 Ore and embedded in its blog, “Info Data”.

Tweets by @OECD concerning this publication were popular; those liking or retweeting content

included @DJSnower (President, the Kiel Institute) 1 017 followers, @flaczko1 (Director, IOM,

Global Migration Data) 1 050 followers, and @Kohonsi (Chief of Mission and Sub-Regional

Coordinator for FIN/SWE/DEN/EST at the IOM) 1 028 followers.

Among most relevant media pick-up:

The Agence France Presse piece “Migrants here to stay in Europe, now integrate them,

OECD says”, was most on message and was picked up by France 24, Business Standard,

Yahoo News, US Weekly, Pulse Nigeria, Outlook India, DNA, India, Business Recorder,

Financial Express.

A UK Press Association piece “Nearly 10% of people living in the UK are from overseas, report concludes”, including the video and a tweet with quote from the Secretary-Genral,

was picked up (fully or partially) by The Daily Mail, Jersey Evening Post, Evening Express,

the Scotsman. The Daily Mail ran this on the “front page” of their website and

embedded both the video (which was facts, without commentary or recommendations) and

the OECD tweet.

38. OECD has also taken the opportunity to articulate its narrative around the backlash against

globalisation at the national level, notably in conjunction with the launch of a number of country surveys.

In the first six months of the year, Economic Surveys were launched in Mexico, Portugal, Sweden, Italy,

India, Australia, Spain, and People’s Republic of China, Japan, Colombia, New Zealand, Belgium and

Slovak Republic. In addition, in the context of the G20 Presidency, the OECD enjoyed high media

visibility in Germany around the central narrative, as discussed above.

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COMMUNICATIONS HIGHLIGHTS: JANUARY-JUNE 2017

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OECD FORUM 2017

Introduction

39. OECD Forum 2017 “Bridging Divides”, taking

place back-to-back with the Ministerial Council Meeting,

provided a central focus for communications and engagement

around the core campaigns and narrative, encapsulating and

tying together many strands of OECD’s work. Throughout the

programme and discussions, the themes of inclusive growth,

digitalisation and trust were prevalent.

40. The title “Bridging Divides” and associated black

and white branding were chosen to reflect a rather unique

period of economic and social division and disruption, but the

focus was not a pessimistic one. Alongside the discussions

and diagnosis regarding inequalities, public disquiet and

mistrust, there was a strong emphasis on solutions, bringing divergent views together to find common

purpose.

41. The Forum focused on divides between “people like us”, and “the others”, the “haves”, and the

“have nots”, natives and migrants, between the “baby boomers” and “generation Z”, between men and

women, people living in capital cities, and those living in the regions, between frontier firms, SMEs, and

start-ups, between people with “gigs” and those with full time jobs, between those already shifting to

digital, and those increasingly left behind in the analogue world.

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42. The Forum was the major opportunity to show the “8 communications principles” in action:

Providing a platform for key OECD campaigns, and promoting sustained listening and

engagement around core themes such as inclusive growth and digitalisation.

Ensuring we respond to the Geography of Discontent. Key sessions profiled speakers

either representing those “left behind”, or having made a conscious effort to reach out to these constituencies. Forum discussions concentrated on concrete actions and measures to win back the confidence of marginalised communities and individuals, those fearful of the impact of globalisation, increasing migration flows, and the unprecedented speed of technological development.

Helping to develop the ways in which we talk and listen to the right people. Listening

happens both through the numerous interactions with stakeholders as the Forum programme is being prepared and also with the variety of interactive formats organised during the Forum such as the IdeaFactories, lunch debates, Discussion Cafés, Meet the Author and Talk Together sessions. Interactive tools such as Wisembly also continued to be used to ensure maximum audience engagement.

Exploring co-construction and the practical applications of “Civic Tech” (information

technology that enables public participation in policy-making processes). The Better Life Index Corner was transformed into the “Civic tech Hub”. A number of conversations and demonstrations showcased some of the ways that civic tech is gaining momentum and helping give voice to a diverse ecosystem of citizen activists.

Featuring tweets, vids and viz before, during and after the Forum. All Forum sessions were

live tweeted and filmed and visual elements were showcased prominently in all Forum communications material.

Using a language people understand. This principle lies at the very core of the Forum

approach, ensuring that complex, technical OECD work is translated in understandable language. Key Forum outcomes are also captured in similar terms in the OECD Quote book.

Broadening our engagement

Civil society, business and legislators

43. In collaboration with the Inclusive Growth team, PAC organised an interactive discussion café

session with 90 civil society representatives, including Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty

International; Tim Costello, Chief Advocate of World Vision Australia; and Adrian Lovett, Europe

Executive Director of ONE. This was an opportunity to hear directly from civil society organisations

(CSOs) on OECD initiatives to promote inclusive growth as a core element of national economic agendas

and speak openly about how to enhance these efforts. OECD’s role in collecting and disseminating data

was regarded as a powerful lever for accountability. From the conversation, it emerged that better links

between CSOs working on inclusiveness at a local level and international organisations could improve

efforts to scale up good practices and strengthen policy recommendations. PAC will follow up on the

suggestion by CSOs to build on this experience and enhance engagement on how civil society and

international organisations could better join forces to translate inclusive growth analysis into inclusive

policies helping to bridge various divides.

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44. Forum 2017 saw a marked increase in high-level engagement with the private sector. The

OECD welcomed 10 CEOs representing Forum sponsors to a CEO Closed Roundtable on the topic of

Inclusive Business, hosted by OECD Secretary-General and Gabriela Ramos. They discussed issues such

as “contextualised recruiting”, ensuring that employees come from a range of economic backgrounds and

personal circumstances, including targeting candidates from schools with students from less advantaged

backgrounds. The use of purchasing power to promote societal benefit was also discussed, for example

working with companies that have a high percentage of women on their boards, or who employ ex-

offenders. Feedback from participants was very positive, and these leaders are looking forward to

continuing this dialogue with the OECD.

45. The Forum also allowed for in-depth engagement with legislators from the OECD Global

Parliamentary Network. Parliamentary delegations from 30 countries took part in the Forum, with MPs

from Israel and Belgium participating as speakers in different sessions (IdeaFactory on “A Survivor’s

Guide to A Post-Truth World”, “Home Truth, Towards Quality, Affordable Housing” and “Migration and

Integration”).

Pew Research Survey of Forum Audience

For the first time, the OECD partnered with Pew Research to survey the Forum audience and compare their views with those of Pew’s general public opinion survey findings. The results were presented during the Forum session: You Talked, We Listened. How Do Your Views Compare? Bruce Stokes, Director, Global Economic

Attitudes, Pew Research Center, mentioned that amongst the general public, attitudes and views of the economy today are better than they were before the financial crisis, but highlighted that OECD Forum attendees feel more positive about the economy than the general public does, though younger Forum participants surveyed felt more pessimistic. Despite this generally more positive view of the economy, 65% of Forum participants indicated that they worried that their children would be poorer than they are, a higher percentage than the general public. The surveyed showed that Forum attendees believed that trade lowers prices and creates jobs, something that is often seen in responses by politicians. However, Stokes mentioned that this view is not generally shared by the general public. Forum participants were also more concerned about climate change than the global economy, and more concerned about the economy than about refugees.

Civic engagement at the Better Life Index

46. During OECD Week, the Better Life Index space was transformed into the ”Civic Tech Hub”.

The focus this year was on civic engagement rather than updating the data. Over the two days, 13 sessions

took place featuring short pitches followed by Q&A sessions. Important topics covered in the sessions

were: the potential of blockchain technology to simplify public management; the (re)use of digital tools to

increase the openness and accountability of democratic institutions; and the challenges of innovating and

co-constructing public services in pluralistic societies. In addition, we featured three case-studies: the

adoption of low cost and open source sensors to foster environmental action in EU members, the impacts

of collaborative communities building software and the laboratories of citizen innovation in Latin America.

