11/10/2016 Session
The Deputy Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mari Kiviniemi, today urged that everything be done to address the “concerns of those that have suffered unemployment” by “creating more inclusive societies where the benefits of growth are more equally shared”.
Ms Kiviniemi, a former parliamentarian herself, shared with the Assembly basic insights on the global economic outlook and the main challenges in 2016, on the basis of the Organisation’s progress report.
Pinpointing “the decline in productivity growth” and the “rise of inequalities in wealth, well-being and opportunities”, she added that “any effort to raise productivity cannot ignore the imperative of safeguarding our planet, or our duty to strive towards better functioning, and more equitable societies”.
While congratulating the Assembly ahead of the debate on the report on the Panama Papers, the OECD’s Deputy Secretary General pointed out that the “world economy is stuck in a low-growth trap” and needs “stronger collective fiscal and structural policy action” to break out of this trap. She also mentioned that inclusive growth may also be promoted by harnessing the “enormous potential of new technologies”.
With regard to the rise of migration flows in the past years, she indicated that positive outcomes may be reached if migrants’ skills are used and integrated in the labour market.
Every autumn in Strasbourg, the Parliamentary Assembly holds an exchange of views on the work of the OECD, in the light of Council of Europe values, and on the global economic outlook. Parliamentarians from Canada, Mexico and Japan - OECD member states that are not members of the Council of Europe - also took part.