Paris, 8 March 2017: Taking place on International Women's Day, this OECD-hosted conference considered questions such as gender differences in financial literacy and inclusion; women working in the informal economy and the role of business: gender differences in the changing pensions landscape; empowering women to fight back against corruption and engaging men to support gender equality in the workplace.

Promoting responsible business conduct in the financial sector is vital to building a sustainable global economy. Although the Guidelines’ due diligence recommendations can help financial institutions, the inherent complexities in the sector create challenges. This paper highlights key considerations for institutional investors in carrying out due diligence that will help to identify and respond to environmental and social risks.

Promoting responsible business conduct in the financial sector is vital to building a sustainable global economy. This paper will help institutional investors implement the due diligence recommendations of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises in order to prevent or address adverse impacts related to human and labour rights, the environment, and corruption in their investment portfolios.

The OECD Business and Finance Newsletter keeps you up-to-date on the latest highlights, information and analysis on business, finance and investment work led by the OECD.

The OECD Business and Finance Scoreboard accompanies the OECD Business and Finance Outlook by providing a commented overview of selected indicators and data related to corporate performance, banking, capital markets, pensions and investments.

‌‌On 23-24 February 2017, at the OECD Headquarters in Paris, this Workshop discussed the foundations to measuring business impacts on well-being through the creation of new measurement standards in close collaboration with the business sector, and as part of existing reporting practices that already transcend economic performance.

The OECD is developing a general Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct to provide practical support to companies on the implementation of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The Due Diligence Guidance contains plain language explanations of the due diligence recommendations and associated provisions in the OECD Guidelines and can be used by companies in any sector of the economy.

7 December 2017, Paris - This workshop addressed the growing demand for transparency and information on how companies deal with human rights, environmental, social and other "non-financial" issues with a particular focus on how companies are identifying and addressing impacts in their supply chains.

‌What is the contribution of business to people’s and communities’ well-being? How do businesses impact their environment and how sustainable are their practices? The OECD Statistics Directorate is expanding its work on measuring well-being at the country level to include the business community.

Significant corruption, labour, human rights and environmental risks are associated with the organisation of large sporting events. The OECD has instruments and expertise in implementation of complex projects can help host governments, event organisers and their business partners ensure that the world of sport remains associated with the traditional values of excellence and fair play.

30/01/2018 - The China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC) and the OECD today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that sets out their commitment to intensify co-operation to promote responsible business in global textile and apparel supply chains.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly turning to alternative sources of financing, while new bank lending is declining in a number of countries. Many SMEs remain over-reliant on bank credit, however, and the take-up of instruments other than straight debt varies greatly from one country to another, according to a new OECD report.

8 March 2018, Paris - On the occasion of International Woman's Day, senior decision-makers from the public and corporate worlds, experts, academics and stakeholders considered different policy approaches and implementation tools on how to close gender gaps in the private sector.

29/03/2018 - The OECD Working Party on Responsible Business Conduct is seeking candidates for a new Chairs to assist in implementing and promoting the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

Angola is ranked 177 among 190 economies in the ease of doing business, according to the latest World Bank annual ratings. The rank of Angola deteriorated to 177 in 2019 from 173 in 2018. Ease of Doing Business in Angola averaged 175.92 from 2008 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 183 in 2014 and a record low of 169 in 2009. The Ease of doing business index ranks countries against each other based on how the regulatory environment is conducive to business operationstronger protections of property rights. Economies with a high rank (1 to 20) have simpler and more friendly regulations for businesses. This page includes a chart with historical data for Ease of Doing Business in Angola.

The city of Newcastle is fast emerging as a smart, liveable and sustainable city.

Ukraine is ranked 64 among 190 economies in the ease of doing business, according to the latest World Bank annual ratings. The rank of Ukraine improved to 64 in 2019 from 71 in 2018. Ease of Doing Business in Ukraine averaged 108.33 from 2008 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 152 in 2011 and a record low of 64 in 2019. The Ease of doing business index ranks countries against each other based on how the regulatory environment is conducive to business operationstronger protections of property rights. Economies with a high rank (1 to 20) have simpler and more friendly regulations for businesses. This page includes a chart with historical data for Ease of Doing Business in Ukraine.