We also took advantage of the expertise of the speakers and the ideas of the audience to have a lively

discussion on how to improve the OECD Better Life Index, in terms of access to and relevance of the

information on well-being and the features of the platform. Notable coverage of the “Civic Tech Hub”

included tweets, Instagram & blog posts, Facebook & Twitter livestreaming. (See also the Forum panel on

Online engagement for offline engagement).

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The Forum Network

47. As part of our civic tech drive to encourage

online engagement with the Forum community beyond the

physical event itself, a new online network was set-up:

www.oecd-forum.org. This new community platform,

launched during OECD week, is designed to allow the

OECD Forum Network to extend their discussions and

exchanges year-round, and to expand the community to

include those who cannot attend the conference in person.

The energy and interest generated during the Forum will

feed into OECD work and into future Forum events via an

ongoing, virtual dialogue. The Forum Network is open for

everyone to browse, read and share its content. Trusted

external contributors from around the world – thought-leaders, experts, and activists from business, labour

and civil society – have been granted rights to post content. As of mid-June there are 526 registered users,

17% of which are OECD staff. These users come from 33 countries. 160 speaker accounts were created by

OECD staff before the Forum, 200 accounts were self-created by the users during the Forum, thanks to a

promotion team encouraging registration on the ground, 146 accounts were created post-Forum, half of

them following a newsletter campaign organised by PAC. Further promotional efforts linked to content

coming out of the Forum discussions will be conducted in the coming weeks in order to increase the

number of community members and encourage external posts/contributions. In terms of traffic data, 1 800

visitors coming from 33 countries have generated approximately 15 000 page views. 40 pieces have been

uploaded so far to the site, including articles, videos and presentations, and PAC is preparing a content

plan to regularly feed the Forum Network community with engaging material from internal OECD staff

and more importantly, from our external network.

48. A range of new infographics were developed for the Forum Network and OECD Yearbook,

covering Inclusive growth, Digitalisation and Trust.

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The Bridging Divides edition of the OECD Forum 2017 Yearbook included over 30 articles from a range of experts and stakeholders focusing on Inclusive growth, Digitalisation and Trust, with a special series of articles on the Post-truth debate. These articles were posted broadly in the lead-up

to the Forum through social media and also promoted through the Forum Network platform to encourage engagement from the Forum community.

Top LinkedIn post: featured speaker Isabelle Kocher

and generated 46 255 views and 43 shares. This compares favourably with the average LinkedIn post, which gets approximately 35-45 000 views and 30 shares.

Media engagement

49. Media engagement during OECD Week was strong with over 150 journalists attending,

participating and reporting on the Forum sessions and covering the MCM.

50. To set the scene for OECD Week, a special media briefing was held by the Secretary-General

the week before, on 1 June, providing an opportunity to discuss the OECD response to the Globalisation

backlash as well as key issues for discussion at the MCM. The MCM Key Issues Paper was distributed to

journalists on this occasion. Representatives from L’Opinion, Bloomberg, Reuters, EFE, AFP, Le Figaro,

FAZ, Ansa, L’Obs, Wall Street Journal attended.

Special focus: The Secretary-General’s op-ed, “Globalisation: Don’t Patch it up, Shake it up” featured in the Huffington Post

Social media engagement:

Twitter – post reached 26 338 people, received 67 retweets and 41 likes

Facebook – post reached 7 349 people, received 26 likes and 21 shares

LinkedIn – reached 36 171 people, received 77 likes and 1 comment

It was retweeted by Lenni Montiel, SG for UNDESA; Klavs A. Holm, Ambassador of Denmark to the OECD, Getachew Engida, Deputy Director-General, UNESCO; Anabel Gonzalez, Trade & Competitiveness Senior Director, World Bank.

The top influencers who mentioned OECD: @the_hindu 4.3M followers; @edans 278K followers; @Methone 296K followers; @o_merk 7 402 followers and @OECD_BizFin 4 009 followers. It was also the second best article on Medium for the run-up and the duration of OECD Week, getting 190 views and 95 complete reads.

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51. The OECD Forum 2017 worked with 16 media partners, maintaining last year’s number, but

they included several new outlets such as Wired magazine and the young start-up Usbek and Rica covering

innovation and science. Other partners included major high-quality media such as the Financial Times,

Reuters, Nikkei, l’Obs, RFI, Les Echos and Euronews. Denmark’s Finans - part of Jyllands Posten media

group - partnered for the first time. Two of their senior journalists attended the Forum to provide editorial

coverage.

52. Partners were particularly active publicising the event. Among the print advertisements that ran

before OECD Week were two half-page Forum advertisements from Politico, one from Nikkei, and l’Obs

and a full page article about the OECD and Secretary-General in Media India Group’s magazine. Digital

advertisements were also prominent; Politico, France 24/RFI and Financial Times ran promotional

banners, with the sister outlet of Financial Times, Analyse Africa, running a listing and two further

promotional banners across their website. Wired ran three promotional tweets and posted to their LinkedIn

page and newsletter. Usbek and Rica also posted tweets and advertised the Forum on Facebook.

53. Participation in panels was a key element of this year’s partnerships, with 10 moderators from the

media directing 11 panels on most of the key debates, including the Economic Outlook, Bridging Divides

and the Post-Truth World panels.

54. Importantly, this year’s Forum reinforced the OECD’s strong relationship with Politico, an

influential voice in Washington and Brussels political circles. The Secretary-General was the first figure to

be interviewed for a new series of Politico podcasts with chief political editor Ryan Heath in Brussels

shortly after the Forum.

“The Forum is Davos in quality, only you don’t have to have a private plane to attend”, Ryan Heath Politico.

55. Other media partners such as (France24/RFI, Reuters, L’OBS, Euronews, Les Echos, and

Finans/Jyllands Posten) conducted interviews with the Secretary-General during OECD Week along with

Bloomberg, Folha de Sao Paolo, Le Monde and Danish Broadcasting. These interviews helped broaden the

audience for disseminating key OECD messages.

56. Politico, Financial Times and Usbek and Rica expressed interest in maintaining a close working

engagement with the OECD and to increase Forum visibility on both advertising and editorial fronts next

year.

57. In addition to the significant coverage of the signing by 70 countries of the multilateral

instrument on BEPS and the Economic Outlook, which is mentioned earlier, journalists gave prominence to

the central narrative around the OECD’s response to public discontent with globalisation. Coverage

included:

The FTSE Global Markets website published a detailed article, “OECD Paper ahead of

Ministerial meeting calls for more inclusive, rule-based globalisation”, on the MCM preparation

paper, spelling out the OECD’s recommendations for urgent action to address the backlash

against globalisation.

France’s L’Opinion daily wrote about the OECD’s concern about inequality of opportunities,

and the weekly L’Obs fleshed out the ideas in a Q&A interview with the Secretary-General.

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Italy’s ANSA wrote in, Osce: “globalizzazione sia strumento al servizio di tutti”, that the

Secretary General would tell Member countries they needed to take urgent measures to transform

globalisation into something that would work for everybody.

Morocco’s L’Economiste wrote: Le fait «que la mondialisation n’ait pas réussi à instaurer des

règles du jeu équitables en matière de commerce, d’investissement et de conduite des entreprises,

est l’un des facteurs qui contribue dans de nombreux pays à un rejet de l’ouverture et à un

effritement de la confiance dans les institutions publiques», indiquent les experts de l’OCDE.

Leur publication comporte une série de recommandations. Ce n’est qu’en améliorant le

fonctionnement des marchés mondiaux des entreprises et des institutions que la croissance de la

productivité pourra être restaurée, la formation de surcapacités évitée et la confiance du public

raffermie. Il est question aussi de veiller au respect des règles du jeu concernant les échanges,

l’investissement et la conduite des entreprises. Tout en préservant les bienfaits de l’ouverture

économique. Outre ces mesures, l’Organisation recommande d’accroître les investissements

dans les infrastructures et de mettre en place des réformes structurelles ainsi que des filets de

sécurité.

