Going digital – but not together? OECD Ministerial delivers policy outcomes but no high-level declaration

For the third time in a row, the annual OECD Ministerial Council Meeting (22-23 May 2019) ended without a comprehensive high-level Statement. Ministers could only agree to a short declaration listing the adoption of new OECD instruments and reports which had been prepared ahead of the Ministerial. They failed however to agree on the substantive parts of the MCM outcome discussions which instead are released as an informal Chair’s Summary (referring to a “prevailing majority” of member states).

Despite failing to reach consensus on a joint declaration, the OECD achieved progress on a few important topics addressed at the MCM and the weeks leading up to: the new recommendations on Artificial Intelligence, the OECD Employment Outlook 2019 and its focus on FoW, and the Skills Outlook report. The MCM also adopted a Declaration on Public Sector Innovation.

The TUAC especially welcomes the adoption of the new AI Principles that recognises that a “fair transition” is needed for workers affected by AI deployment with social dialogue as means towards achieving it. Equally, important is the latest OECD Employment Outlook in which the OECD calls for a Transition Agenda for a Future that works for all.

For TUAC´s reaction to the specific outcomes please see below;

• TUAC Statement to the 2019 OECD Ministerial Council Meeting
• TUAC Key messages for the OECD Week – Going digital? Go inclusive!
• OECD Recommendation on Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• OECD Employment Outlook – TUAC remarks
• OECD Declaration on Public Sector Innovation – TUAC remarks