The MNI China business sentiment index increased to 55.9 in December of 2016 from 53.1 in November. The reading pointed to the highest figure since August 2014, as output rose the most since September 2015 while Future Expectations Indicator went up to the highest in three months. "This is a positive end to a choppy year for the Chinese business environment," said Andy Wu, Senior Economist of MNI Indicators. Mni Business Sentiment in China averaged 57.59 from 2007 until 2016, reaching an all time high of 77.20 in May of 2010 and a record low of 38.70 in December of 2008. The MNI China Business Sentiment survey is a monthly poll of Chinese business executives at a mix of manufacturing and service sector companies listed on both the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges. The survey provides the first monthly snapshot of economic and business conditions, ahead of official data and other business confidence data in China. Respondents are asked their opinion on whether a particular business activity has increased, decreased remained the same compared with the previous month as well as their expectations for three months ahead. E.g. Is Production Higher/Same/Lower compared with a month ago? A diffusion indicator is then calculated by adding the percentage share of positive responses to half the percentage of those respondents reporting no change. An indicator reading above 50 shows expansion, below 50 indicates contraction and a result of 50 means no change. Series which show a seasonal pattern are seasonally adjusted. This page provides - China Mni Business Sentiment- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Mni Business Sentiment in India increased to 66 in August from 62.80 in July of 2016. Mni Business Sentiment in India averaged 62.44 from 2012 until 2016, reaching an all time high of 71.20 in September of 2014 and a record low of 47.50 in April of 2013. Mni Business Sentiment in India is reported by the MNI Deutsche Börse Group. The MNI India Business Sentiment Survey is a monthly poll of Indian business executives at a mix of manufacturing and service sector companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange. The survey provides the first monthly snapshot of economic and business conditions, ahead of official data in India. Respondents are asked their opinion on whether a particular business activity has increased, decreased remained the same compared with the previous month as well as their expectations for three months ahead. E.g. Is Production Higher/Same/Lower compared with a month ago? A diffusion indicator is then calculated by adding the percentage share of positive responses to half the percentage of those respondents reporting no change. An indicator reading above 50 shows expansion, below 50 indicates contraction and a result of 50 means no change. Series which show a seasonal pattern are seasonally adjusted. This page provides - India Mni Business Sentiment- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Uruguay is ranked 101 among 190 economies in the ease of doing business, according to the latest World Bank annual ratings. The rank of Uruguay deteriorated to 101 in 2019 from 95 in 2018. Ease of Doing Business in Uruguay averaged 95.83 from 2008 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 114 in 2009 and a record low of 85 in 2012. The Ease of doing business index ranks countries against each other based on how the regulatory environment is conducive to business operationstronger protections of property rights. Economies with a high rank (1 to 20) have simpler and more friendly regulations for businesses. This page includes a chart with historical data for Ease of Doing Business in Uruguay.

This study models the distance-to-default (DTD) of a large sample of banks from 2004 to 2011 and examines the results from the perspective of policy approaches that aim to reduce the riskiness of banks.

This article summarises discussions from a financial roundtable addressing concerns about structural flaws in the way banks operate and are being regulated and supervised in the wake of on-going banking sector problems involving financial fraud and banking scandals.

The bank regulator's paradox is that large, complex and interconnected banks need very little capital in the good times, but they can never have enough in an extreme crisis. Separation is required to deal with this problem, which derives mainly from counterparty risk. This paper outlines the OECD’s separation proposal and also compares it to current national approaches to separation.

The main hallmarks of the global financial crisis were too-big-to-fail institutions taking on too much risk with other people’s money: excess leverage and default pressure resulting from contagion and counterparty risk. This paper looks at whether the Basel III reforms address these issues effectively and proposes improvements to the current reform proposals.

The greatest puzzle today is that since the global crisis financial markets see so little risk, with asset prices rising everywhere in response to zero interest rates and quantitative easing, while companies that invest in the real economy appear see so much more risk. What can be happening?

Responsible business conduct (RBC) is an essential part of an open international investment climate. The activities of multinational enterprises often span multiple countries and many cultural, legal, and regulatory environments.

What is blocking business investment and productivity growth? OECD Business and Finance Outlook 2016 will focus on fragmentation at all levels of the global economy: heterogeneous policies, rules, laws and industry practices that create perverse incentives and block business efficiency.

Paris, 8 March 2017: Taking place on International Women's Day, this OECD-hosted conference considered questions such as gender differences in financial literacy and inclusion; women working in the informal economy and the role of business: gender differences in the changing pensions landscape; empowering women to fight back against corruption and engaging men to support gender equality in the workplace.

Promoting responsible business conduct in the financial sector is vital to building a sustainable global economy. This paper will help institutional investors implement the due diligence recommendations of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises in order to prevent or address adverse impacts related to human and labour rights, the environment, and corruption in their investment portfolios.