The Business Times used the headline: “Radical rethink of globalisation needed to stop

backlash: OECD” quoting the OECD as saying that there is a "risk of a damaging retreat from

economic openness if policies do not change”.

Politiken went with: “The OECD finally calls for a third economic path” saying that it was no

longer a choice between market forces and populism. Fortunately, there is a third way being

recommended by the OECD.

José Manuel Restrepo, economist and Dean of Colombia’s Rosario University wrote in a

column for El Espectador entitled “OECD: una Mirada fresca y nueva”: it is refreshing to see an

OECD that understands what our capitalist system needs and is not leaving this space to outdated

socialist models that have done little for humanity.

The Forum was also picked-up by Paris Match, who wrote a piece around the visit of Her Royal

Highness Princess Mary of Denmark.

58. A number of relevant influencer pieces picked up the central story:

The Geneva-based International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development’s news site,

Bridges, published a lengthy piece about how the OECD Forum and MCM addressed ways to

make globalisation work better for all.

A blog by Australian Economics Professor John Quiggin (7 500 Twitter followers), “The OECD

joins the Backlash Against Unfettered Globalisation” said: Past upsurges of anti-globalisation

sentiment, such as the “Battle of Seattle” demonstrations against the WTO in 1999, were ignored

by the global political class, even if many of the concerns they raised have turned out, in

retrospect, to be justified. But the backlash this time is too powerful to be ignored. To its credit,

the OECD has recognised this, and sought to promote what might be called “globalisation with a

human face.” This agenda is set out in a report, Making Globalisation Work: Better Lives for All,

presented to a ministerial council meeting this week. The aim of the report is to make the case for

globalisation while considering ways to deal with its drawbacks.

Public Finance International: “Empower citizens to make them globalisation-ready, says

OECD” highlighted proposals in the MCM paper such as “social protection systems that become

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social enabling systems, training and work support designed to maximise chances of

reemployment and entitlements linked to people rather than jobs”.

Nordic Labour Journal, “Challenging globalisation’s winners: The OECD wants to bridge the

divides” reported that “The OECD wants the world to change its idea of what constitutes

economic growth, and to look again at the global economy developments that lead to greater

divides: There is a need for a new narrative with terms like ‘resilient, sustainable and inclusive

growth’. ‘Trickle down’ has not worked; the growth first, sharing later narrative is dead. Instead,

low income groups must be empowered in order to profit from globalisation, and they must be

closer linked to innovation and global business opportunities.” “We need to provide people with

the means to succeed,” underlines the OECD Secretary-General.

Forum partnerships

59. OECD Forum 2017 welcomed 14 Corporate Partners, 19 Knowledge Partners (5 providing a

financial contribution), 15 “Friends” and 5 Event Partners (providing in-kind support).

60. Partnerships were developed in line with the main Forum theme “Bridging Divides” and were an

effective way to engage organisations from both business and non-profit sectors in the work of OECD, and

bring real world substantive experience to the deliberations at the Forum. The specific focus on

inclusive growth, digitalisation and trust resonated strongly with the priorities and longer term agendas of

both corporate and knowledge partners. In the discussions in the lead-up to the Forum, partners were

appreciative of the opportunity to discuss the concrete effects of the backlash against globalisation, and

other core interrelated issues such as the impact of fake news, and new developments related to artificial

intelligence. Many partners noted that the OECD Forum is one of the only international conferences

providing such on overarching and future focused agenda.

61. The fact that corporate and knowledge partners were mostly represented by their CEOs is an

indication of the strategic value of both the policy discussions and networking opportunities provided by

the Forum. AEGON, AARP, Bertelsmann, Deloitte, Johnson & Johnson, McKinsey, MSD, Randstad,

and Sodexo continue to be very supportive of the OECD initiatives on inclusive growth, including ageing,

early childhood education, development, gender, health, the future of work, wellbeing and skills.

62. The OECD’s focus on digital transformation was a key draw for a number of new high-level

partnerships, including: Airbnb, AXA, Engie, Google, in addition to existing partner, Telefonica, and

new knowledge partner Ecole 42.

63. In collaboration with the Danish delegation, we welcomed for the first time PensionDanmark

and Copenhagen Business School. The Australian and Korean delegations helped ensure that we were in

a position to invite speakers and moderators representing both countries. The support provided by the

Government of Peru and the Fukushima Prefecture was fundamental to the success of the Forum reception

and Forum dinner.

64. The Forum continues to be seen by partners as a valuable place to create connections around

substantive responses to global challenges. Some have referred to the Forum as “Davos without the

dollars”. Substantive discussions with partners, such the Roundtable on Inclusive Business were organised

to allow for in-depth exchanges both between partners and with OECD leadership. The participating CEOs

expressed a keen interest for opportunities to continue this type of discussion.

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65. Building on the successful Forum partnership model, and taking into account significant interest

in greater engagement throughout the year, beyond the event itself, a “Partners Engagement Group” will be

created, inviting sponsors and partners to regularly contribute and add value to OECD’s work.

Mainstreaming the impact of Forum 2017 in OECD Work

66. The Forum is an important mechanism for introducing new voices to the OECD, many of which

are solicited throughout the year to take part and enrich work across the house. Looking at this year’s

Forum alone, a number of speakers and members of the Forum community have been involved in further

collaboration with the Organisation. For example:

CFE

Jacob Bundsgaard, Mayor of Aarhus, Denmark has been invited by the Champion Mayors for

Inclusive Growth team to join the network and attend the OECD Champion Mayors

roundtable, 19 October 2017, Seoul.

EDU

o Oley Dibba-Wadda, Executive Secretary of the Association for the

Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) was interviewed by EDU as part

of their Education & Skills Today blog. See article “Youth are not the future;

they are the present”.

o Matthew d’Ancona, Author, Post Truth: the New War on Truth & How to Fight

Back was interviewed by EDU as part of their Education & Skills Today blog.

See article “Digital Literacy Will Probably Be the Only Kind of Literacy There

Is”.

ELS

Ali Aslan, TV Presenter & Journalist, Germany was invited to moderate the High-Level

Policy Forum on the New OECD Jobs Strategy jointly organised with the Federal Minister of

Labour and Social Affairs of Germany, 13 June 2017, Berlin.

Hee Kyong Kim, Anchor & Reporter, Deputy Head of International News Department,

Newsroom, MBN is a regular contributor to OECD events, notably in the field of health. She

moderated sessions at the 2017 OECD Policy Forum on the Future of Health, 17 January

2017, Paris.

EXD, PAC, STI

Roxanne Varza, Director, Station F, France has subsequently facilitated a visit for OECD

representatives to Station F in the course of November in the context of OECD’s work on

Digital Transformation.

GOV

Matthew d’Ancona, Author, Post Truth: the New War on Truth & How to Fight Back was

invited to speak at an OECD Conference organised by GOV on “Governing better through

evidence-informed policy making”, 26-27 June, Paris.

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STI

Ariel Ezrachi, Author, Virtual Competition: The Promise and Perils of the Algorithm-Driven

Economy subsequently presented a paper at the OECD roundtable on "Algorithms and

Collusion”, 21-23 June 2017, Paris.

Eric Hazan, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Co; Member, McKinsey&Company, was invited to

speak at the STI conference on Artificial Intelligence - Me, Myself and AI- scheduled to take

place on 26 and 27 October.

What we heard: Impressions from Forum panel discussions

67. The Forum gives priority to listening and engaging a diverse stakeholder community. This

section reviews the key themes and messages which emerged from the main panel discussions.

68. Ahead of the opening session featuring the Secretary-General and Her Royal Highness Crown

Princess Mary of Denmark, Forum participants were asked what would be the best way to bridge divides.

41% indicated that building trust would be the most important step to take to bridge divides, this was more

important than sharing more (15%), listening better (22%), or being more open (22%).

