OECD Forum Wrap Up: Day 1

By Gulandam Khan, Monash University

We kicked off day one in Paris at the OECD Forum with plenary speeches from the Secretary General Angel Gurria and Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess of Denmark, which set the tone and intent for discussions over the next 48 hours. They both spoke about the opportunities presented by globalisation, including those that threaten our ability to create inclusive societies despite so much technological advancement. One such example raised was the process of globalisation being hijacked by the global elite with the fall in labour share of national income, rise of market distortion, income concentration, a shift in taxation from high individuals to labour, and even tax avoidance all together. All of these trends in our economies and societies has meant that wealth concentration at the top 1% is now accounting for 50% of global assets held by individuals.

PLENARY SESSION, OECD 2017

It then becomes increasingly clear that we need to rebalance these numbers. That’s where the role of the OECD and the agenda of the OECD Forum for 2017 comes into play. The Secretary General raised questions: how do we provide everyone with the opportunity to improve their well-being? How do we achieve a “cooperative globalisation” model?

These questions formed the golden thread for the sessions throughout the day. There were discovery labs on sustainable development, and how it has been affected (for better or for worse) by globalisation. The panel speakers included Ramiro Fernandez, Director of Climate Change, Fundación Avina, Rasmus Abildgaard Kristensen from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark, Tatiana Landysheva, Vice President, AIESEC International and, of course, Bathylle Missika, Head of Partnerships & Networks, Development Centre, OECD.

Another similar session was on “bridging divides”, with panellists across multiple sectors. They discussed and debated what it means to bridge divides in an increasingly globalized world and how to actually do this. The most impactful component of this session was having someone from the corporate sector like Airbnb, alongside an NGO like Amnesty International, engaging in a debate about the future of our world and what steps governments and businesses need to take

This business, government, and civil society debate is what makes the OECD so unique and impactful. Similar robust discussions continued over topics like the ‘gig economy’, where people are less and less likely to have secure full-time jobs. The panel had a local Australian, Nicola Hazell, Head of Diversity for BlueChilli, alongside John Evans, the trade advisor for the OECD and the CEO and Chairmen of Randstad and Deloitte! They discussed the opportunities, as well as the threats, of an increasingly decentralized work system and the need to protect those most vulnerable as trends of the workforce predict increased casualization and less job security.

GV DELEGATES TAKE FRONT AN CENTRE AT PANEL DISCUSSIONS

Between sessions, we met with Mari Kiviniemi, the Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD (Yes, that’s right!) in her office to talk about our research papers, her thoughts on our research areas, as well as all things that have been hot on the agenda of the OECD, including: trade liberalization, emerging technology, the future of jobs, and the ever changing roles of governments and corporations to tackle civil society issues. It was an absolute honor to get as much time and robust debate as we did with Ms Kiviniemi, considering it was right in the middle of OECD week’s Ministerial meetings. One ever-present theme from the forum was how much each of the leaders we met with was enthused about meeting with young people to hear our views on the changing future.

MEETING WITH MARI KIVINIEMI, DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE OECD

After our meeting with Ms Kiviniemi, some of us joined a ‘Meet the Author’ session with renounced ex-Guardian and BBC journalist Matthrew D’Ancona, who just released his new book on ‘Post truth: The new war on truth and how to fight back”. He spoke about how much data and information has shaped and empowered the decisions governments and corporations make, and how in an increasingly data driven and information heavy world, us citizens must navigate our ways to find the truth.

We also met with Jehan Savage from the Trade Department at the OECD, who spoke to us about the ever changing landscape of trade, particularly following global trends after the rise of Donald Trump and Brexit.

After a day of one on one with leaders like Ms Kiviniemi, heard from the likes of the Crown Princess of Denmark, the Chairman of Deloitte, CEOs of Amnesty International and leaders from Airbnb, it is safe to say the OECD experience was already off to an enriching, engaging, and awe inspiring start!

Canberra Wrap Up - May 9-11, 2017

By Sophie Levy, UNSW Coop Scholar

A group of six OECD delegates, two Y20 delegates, two Defence delegates and four Global Voices staff met in Canberra for a pre-departure briefing where we met with diplomats and politicians in order to gain different perspectives on global trade relations and Australia’s strategic place in the world and to prepare us for some discussion topics that we will likely encounter on our international delegations.

We began day one with a visit to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), where DFAT officers Christine Schafer, Benjamin Lavis and Daniel Millis provided an overview of the current architecture of international trade and relations.