Insurance is invisible yet it is everywhere. It is intimately linked to how people live their lives, grow their businesses, save and invest their incomes, anticipate what is essential to them and how they protect themselves against risk.

The OECD Business and Finance Scoreboard accompanies the OECD Business and Finance Outlook by providing a commented overview of selected indicators and data related to corporate performance, banking, capital markets, pensions and investments.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly turning to alternative sources of financing, while new bank lending is declining in a number of countries. Many SMEs remain over-reliant on bank credit, however, and the take-up of instruments other than straight debt varies greatly from one country to another, according to a new OECD report.

Brunei is ranked 66 among 190 economies in the ease of doing business, according to the latest World Bank annual ratings. The rank of Brunei deteriorated to 66 in 2019 from 55 in 2018. Ease of Doing Business in Brunei averaged 79 from 2008 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 105 in 2014 and a record low of 55 in 2018. The Ease of doing business index ranks countries against each other based on how the regulatory environment is conducive to business operationstronger protections of property rights. Economies with a high rank (1 to 20) have simpler and more friendly regulations for businesses. This page includes a chart with historical data for Ease of Doing Business in Brunei.

Cyprus is ranked 54 among 190 economies in the ease of doing business, according to the latest World Bank annual ratings. The rank of Cyprus improved to 54 in 2019 from 57 in 2018. Ease of Doing Business in Cyprus averaged 46 from 2008 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 60 in 2014 and a record low of 36 in 2008. The Ease of doing business index ranks countries against each other based on how the regulatory environment is conducive to business operationstronger protections of property rights. Economies with a high rank (1 to 20) have simpler and more friendly regulations for businesses. This page includes a chart with historical data for Ease of Doing Business in Cyprus.

Estonia recovered forcefully from the global economic crisis but growth has since slowed, highlighting the need for further reforms that reduce exposure to external shocks and ensure against future boom/bust cycles, according to the OECD’s latest Economic Survey of Estonia.

This paper discusses how to improve Canada’s business innovation in order to boost labour productivity and output growth. Many general framework conditions are highly favourable to business risk taking and innovation, including macro stability, openness, strong human capital, low corporate tax rates, low barriers to firm entry and flexible labour markets.

The Netherlands has strongly benefited from globalisation, which boosted international trade, cross-border investment and economic growth over the latest decades.

Extensive structural reforms since the early 1990s have strengthened the resilience of the Swedish economy to shocks.

Over the past decade, the growth potential of the Hungarian economy has declined substantially. Trend productivity has ceased to increase, and investment has fallen to historically low levels.

This paper provides a framework for comparing a defined benefit (DB) and a defined contribution (DC) point schemes, which are both pay-as-you go (PAYG) financed.

This paper explores the role of managerial capital and business research and development (R&D) in fostering multifactor productivity (MFP) convergence in a panel of 42 countries.

Turkey’s business sector dynamism has underpinned broad-based and inclusive growth in the 2000s. However, the business sector is highly segmented, with a relatively small core of modern high-productivity corporations, and myriad small, less formal and low-productivity entities.

Policy efforts to revitalise entrepreneurship and investment in Spain are key to generating growth and new jobs. The government has a substantial reform program to make it easier to do business in Spain, which should in some cases be deepened. Boosting economic growth requires a new generation of high-growth companies and that resources flow towards the most productive firms.

Innovation is key to boosting economic growth in the face of a rapidly ageing population. While Japan spends heavily on education and R&D, appropriate framework conditions are essential to increase the return on such investments by strengthening competition, both domestic and international, and improving resource allocation.

Policymakers need to deploy broad-based reform plans that incorporate monetary, fiscal, and structural policies to stimulate persistently weak demand, re-launch productivity growth, create jobs and build a more inclusive global economy, according to the OECD’s annual Going for Growth report.

The Hungarian economy has expanded strongly in recent years, helped by robust exports and firm domestic demand. But incomes are among the lowest in the OECD and structural reforms will be needed to sustain growth over the medium term, strengthen business investment and better match skills to labour market needs, according to a new OECD report.

A dynamic small business sector can heighten competition and underpin productivity growth, as discussed in the 2016 OECD Economic Survey of Canada and Carey et al. (2016, forthcoming).

Small business dynamism is a feature of an SME sector that contributes to overall productivity growth, not an end in itself.

The government has put a heavy emphasis on improving the business climate, thereby promoting a competitive, innovative and dynamic private business sector.

Spain has chronically low productivity growth, which undermines its ability to generate higher living standards.