Bridging divides

69. During this Forum discussion, participants were asked who they felt could do most to address the

growing divides in our societies. It was clear from the rate of response (49%) that governments have a key

responsibility to help find solutions. Participants also had higher expectations of civil society (28%) than of

business (13%), trade unions (5%) or media (5%).

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70. Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, referred to

research conducted by trade unions in 14 OECD and G20 countries: 73% of correspondents were

frightened of losing their jobs, and 50% were concerned about the future of their children. Interestingly, in

contrast to the poll conducted in the room, she reported that 85% of people polled did not believe that

power to address growing levels of inequality lies with government. They thought the power lies with

business and in particular with the 1%.

71. Michel Landel, CEO of Sodexo, mentioned that companies have the responsibility to act like a

“social elevator” in providing respectable and sustainable jobs that give people purpose and direction for

their lives. Salil Shetty, Secretary General, Amnesty International, continued that “it is not a question

whether globalisation is good or bad”. He questioned what that even meant, and the panel agreed that

globalisation is a fact of life, and has brought many benefits, but there is a need for a new social

contract, a social licence to operate and according to Michel Landel: “a general generosity of spirit,

placing people at the centre”.

72. Salil Shetty saw the root cause of inequality as discrimination of women, indigenous peoples, and

religious and racial minorities. The focus is often on inequality of income, but there are also significant

levels of “voice” inequality as not all segments of society have the capacity to raise their voices and hold

governments to account.

73. The panel was quite optimistic that millennials will be the generation able to address the

challenges our society will confront. Chris Lehane, Head of Global Policy and Public Affairs, Airbnb

mentioned that: “millennials are incredibly values-oriented and mission driven. They value authenticity

over material gains. More than 80% of millennials globally believe that a company should be evaluated by

whether or not it is good for society”. Sharan Burrow reminded the audience that recent research conducted

at Harvard indicated that fewer than 30% of US millennials believe it is essential to live in a country that is

governed democratically.

The geography of discontent

74. This discussion highlighted the fact that discontent is not at the margins, but at the centre of

people’s concerns, and that for families and communities, access to decent work is a foundation of

stability and of social, as well as personal, advancement. J. D. Taylor, author of Island Story: Journeys

through Unfamiliar Britain, travelled around Britain on a rusty bike, meeting strangers and talking to

people in his attempt to capture a sense of modern-day Britain. He reflected that in many of his meetings

comments were made such as “there’s not much round here’ or ‘we used to make things here”, and he

drew the conclusion that while in the past jobs in industry or farming gave a sense of purpose and pride,

people increasingly find themselves in jobs they do not want to do, and without much hope for a better

future.

75. Natalie Chanin, CEO, Alabama Chanin, was born and raised in Florence, Alabama, United

States, which used to be “T-Shirt Capital of the World”, until the NAFTA agreement left many textile

workers unemployed. She founded a company employing local textile workers to ensure that traditional

skills and textiles continue to be produced using local skills and produce such as cotton. Natalie mentioned

that targeted investment is key, undertaken in a way that creates quality jobs that make people take pride

in their work. Finally, Carsten Kissmeyer, Mayor of Ikast-Brande, in Jutland, an area of Denmark, where

many worked as seamstresses in the textile industry until these jobs moved abroad due to the impact of

globalisation, mentioned that the Danish government is trying to better understand the impact of trade and

globalisation on different places by moving government offices out of Copenhagen and into the regions, so

officials are closer to factories, farms and are better able to understand and act effectively on local

concerns. All three recommended that governments find a way to talk to people to increase their

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understanding of local concerns, as this is essential for developing effective solutions. It was also

highlighted that people need to feel included in the civic life of their communities, and really represented

by politicians and trade unions.

Inclusive Growth & Globalisation

76. The panel focused on the difficulty of squaring current levels of discontent with the overall trends

demonstrating that the period of rapid globalisation since the Second World War has yielded the greatest

increase in global prosperity in history, despite a near-tripling of the world population. Tim Costello, Chief

Advocate, World Vision Australia, captured this dilemma referring to it as a great paradox: globalisation

brings innovation and, for poor countries, economic benefits while, at the same time, disrupting social

welfare systems in first world countries. The panel debated whether the Nordic model could be an example

for more countries to follow, something that 63% of the audience agreed with. Lizette Risgaard, President

of the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions, highlighted that “from the trade union perspective,

globalisation, inclusiveness, and growth should go hand in hand. We want to create societies where

everyone can participate actively in globalisation and policies and institutions that promote equality”.

Alfredo Thorne Vetter, Minister of Economy and Finance, Peru, highlighted that inclusiveness cannot be

left as an afterthought after growth takes off; if this is the case, it will not be possible to emulate the Nordic

model.

A Fair Share: Universal Basic Income, et al…?

77. The panellists in this session welcomed the opportunity for an informed conversation as the

concept of a basic income confronts policy makers with the very essence of policy making: navigating

trade-offs. Those wishing to introduce it will have to find the right fiscal equilibrium for basic income to be

sufficiently high and minimise losses for those who receive targeted support from existing systems, such as

early retirees, those with health problems, and the unemployed, while maintaining tax burdens at

manageable and sustainable levels.

78. Consensus emerged on the fact that a system geared towards greater income security might

also prevent the rise of populist regimes. Kenneth Scheve, Author, Taxing the Rich: A History of Fiscal

Fairness in the United States and Europe stated that the case for basic income is a matter of distribution

policy, rather than job loss.

79. Theis Søndergaard, Co-founder, Vivino, mentioned that access to Universal Basic Income is

important to stimulate entrepreneurship amongst those without access to other sources of finance. While

the start-up industry is often considered as the future of high-value employment, Theis considers himself as

a destructor of jobs. He stated “I am convinced that for every single job I create in Vivino, I am destroying

5-10 other jobs. That’s the nature of the technology we are using today.”

80. Finland is very much considered a trend setter in this policy space. By providing a monthly €650

lump sum to 2 000 unemployed job seekers, the country seeks to increase incentives for recipients to take

up and stay in employment. If they find a job, the basic income will be paid on top of the salary. One of the

biggest achievements of this two-year pilot is to cut bureaucracy, in a country where over 40 social

benefits can be sought. Early findings seem to indicate that an income guarantee does not create

disincentives for people to seek employment, as Marjukka Turunen, Director of Change Management,

Kela, Finland, reported.

Home Truth, Towards Quality, Affordable Housing

81. The debate focused on the fact that people see their cities gentrifying, with desirable

surroundings only accessible for the most successful, while poorer segments of the population are priced

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out into places where health, housing, and education services are underfunded, and crime rates and

pollution are high. The outcomes include falling social and geographic mobility and segregation. The

trends driving these divisions have deepened in recent decades, particularly during the uneven economic

recovery over the past years.

82. This geographical divide exacerbates generational divides between the baby boomers who have

long been home owners, and the current younger generations. Access to quality housing is key to

participation in economic and social life, to bridging generational, social and cultural divides, to building

interpersonal trust, and in fostering connectivity across neighbourhoods, cities, and regions.

83. Issues that also came up were how to provide the next generation with opportunities to buy or

rent good quality housing, the need to leverage public participation in policy making, allowing people to

build stronger heterogenic neighbourhoods together, and how better urban planning may help prevent

radicalisation.

84. Stav Shaffir, member of The Knesset, Israel, emphasised the importance of doing this with public

participation and support when developing policy solutions. She also highlighted the importance of

building heterogenic neighbourhoods based on a mixture of social economic backgrounds to enhance

social mobility and create stronger communities.

85. Sofie Rédelé, Senior Project Developer, Re-Vive highlighted that it is far more difficult to build

societies and communities than it is houses. Re-Vive is working to develop housing in Molenbeek, the area

in Brussels where a number of the terrorists linked to the attacks in Paris in 2015 lived. She mentioned that

her work in Molenbeek dates from before the terror attacks, and that it has been very hard to find allies and

investors, while investment is very much needed to build up a sense of community and to address some of

the social issues at earlier stages. She recommended finding partners in the neighbourhood and inviting

local community associations into projects to avoid imposed, top-down initiatives.