Y20 and OECD delegates at the department of foreign affairs and trade

Christine explored Australia’s current trade relations and values, discussing the changing nature of global trade and we examined potential impacts of recent global changes on Australia’s trade relations and foreign policies. Ben discussed his role in MIKTA, a multilateral trading group including Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey and Australia. This unique, non-regional partnership unites five diverse cultures and regions in order to discuss ways in which they can maintain stability and prosperity in areas of finance, economics, security, the environment and sustainable development. It was fascinating to learn about the benefits of bringing together these diverse countries and the similarities that these countries share in their objectives amidst a rapidly changing world.

We then raced over to the US Embassy where James Shea, the Unit Chief for Energy and Environment, gave us a valuable insight into the relationship between the US and Australia and their shared interests. We discussed the way in which the US and Australia interact to reach mutually beneficial goals for both countries and discussed some of the challenges that the US embassy faces in Australia.

For our final meeting of the day we had the privilege of meeting with members of the G20 team at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Dr. Gruen, Australia’s G20 Sherpa, provided us with an interesting and detailed overview of how this year’s G20 will possibly play out and gave us an insight into the issues that the G20 aims to address. We talked through the challenges of globalisation, free trade, technology, cyber security and more. Dr. Gruen even gave some advice to the Y20 delegates in their negotiation strategies and the way in which Australia positions itself in the G20 forum. We were all incredibly grateful for this opportunity, considering Dr. Gruen’s reputation as one of Australia’s most respected economists.

On day two, we woke up excited for the day ahead, anticipating the incredible insight into foreign policy that we were expecting to receive from diplomats and politicians throughout the day.

First stop: InnovationXchange (Ixc). Established by DFAT to support innovation across the Australian Aid Program, IxC collaborates with partners such as Google and Atlassian with the aim of encouraging fresh thinking to provide innovative solutions that are ‘cheaper, faster and more effective’.

We had the privilege of sitting down with Matthew Steine, Cassie Cohen (a Global Voices alumni) and a few other members of IxC. The group focused on the importance of collaboration, in particular with their partner organisations, in developing innovative and thoughtful solutions to global issues. It was particularly interesting to hear from Matthew, the current Innovation Director, who previously worked in the telecommunications industry and then went on to develop social enterprises in telecommunications. We all gained an insight into current foreign aid challenges, specifically within the Pacific region, and took away a lesson in new and exciting methods that governmental departments can achieve desired outcomes.

Our next stop was a visit to the Australia Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), where we shared in a roundtable discussion with a panel of eight experts with varied knowledge, from international relations to physics, to middle eastern studies and specialties in the Chinese market.

Australian strategic policy institute roundtable

As a commerce student with little knowledge of defence strategy, this fascinating panel provided me with a new understanding of the complexity of defence and security and it has certainly sparked my interest in the effects of the current economic situation on our defence strategy. We discussed the impact of recent economic changes and the constantly evolving global environment, with a focus on the US, China and Russia. This conversation led us into many perspectives on Australia’s possible future global challenges. I found it particularly interesting to learn more about counter-terrorism strategies being used in Australia on a community level and gain an insight into IT security from a government perspective.

After a short walk through Canberra, we found ourselves at the beautiful Australian Parliament House. Surprised by the perfect layout of the premises and the extremely well kept exterior, I was excited for our tour with Harry Jenkins, AO, to begin.

Harry Jenkins, the Global Voices Chairperson and former Speaker of the house of Representatives, gave us an ‘insider’ tour of Parliament House, providing us access to areas of the building that were off limits to the general public. It was an honour to be guided by such a well-respected and well-liked politician who has an incredible knowledge of Australian politics, policies and the history of Australian Parliament House.

We were fortunate enough to have a brief meeting with Tanya Plibersek, deputy leader of the Opposition. We discussed the importance of women’s economic empowerment, specifically within the Pacific region. She focused on the role of women in promoting global economic growth and we discussed the importance of foreign aid in supporting women in developing countries.

discussing women's economic empowerment with tanya pliberseck and Harry Jenkins AO at Parliament House

A visit to Parliament House would be remiss without a pit stop at Question Time. Having never observed the Senate Question Time in real life, I was surprised to experience the ‘Question Time culture’ and found it extremely interesting to observe the ways in which the senators interacted and responded during this event. Attending Question Time two days after the 2017 budget release provided us with a unique experience as we heard different views of policies such as the bank levy, education and taxes.

Our meeting began with two of Senator Penny Wong’s advisers, Allan Behm and Nina Dynon, who commenced the discussion by asking – ‘Do you believe that the current world can cope with disruption?’ What a big question! We discussed global disruption and debated the true meaning of the phrase and went onto discuss the importance of Australian values – distinct from Australian interests –  in establishing ourselves and ultimately in establishing our policies.