86. Finally, Jean-Baptiste Eyraud, Droit au Logement, France highlighted that in his view the

question of community is at the root of the conversation on affordable housing. He pointed out that there is

more solidarity among those who are poor than among the better off, who do not feel the same need to

know their neighbours. Forcing communities to live amongst each other could cause difficulties.

Gig vs. Career: the Ups & Downs of the World of Work

87. The panel explored the fact that the gig economy offers many possibilities in terms of jobs,

entrepreneurship, work-life balance and personal growth, but in order for everyone to benefit fully, there

needs to be a change in employment rules and regulations, workplace cultures and conditions, and in the

roles of governments and social institutions.

88. Jacques van den Broek, CEO of Randstad, stressed the need for pro-active social dialogue, in

order to rethink and reinvent the labour market. John Evans, General Secretary TUAC, emphasised that gig

workers have exactly the same concerns as traditional workers: working conditions, wages, intellectual

property… He called for policies to ensure that 21st century technology doesn’t reproduce 19

th

century working conditions, and for countries to get the right regulations in place and to set up

appropriate employment relationships.

89. Employers want a skilled – and diverse – workforce, explained David Cruickshank, Global

Chairman Deloitte, as the more diverse a workforce is, the better its outputs are. As an example, he

cited Deloitte’s programme for school leavers from less advantaged schools, which has helped over 200

youth a year gain training and find work.

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90. Aart de Geus, Chairman & CEO, Bertelsmann Stiftung, reminded the session that the majority of

people in the workforce today are afraid: Will I still have job? Will my children? Will we make enough to

live on? He called for politicians to address this head-on, to assuage fears and give hope. Social security

must be rethought so that it covers all citizens rather than being tied to specific jobs. And governments

need to make sure that companies and entrepreneurs meet their responsibilities as employers.

91. Nicola Hazell, SheStarts Director, Head of Diversity and Impact, BlueChilli, highlighted that,

while the number of women working has increased, including in part-time jobs (40% versus around 28%

for men), they remain underrepresented in the tech world and face significant barriers to business creation.

This demands changing social expectations and conditions in the workplace to achieve greater

equality. Education and lifelong learning and training were also clearly identified as effective ways to

address job instability and improve equality, although more investment is needed, not just in technical

training, but also cognitive and social training.

Five-Generation Workplace, From Baby Boomers to Generation Z

92. The panel featured speakers representing babyboomers such as Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO of AARP,

as well as younger generations represented by Dejan Bojanic, the Vice-President of the European Youth

Forum, and Ryan Health, Senior EU Correspondent at Politico, who is the author of the cult classic “Please

Just F* Off, It’s Our Turn Now,” an account of how the babyboomers are viewed by millennials. The

debate explored what needs to be done to make the most of what each generation has to contribute

and respond to each generation's expectations, needs, values, views and working styles.

93. Age-based discrimination when looking for a job is a shared barrier. In the course of the debate

the audience was asked whether they had experienced age discrimination in the workplace, and 59%

responded positively. This can be linked to a perceived lack of experience for youth, or a lack of

appropriate skills and dynamism for the 40 and 50+.

94. A “job for life” or a “career for life” no longer exists, with those entering the labour market often

offered temporary, short-term, more precarious work arrangements, while older workers find a widening

gap between their skills and expertise and the reality of an increasingly digitalised and automated

economy, where robotics and artificial intelligence will continue changing the way we work. While a range

of specific policies is needed for each age group, the panel agreed on the importance of more inclusive

labour markets to boost employment opportunities for all workers. In particular, policies should help

disadvantaged groups at risk of being excluded from employment, regardless of their age. The panel also

highlighted the importance of investing in skills.

21st Century Skills

95. In most countries there is little change in the way students learn or the way teachers teach. Social-

emotional skills seem to be the area where demand is growing most rapidly and yet it is the area in which

schools are doing least well. Mads Bonde, CEO of Labster, a virtual reality teaching tool profiled during

the Forum responded that teachers do not have enough time to deal with these types of skills. Virtual

technology would allow students to learn more at home and go to school and learn skills – such as ethics.

Mr. Bonde formed his vision at an early age. “When I was in primary school, I played a lot of computer

games, and I thought 'why can't computer games teach school subjects? It would be so much more fun he

recalled when thinking back on how it all began. Fun is incredibly important in education, and motivation

and engagement are huge drivers for learning”. “At Harvard Medical School I saw so many skilled

scientists working every day on solving the world’s biggest problems − including climate change, pollution

and treatments of diseases such as cancer. I realized that a key barrier was to recruit and educate young

people to work on these challenges. My vision with starting Labster was to educate and empower students

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to change the world.” Oley Dibba-Wadda, Executive Secretary, Association for the Development of

Education in Africa (ADEA) mentioned that the so-called BBCs, i.e. teachers Born Before Computers,

need to be taught how to deal with technology in the classroom.

Gender equality

96. The debate Pink Collar, Blue Collar addressed unconscious gender biases present everywhere,

whether in government, political parties, STEM careers, the film industry, the media, advertising, global

conferences, and even children’s toys. These biases are triggered by social norms, discriminatory and

insufficiently protective laws, unpaid work, unequal access to the digital universe, economic assets, etc..

Chiara Corazza, Managing Director, Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society insisted on the power of

role models and the need for greater representation of strong, successful women in leadership positions.

Bjorn Jeffery, CEO, Toca Boca, Sweden highlighted the role of technology in creating new norms by

developing gender-neutral toys.

97. Panellists very much focused on early learning and the need for more adequate role models. In

opening the session, Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark called on participants to

commend a young girl’s executive leadership skills instead of saying she is “bossy”.

98. During the Inclusive Entrepreneurship debate, Nicola Hazell, SheStarts Director, Head of

Diversity and Impact, BlueChilli, highlighted the types of barriers that are keeping women out of the tech

sector and start-ups: technical skills barriers, cultural and structural barriers, and visual barriers, i.e. the

lack of role models. The Talk Together, Women in Public Life, shed light on how gender stereotypes

continue to affect women’s access to leadership and careers in the public as well as in the private sector

and how women continue to be more strongly scrutinised than men by the media and the public, based on

the perception that they may be less fit for leadership than men.

Migration and Integration

99. The session dedicated to migration and integration focused on the fact that successful integration

requires comprehensive, well-tailored measures that take into account an individual's country of origin,

educational background and family situation. Assessing, activating and developing migrants’ skills is key.

Anki Elken, representing Randstad Sweden, stressed that adapting to the conditions of a new labour market

is not the sole responsibility of the migrant – the public and the private sector need to adapt themselves to

the diverse skills of the new migrants and workers. Ranjith Kumar Prabhakaran, an immigrant of Indian

descent who successfully integrated into Finnish society and was awarded Finland’s 2013 Mr. Immigrant

Laureate agreed, adding not only the necessity for recently arrived migrants to learn the new language but

also that they are supported in this, the workplace and the community in which they live.

100. Steven Koltai, Author, Peace Through Entrepreneurship: Investing in a Startup Culture for

Security and Development, highlighted the significant potential of entrepreneurship in stimulating

economic opportunities for the “virtually limitless supply of desperate, unemployed young men and

women leading lives of endless economic frustration”. He highlighted this as a key factor in creating

current migration flows, as well as contributing to future political unrest and hostility that may cause

people to flee their countries.

The Digital World We Want

101. At the beginning of this panel Forum participants were asked if they felt confident in the ability

of their governments to manage the digital transformation. 25% participants indicated that they felt

confident, 58% did not feel confident, and 17% were not sure. The panel then went on to discuss the

comprehensive “reboot” of analogue era policies for a digital age, and the need to bolster skills and digital

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capacity in government. Governments were called upon to foster a spirit of experimentation, exploration

and innovation. Frontrunner countries could take the lead and show how technology can be used in new

ways that improve education, health and social issues which contribute to rebuilding the necessary trust in

public and private institutions.

No ordinary disruption

102. The panel focused on how the expanding Internet of Things (IoT) could add USD 10-15 trillion

to global GDP and generate 22 times more data traffic by 2020. As the IoT grows, so do the risks of major

digital security and data privacy incidents. According to the poll conducted during this session, 80% of the

audience did not feel confident that their government was up to the task of securing the Internet of Things.

103. IoT technology comes with promising opportunities: advancing health services; improving our

environment; and rebuilding trust, but as more devices become connected, security issues are increasing

and becoming more complex. With 40% of all data generated coming from connected devices by 2020, the

volume of data that needs protection is rising rapidly, meaning security and privacy policies need to keep

up. Panellists raised the fact that there is a general lack of security culture – “Do you have two layers of

password protection on your email account?” – and saw a genuine deficit of skilled people in government

to design policy that will enable the IoT to work in the favour of citizens.

104. Technologies such as block chain and encryption software can help with better security but there

is no silver bullet; the fundamental problem is human. Education is key to raising awareness among

citizens. Training programmes can contribute to provide better information and deliver the basic skills in

the management of digital property, especially concerning the sharing of personal data. The session ended

with a powerful challenge: “we must ensure that the next chapter in this technological revolution

focusses on simplicity of securing our devices”.

Inequality, Digitalisation & Competition

105. The panel was introduced by Constantijn van Oranje-Nassau, Startup Envoy, StartupDelta who

highlighted that the so-called digital platform companies have allowed many start-ups to thrive, and

enhanced consumer choice through internet search and e-commerce. While some features of the digital

sector could favour the emergence of dominant firms, he cautioned about regulating this innovative culture

too early, and in this way threaten its potential for the economy and for innovation. Roxanne Varza, the

Director of Station F, agreed urging to “find the right balance in ensuring that innovation can thrive and

regulating what has to be regulated. We need to be very careful with messages we send concerning

competition – they have the power to hinder innovation”.

106. Ariel Ezrachi, Author, Virtual Competition: The Promise and Perils of the Algorithm-Driven

Economy, mentioned that we need to understand the shift from competition as we know it to the era of big

data and analytics, which is radically changing our markets and competitive ecosystem. Big data,

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sophisticated computer algorithms, and artificial intelligence are not inherently good or bad, but that

doesn’t mean their effects on society are neutral. Their nature depends on how firms employ them, how

markets are structured, and whether firms’ incentives are aligned with society’s interests. At times, big data

and big analytics can promote competition and our welfare by making information more easily available

and by providing access to markets, but algorithms may also foster new forms of collusion that are

achieved through subtler means, that do not amount to a hard-core cartel, and that are at the moment

beyond the law’s reach.

Cashless Society & Fintech

107. Cecilia Skingsley, Deputy Governor of Riksbank Sweden, reminded the audience that cash will

continue to serve as a store of value, but agreed that its days as a means of payment may be numbered.

Many praise this evolution regarded as a way to increase efficiency, lower costs associated with cash, and

tackle corruption and the underground economy. As pointed out by a number of participants from the

audience, mobile banking is credited for having lifted millions out of poverty by fostering the

financial inclusion of the predominantly rural “unbanked”.

108. Tadeusz Kościński, Undersecretary of State for the Polish Ministry of Economic Development,

concurred with this, stressing that mobile banking has allowed countries with relatively

underdeveloped banking systems to leapfrog traditional evolution. In Slovenia too, mobile wallet

solutions such as Primoz Zupan’s MBills help put people on the map. However, Hans van Dalfsen, Editor-

in-chief of Z! magazine sold by homeless people in Amsterdam, offered words of caution by stressing that

bridging digital divides remains necessary to enable everybody – including vulnerable groups that risk

further marginalisation due to the rarefication of cash – to harness the promises of digital payments.

109. In the words of Gianluca Riccio, Head of Strategy and Framework in Commercial Bank Risk

(CBR) at Lloyds Banking Group and Vice Chair of the BIAC Finance Task Force, the question is therefore

not whether we are heading toward cashless societies but rather, “How are we going to become cashless?”.

In this regard, it is worth noting that digital payments also carry their own set of risks. Loss of privacy

may well be the price to pay for a cashless society. And while Tadeusz Kościński highlighted the trade-

off for customers between the greater convenience of digital payments and their perceived risks, Gianluca

Riccio stressed the importance of continued investments in cyber-security. On the regulatory front, a

common framework appears premature as countries stand at very different stages in this transition, but a

co-ordinated approach will remain necessary to address arbitrage opportunities and issues linked to cross-

border exchanges of data.

Online Engagement for Offline Empowerment

110. The panel focused on how civic technologies are enabling deeper citizen engagement in public

life leading to more responsive and trusted governments. The potential of these online tools is that they

facilitate the connection between citizens’ collective intelligence and decision-making processes

(participatory budgets, crowdsourcing of legislation…), two spheres that require mutual understanding.

The speakers agreed on the fact that tech-enabled platforms can promote systems of distributed and

transparent governance; they are however not a quick fix for a healthy democratic system. We need to bear

in mind three important challenges. Firstly, geography of discontent manifests itself in an important

“digital divide” (e.g. the unequal access to broadband and the differences in digital literacy skills among

the various segments of our societies). Secondly, in order to co-construct public policies with citizens

we need to maintain and improve traditional offline spaces of dialogue, do as to be more proactive and

inclusive. Last but not least, governments need to make use of the knowledge resulting from these

networks of collaboration and new channels of participation; failing to do so can accentuate the

current trust deficit. In terms of Forum speakers, this panel was very innovative bringing together Eva

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Kaili, a member of the European Parliament, Virgile Deville, an under-30 civic tech entrepreneur and

Geoff Mulgan, a former activist and current CEO of Nesta.

Behavioural Economics and Nudging: Fast and Slow

111. This session featured the well-known author, Professor Cass Sunstein of Harvard Law School,

who shared his insights into the application of behavioural economics to public policy. One of the most

appreciated sessions by Forum participants, his presentation built on the recent OECD publication

Behavioural insights in Public Policy: Lessons from around the World. The author of Nudge exposed how

“nudging” is being used to develop smarter, more efficient, and more effective policies and programmes,

on every continent across the world in many different policy areas including consumer protection,

education, energy, environment, finance, health and safety, labour market policies, public service delivery,

taxes and telecommunications. This session was an opportunity to hear the thoughts from one of the

pioneers in the field, who introduced behavioural economics in the US administration under President

Obama (2009-12).

Responsible Business Conduct & Globalisation

112. The panel explored how governments, companies and civil society can work together to promote

responsible business conduct and inclusive growth in an increasingly interconnected world. People demand

increased policy coherence that does not trade off one aspect of policy for another, and which does

not separate out responsible business conduct from the SDGs. All speakers emphasised that the time is

ripe for governments, businesses, labour unions and multilateral institutions to push for increased

transparency and stronger multilateral collaboration.

113. Another major point of consensus concerned the need to fix the regulatory and governance

enforcement gap that is allowing companies to maintain fraudulent, unscrupulous practices with respect to

human and labour rights, environmental pollution, tax evasion and corruption. Global standards and

instruments are needed that will allow for fairer globalisation, and continue to expand the coverage of

current standards, but real progress will require moving from voluntary to binding mechanisms, including

establishing strong reporting directives that will allow civil society and social media – to the extent that

they are not silenced – to put pressure on companies to act responsibly. Lilianne Ploumen, Minister for

Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Netherlands underlined that political pressure and consumer

awareness is key to getting firms to comply with agreements on RBC.

It Takes Two to Tango: Trade & Social Protection Policies

114. The panel discussed the reasons of the prevailing sceptical views of free trade, when this has

brought so many benefits to consumers and workers around the world and has helped lift hundreds of

millions of people out of poverty over the last quarter-century. Justin Brown, Deputy Secretary,

Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Australia mentioned that the public is very anxious about the

speed at which the global economy is becoming more and more interconnected. He mentioned that “the

frustration when trade agreements are presented to parliaments is a symptom of that underlying anxiety.”