This conversation was then joined by the hon. Senator, Penny Wong, who discussed our foreign trade policies and added to our previous discussion on disruption and values. Senator Wong spoke movingly about her personal connection to Australia and how honesty and equity are crucial Australian values and assets in how we conduct ourselves as a nation, both bilaterally and multilaterally, in a changing world.

Meeting the hon. senator Penny wong

Just as we were finishing up our day at parliament house, and we thought the day couldn’t get any better, Harry Jenkins spotted Julie Bishop, our Minister for Foreign Affairs. She paused her conversation and lunch with her colleagues to provide us with a few words of wisdom as we embark on our journey to the G20 or the OECD. It was an honour to meet her.

Travelling to Canberra as a Global Voices Delegate was a remarkable, inspiring and insightful experience! It was an absolute privilege to speak with so many respected, intelligent and high-level individuals who could share their varied perspectives on so many issues. If this is an indicator of the Global Voices experience, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us at the OECD Forum in Paris!

global voices staff and delegates with australia's minister for foreign affairs, the hon. julie bishop 

Quarterly Access Journal: Kaitlyn Krahe Contributor

Kaitlyn attended the 2016 OECD Forum where she represented Victoria University. As part of the Global Voices Scholarship Kaitlyn researched maternal-infant health outcomes among Indigenous Australians. Her research was published in the Australian Institute of International Affairs journal Quarterly Access. You can read her research here or copy the following URL into your browser: http://bit.ly/kaitlyn-research

OECD Wrap-Up by Sabina Lim

Sabina attended the 2016 OECD Forum and represented the University of Melbourne Faculty of Business and Economics. 

I recently returned from the OECD forum in Paris. Held every year, the forum is an opportunity for government, business, civil society and academia to come together and discuss the pressing social and economic issues of our time. During one of the many panel sessions OECD Chief of Staff Gabriela Ramos, stated: “Agreements make the headline; implementation makes the change.” As a sceptic of multi-national organisations I was critical of the ability for these meetings to effectively create change. Her words stayed with me.

I did learn some of my scepticism was valid. Deputy Secretary-General Mari Kiviniemi spoke of the challenges selling major policy reforms to member countries. Many were reluctant or struggled to adopt the measures in their home countries, which the OECD’s work and analysis indicates are necessary for long-term economic wellbeing. 

It was at times frustrating to listen to discussions on policies for youth and inequality and ideas for creating inclusive economies. The general consensus was something should be done but we were left wondering if anything would really change and when. Pravin Gordhan, South Africa’s Finance Minister criticised the ‘lack of urgency, initiative and political leadership in the [economic] climate today’.

John Evans, Chief Economist at the International Trade Union Confederation, offered a compelling argument for stronger political leadership. Effective change needs to have a ‘social buy in’ or else societies face a brick wall, rising populism and in some cases authoritarianism. Governments need to do more to construct a clear, convincing narrative for why policy matters – and to communicate this to their citizens in a way that unites, not alienates, all people.

Yet the experience also showed me some of the successes, and why global collaboration is more important than ever before. Kelsey Burns, an OECD Counsellor at the Trade & Agriculture Directorate, put it best when she told us that, “Today, domestic issues are international issues”. The panel discussions reinforced this. The migration crisis goes beyond integration challenges in individual countries, and certainly beyond Europe. It starts with root problems in a refugee’s home country. The way they are treated in one European society has flow on effects for the migration patterns to others. Similarly, changes in what drives economic growth in one country has big implications for the global economy. A change in China’s demand for iron ore affects Australia’s exports.

In this interconnected world, I see the value of the OECD. It is an organisation that brings countries to the same table and provides comprehensive economic analysis for them to act on. Its strength is its ability to acknowledge domestic issues for each member country, but also to look beyond them and provide a platform for co-ordinated, global economic action. In a world where short-termism is rampant in politics, I found the forum a critical voice for the long-term changes that are necessary, but which often get buried by short-term priorities.

My time with Global Voices at the OECD challenged some of my preconceived notions, reinforced other beliefs, and opened my mind to new ideas and challenges. Most importantly, it gave me the opportunity to discuss issues and possible solutions with field experts and those who are leading the change. I learned an incredible amount during my week in Paris, not only about the economic challenges we face, but also about where I see myself in the future. Gabriela Ramos’ words have stayed with me, and I know I don’t just want to be an advice giver, but someone who is implementing the policies that will make the change.  