115. Trade could work better for more people if a much more integrated policy approach were

followed, moving away from traditional policy silos and creating environments at home where benefits can

materialise, while reducing unnecessary costs. Reducing trade costs would especially benefit SMEs, new

and young firms. Investing in people through lifelong training and education would equip men and women

with the skills to adapt to changing market realities. Anabel Gonzalez, Senior Director for Trade and

Competitiveness, World Bank, reminded the panel of the importance of workers’ training as countries

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grapple with the impact of technology on production in global value chains, particularly in the

manufacturing sector.

116. Ben Digby, International Director, Confederation of British Industry, United Kingdom stated that

active labour market policies and social safety nets would also help, as well as investing in health,

education, activation frameworks that make work pay. Other options mentioned included promoting

mobility and labour market inclusion by linking entitlements to people, not jobs, and targeted measures to

revitalise regional economies. While Todd McClay, Minister for Trade, New Zealand called on businesses

to recognise the value and importance of trade agreements for the economy, Martin Tlapa, Deputy

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Czech Republic highlighted that free trade agreements can strengthen

inequality among countries, and should be revisited to allow developing countries to export their products

to developed markets more effectively.

117. The Danish Prime Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen tweeted the following:

Climate Strategies In a Connected World

118. The panel discussed innovative political and financial strategies to enable the transition to low-

emission climate-resilient growth. Speakers focused on the emerging consensus from G20 countries,

businesses and civil society on the need for systemic change, at scale and with speed. This means

implementing the move to a circular economy, with resource efficiency at the centre of a new innovation-

driven, co-ordinated and green economic model, in which investments are geared towards sustainable

infrastructure (including in construction and transportation), greening the agricultural sector and bringing

technology expansion to market.

119. In her scene setting at the beginning of the debate Isabelle Kocher, CEO of Engie, pointed to

where governments and the private sector should be heading and working together. This was coined as the

3D world: decarbonised, decentralised (energy infrastructure where local facilities can produce and store

energy) and digitalised (a world of data management and software).

2030 Agenda: Financing & Partnerships

120. The panel focused on the SDGs and what is needed to now ensure that they become the game

changer they are expected to be. More than 800 million people are still living in extreme poverty. Over 100

million youth worldwide lack basic literacy skills, of which 60% are women. Achieving the SDGs will

require investment and co-operation on an unprecedented scale. There is an estimated USD 2-3 trillion

annual investment gap (at current levels of investment in SDG-relevant sectors). Official Development

Assistance (ODA) – USD 130-140 billion annually – cannot shoulder this responsibility alone. The panel

focused on how the public, philanthropic and private sectors could work together in the context of so-

called “blended finance”. Providers of ODA, working in partnership with the private sector, can play a key

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role in underpinning commercially viable, sustainable and scalable solutions. Ulla Pedersen Tørnæs,

Danish Minister for Development Cooperation, underlined that “we will not achieve the SDGs if we don’t

include the private sector”.

OECD IdeaFactories

121. OECD IdeaFactories provide an opportunity for in-depth

engagement around new and cutting-edge issues, where the OECD can

benefit from dialogue with leading thinkers from across the Forum

community in an engaging and interactive format. The two IdeaFactories

this year generated important questions and challenges for OECD work,

including potentially new areas of enquiry for the Organisation.

122. The IdeaFactory Me, Myself, and AI (Artificial Intelligence)

explored the key economic, social, legal, and ethical implications associated

with rapid advances in AI across a number of fields. Over 90 participants representing a broad set of

stakeholders were asked to reflect on the new operating systems our societies may require in managing and

harnessing this highly disruptive technology.

123. The influential entrepreneur Rand Hindi, Founder and CEO of Snips, highlighted the formidable

efficiency gains brought about by machine-learning and AI, while noting that these technological

developments also raise a number of important concerns. Diego Piacentini, Digital Agenda Commissioner

(Italy), stressed the need for governments to approach AI with a new mind-set, and Søren Pind,

Minister of Higher Education and Science (Denmark), highlighted the importance of reconciling the

“slow” virtues of democracy with the haste of technology.

124. Discussions amongst participants highlighted the need for algorithmic transparency and

accountability, human oversight of AI decision-making, and the necessity for society as a whole to reflect

on how much it is willing to delegate to intelligent machines. Leading experts such as Yuko Harayama,

Executive Member of the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, Cabinet Office of Japan, and

Raja Chatilla, Executive Committee Chair of the IEEE Global Initiative for Ethical Considerations in

Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems, offered important insight on the shape and form that a

regulatory framework for dynamic systems may take. Andy Wyckoff, Director STI, OECD, concluded the

session by noting that the potential consequences of AI could be extremely beneficial but might also

become terrifying, stressing the importance of continuing to learn from scientific and technological

progress, and to keep on questioning the meaning of this progress for human societies. Input from the

IdeaFactory will feed into new work being undertaken at the OECD on this central issue which is

challenging policy makers.

Top tweet by @OECD during OECD week: machine learning and

artificial intelligence with 87 retweets and 34 284 impressions.

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125. The IdeaFactory, A Survivor’s Guide to A Post-Truth World, focused on one of the most

talked about and topical phenomena of our time. It focused on possible responses to “post truth” to be

taken by actors across society, including organisations such as OECD.

126. In framing the discussion, Sandro Gozi, Secretary of State, European Affairs, Italy explained “on

Twitter it takes one second to publish, while having a tweet removed requires ten to twenty hours. On

social networks this time represents a century – by the time the tweet is cancelled and the facts are

explained, the damage is already done. Fact checking is not enough to counter fake news; experts

themselves are post-truth victims.”

127. But the discussion did not just revolve around the impact of technology. There was a significant

focus on the underlying causes of post-truth, real world divisions, which are replicated online. Discussions

revealed the need to create new spaces to help break the “us versus them” narrative, reinforcing the

importance of venturing out of our “bubbles”. Vincent Hendrix Director of the Centre for Information

and Bubble Studies, University of Copenhagen characterised “misinformation and digital wildfires as some

of the greatest challenges of our time” and suggested that education and pluralism would play a crucial role

in responding. There was common agreement that education, digital literacy and in particular critical

thinking would be crucial to equipping future generations, helping them to be genuinely digitally

native as opposed to naïve. This was an important endorsement for further OECD work in this field.

128. But education was not seen as the only solution. There was also a great deal of discussion around

the need to reclaim emotion. As the journalist and author Matthew D’Ancona put it, “the real challenge is

to find new ways of delivering the truth in a new and interesting format: finding an emotional vehicle for

rational thought”. This very much resonates with the communication priorities established by the OECD.

129. Some felt more optimistic about the role of technology in providing solutions. Brian Cathcart,

Founder of the Hacked Off Campaign, suggested that algorithms might ultimately help identify sources

of fake news. He argued that “news providers that are not investing in trust are missing the point”. The

issue of trust was prominent in the discussions. Participants called for an up-grading of democratic

institutions and processes in order to bridge the divides between governments and citizens, harnessing

the power of civic technology to achieve higher political efficacy, challenging the OECD to build on

early initiatives such as the Better Life Index to explore this potential further.

130. Finally questions were raised about how to combat “official untruths”, for example by using third

parties to validate pledges during elections to prevent and dissuade. This led to a broader question, notably

that while society has learned to deal with deception in the product market, it might be necessary to

develop an equivalent to consumer protection in the “knowledge market”. This was raised as a

possible new area of enquiry for the OECD.

131. Discussions around this IdeaFactory have continued through a dedicated space on the Forum

Network, where participants from the session have shared thoughts on the issues raised and suggestions for

further collaboration.