New Matilda Contributor: Kaitlyn Krahe

http://bit.ly/kaitlyn-newmatilda

In a recent contribution to New Matilda, OECD delegate and Victoria University student Kaitlyn Krahe discussed the importance of collecting reliable data from Indigenous Australians in the 2016 census.

You can read the article on the New Matilda website here or by copying the following URL into your browser http://bit.ly/kaitlyn-newmatilda

Pictured: Victoria University Bachelor of Health Science (Paramedic) student, Kaitlyn Krahe

Kaitlyn recently returned from the OECD Forum in Paris. In her research Kaitlyn posited solutions to address the disparate maternal health outcomes between Australian indigenous and non-indigenous women.

Kaitlyn traveled to the OECD Forum as a Global Voices Scholar. We are proud to provide these opportunities with the support of our partners including Victoria University and Qantas Airways.

OECD Delegate: Vivian Rivera

Vivian is currently completing a Bachelor of International Relations and a Bachelor of Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of South Australia.

Vivian joins Global Voices with a background in education and experience working with culturally and linguistically diverse communities in South Australia. Currently living in the country’s Festival State, she loves being surrounded by the beautiful parklands, gardens and stunning beaches on offer in Adelaide.

Fascinated by the proximity of the countries in Europe, it’s no wonder that Vivian loves travelling to Europe. She loves possibility to travel around different geographical sites, experience the richness of so much history, culture and the different language.

With a goal to pursue a career in social research, Vivian is excited to participate in ‘Ideas Factories’ while attending the OECD Forum in Paris. Vivian is look forward to the opportunity to engage with like-minded people to find solutions for issues facing society. 

As part of the Global Voices Research Fellowship Vivian will examine the role of Community Capacity Building (CCB) as an effective mechanism for building a more inclusive society. Vivian is interested in finding a way a to move forward to become a more inclusive and cohesive society.

After graduation Vivian would like to explore the field of foreign and domestic policy in relation to migration, citizenship and multiculturalism. She’s looking forward to starting her Honours degree in 2017. 

University of South Australia is a valued partner of Global Voices and supports us in our mission to provide opportunities for young Australians to engage with global issues and policy making. 

OECD Delegate: Sabina Lim

Sabina Lim is passionate about using economics to deliver sustainable, social outcomes. She is currently completing a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Melbourne and is excited to see the world's brightest minds coming together to discuss problems and solutions at the OECD Forum in Paris.

Sabina attended the Economic and Social Outlook Conference in 2015 which sparked an interest in policy and diplomacy. As part of the Global Voices Research Fellowship Sabina will investigate the impact Social Impact Investing (SII) on addressing the service gap in aged care and health services in Australia.

Alongside studying, Sabina is a part of the Melbourne Microfinance Initiative, a student run organisation which offers pro-bono consulting to small Microfinance Institutions in the South Pacific. She also volunteers with Impact Investing Australia.

Sabina is currently reading The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb and The Festival of Insignificance by Milan Kundera and she loves to travel. Some of her favourite places to visit include the Galapagos Islands and Norway, for the beautiful scenery and diverse range of wild life. New York is also a favourite. Sabina enjoys the constant hum and buzz of the city. 

University of Melbourne is a valued partner of Global Voices and supports us in our mission to provide opportunities for young Australians to engage with global issues and policy making. 

OECD Delegate: Laura Wood

Laura Wood recently returned from Colombia where she studied Spanish as part of her Master of International Development Practice. She has previously completed a Bachelor of Arts (Sociology Honours). Laura's areas of interest include gender equality and the prevention of violence against women.

Laura has worked on the Victorian local government ‘Generating Equality and Respect’ program, an initiative aimed at the prevention of violence against women. Laura has also volunteered in Nepal, South Korea, the Maldives and Cambodia, as well as interning with Amnesty International. 

As part of the Global Voices Research Fellowship Laura will write about how gender stereotypes contribute to the perpetuation of gender inequality.  She will highlight strategies for minimising the impacts of unconscious bias as a strategy for tackling gender stereotypes, gender inequality and increasing productivity. 

Laura is looking forward to attending the OECD Forum in Paris with Global Voices in order to better understand how the OECD functions and how positive change can be made to transform gender relations in support of gender equality. Laura is hoping this experience will bring her closer to her goal of working for UN Women. 

The person that Laura would most like to meet is Elizabeth Broderick, the former Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner. Laura is impressed with the strides that Broderick has made in progressing gender equality in Australia. 

Monash University is a valued partner of Global Voices and supports us in our mission to provide opportunities for young Australians to engage with global issues and policy making.