Discovery Lab

132. The Discovery Lab was one of the most popular spaces at

the Forum, where the desire to exchange ideas and experiences, to

listen, question and debate was in evidence. The events are designed

to provide another “way in” to the key Forum themes (this year,

Inclusive Growth, Digitalisation and Trust). The Discovery Lab events

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offer an relaxed and engaging alternative to more formal panels, where small groups (approximately 75

people) interact directly with dynamic and varied speakers. It is also a vital space for OECD listening,

allowing us to hear from, and engage with, a wider range of participants than is possible in the format of a

main session.

Format

133. The Discovery Lab houses both Meet the Author talks and Talk Together sessions. In Meet the

Author, speakers present their latest book and are briefly interviewed by a moderator. In Talk Together,

two or three experts come together to address a key issue or to present their work. In both types of events,

audience and speaker interaction is privileged: they last 45 minutes, of which there is 15-20 minutes of

presentation/interview (done without slides), followed by 25-30 minutes of audience Q&A. Experience has

shown that the tight time frame and the focus on discussion between the speakers and audience members,

with no visuals to distract, result in lively, interactive events.

Programming

134. This year the Forum team organised 12 Meet the Author events and 14 Talk Together sessions,

around topics relevant to the Forum themes and OECD work. In choosing speakers, the criteria were:

New ideas, new voices to give us fresh perspectives and challenging arguments that make us

question our OECD assumptions as well as to put a spotlight on thinkers and leaders of

tomorrow.

Diversity of views and experiences the OECD speaks often of how there is no “one-size-fits-all

solution” to today’s pressing policy problems; similarly, there is no standard speaker in the

Discovery Lab. A diverse speaker roster fosters exchange and engagement.

Relationship building just as the informality of the Discovery Lab space promotes connections

between participants, speakers should be individuals with whom relationships can be built, from

whom we can learn and with whom we can share OECD ideas and expertise.

135. The quality of the programming has, from the start, built the popularity of the Discovery Lab, not

only with audiences but also Forum speakers. The possibility to present one’s latest work in an intimate

setting, instead of – or in complement to – a larger event, has proved very appealing and has helped us to

attract high calibre speakers to both the Discovery Lab and the main sessions.

Highlights

Meet the Author – Island Story

What stories emerge when you ask the right questions? Struck by the polarisation of politics and

public discourse today, author and researcher J. D. Taylor set out to cycle round Britain, asking

everyone he met, “what is life like here?” With Julian Knott (OECD Public Affairs and

Communications), Dr. Taylor discussed his experiences listening to, and recording the hopes and

fears of, his fellow Britons in the ex-industrial towns and cities of the Midlands and the north of

England. He found people longing for democracy and equality, and angry at the centre of

government, but also found tolerance, openness and a willingness to question authority and

experiment with new ideas and solutions. We also livestreamed an interview with Dr. Taylor on

Facebook.

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Meet the Author – The Econocracy: The Perils of Leaving Economics to Experts

Few people “speak” the language of economics yet so much of politics and policy making are

shaped by economics. Diane Coyle (Professor of Economics at the University of Manchester),

Zach Ward-Perkins (co-author of The Econocracy), and OECD Chief Economist Catherine Mann

discussed what this gap means for democracy and citizen engagement, and the perils of leaving

economics to the experts. After the session, Dr. Ward-Perkins gave a livestreamed interview.

Meet the Author – Virtual Competition: The Promise and Perils of the Algorithm-Driven

Economy

While consumers today reap many benefits from online purchasing, the sophisticated algorithms

and data-crunching that make browsing so convenient are also changing the nature of market

competition. This is not always for the better, argued Ariel Ezrachi (University of Oxford) and

Maurice E. Stucke (University of Tennessee). Their discussion with Alistair Nolan (OECD

Science, Technology and Innovation Directorate) explored how the new algorithms shaping the

digital landscape may risk collusion and cartels and noted the need for new regulatory

approaches. Prof. Ezrachi returned to the OECD several weeks later to participate in an OECD

Competition Roundtable and we were able to livestream an interview with him then.

Talk Together – Empowering Women in Indigenous Communities

Women in indigenous communities often face multiple, intersecting forms of discrimination.

This wide-ranging discussion on the role of education, the arts and economic development in the

empowerment of indigenous women brought together Deborah Cheetham (world-renowned

Indigenous Yorta Yorta opera singer, composer, playwright and creator of Australia’s first

Indigenous opera company, Short Black Opera), Ricardo Oteros (Co-founder, CEO & General

Manager of Supracafé) and OECD Education and Skills Directorate Senior Analyst, Rowena

Phair. The event was full to capacity and was also livestreamed on Facebook.

Feedback

136. Feedback collected from Discovery Lab participants shows their strong interest in these kinds of

events. They appreciated the “cutting-edge topics”, the “new perspectives” and the chance to be exposed to

speakers and ideas they had not encountered before, as well as the opportunity to exchange ideas with

thought leaders and change makers up close. Speakers also appreciated the smaller scale format: as

Deborah Cheetham told her audience, “a group this size can make all the difference, indeed it’s the only

kind that ever has…”, while J.D. Taylor also noted the value of being able to listen closely to the audience

and ask and answer questions together.

“15/15” Talks

137. A new series of “15/15” talks was introduced at this year’s Forum, based on the popular “TED

format”. The talks gave speakers more space and freedom to elaborate on a theme or idea of their choice

with the only constraints being tone, time limit (15 minutes), the selected number of slides and a minimum

of 15 minutes for discussion with the audience. The format was successful in conveying the personal

enthusiasm of the speakers, producing a dynamic environment that questioned, challenged and engaged.

138. An excellent example of how this format worked well was the talk given by Susan Greenfield,

CEO & Founder, Neuro-Bio Ltd; Member House of Lords, United Kingdom, who spoke about Mind

Change: How Screen Technology Is Changing the Way We Think & Feel. She raised important

questions about the implications of screen technology and notably how it can help or hinder our ability to

reach our ultimate societal goals. The subject appealed to a non-expert audience, as she put it “not just

neuroscientists, not just even parents, but anyone who is a citizen of the 21st century”.

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139. Other interesting angles included:

Insights into exponential disruption and singularity; Nicholas Haan, Vice-President, Impact &

Faculty Chair, Global Grand Challenges, Singularity University.

Connecting through cognitive intelligence; John Foster, Strategy Director, Global Data Unit,

Telefonica.

Infostorms; Why do we “like”; Vincent Hendricks, Professor of Formal Philosophy; Director of

Center for Information and Bubble Studies (CIBS); University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Virtual Reality Lounge

We created a Virtual Reality Lounge, demonstrating how technology

can benefit personal lives, hoping to address some of the fear that people have of these new technologies. It was possible to experience through virtual reality and other technology what it feels like to be old, how to learn through immersive technology, or what it is like to be affected by schizophrenia. One of the participants mentioned: “with simple tools – goggles, headphones and a smart phone − I was able to put myself in the shoes of a person suffering from the illness. This was particularly moving for me because my brother suffers from a mental illness. I appreciated the fact that the psychiatrist

representing the company took the time to answer my questions”. Technology such as virtual reality can help us develop greater empathy for some of the experiences of people who are “other” than us, and it can also help teach STEM skills in a way that is much more empowering and motivating than traditional classroom methods especially for students who tend to do less well in the STEM areas.

CONCLUSION

140. During the first half of the year OECD communications was successful in conveying a

compelling narrative around the backlash against globalisation. This included the orchestration of key

messages around flagship publications and events, leading to a coherent and consistent story, picked up

and reflected faithfully in media coverage and echoed by a number of influencers. The OECD Forum, as

the Organisation’s most visible public event, taking place alongside the Ministerial Council Meeting,

provided a key focus for communications and engagement around the central narrative, also offering an

important opportunity to listen to stakeholder views, feeding new thinking and ideas into OECD work.

Throughout the first six months of the year, OECD has sought to adapt to a “new communications normal”

challenging itself to apply the “8 communications principles” which were discussed with Council in

January. The theme of “Bridging Divides” resonated strongly with audiences and will continue to be used

as an organising principle for the campaign around the backlash against globalisation for the remainder of

the year.