OECD Observer
General 

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Innovating a recovery

A jolt of innovation can be a powerful antidote to recession. But innovation risks being hit hard by the economic crisis as the capital to finance research and develop new products grows scarce. The economic fallout could be serious, since innovation is a key driver of growth.

(1296 words)
 
The challenges ahead
Angel Gurría
Secretary-General of the OECD

2010 started with the devastating earthquake in Haiti that killed well over 100,000 people and nearly destroyed a country. We stand in solidarity and sympathy with the people of Haiti, whose tragedy brought back memories of the tsunami just before New Year 2004. Nothing can replace the loved ones lost.

If there is a positive side, it is in the massive coming together of people and countries from around the world to help Haiti face the emergency and start rebuilding this poor yet vibrant country. Such co-operation embodies the spirit of the OECD, which is playing its part to help Haiti back on its feet by monitoring emergency aid flows and lending support to ensure adequate planning, coherent policies and effective public investments.

Read more

Databank 
Latest economic data
GDP +0.8% Q3/Q2 2009
Leading indicators +1.0 Nov 09, +8.2 year on year
Inflation +1.3% Nov 09, annual
Trade (G7) -17.5% exports Q3 09, imports -14.6%, y/y
Unemployment 8.8% Nov 2009, up 2.1 percentage pts y/y

Data for OECD area . Latest update:  29 January 2010

For details on these and other numbers, visit www.oecd.org/statistics

Development 
Disaster lessons

The wave of natural disasters that swept the Pacific and Indian Ocean regions in recent weeks has left a heavy human and economic toll. Thousands have perished, lives and communities have been shattered. Could some of this have been avoided, or the toll reduced? We have been here before, notably following the tsunami that struck southern Asia and the east coast of Africa in 2004. The latest tsunamis, typhoons and earthquakes are tragic reminders of how vulnerable some human settlements are, and underline the importance of integrating disaster risk into development practices.

(384 words)
Databank 

Click for bigger graph

Public deficit

Has the crisis driven up public interest in policies?

(214 words)
Development 

www.ggdc.net/Maddison and Maddison (2007)

Towards a new reserve currency system?

On 7 September 2009, a report from the United Nations conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) blamed the "dominance of the dollar" for playing an important role in the recent build-up of global imbalances, particularly in trade and the current account, which helped lead to today's global economic crisis.

(1772 words)
Letters 
Web passport

You say that "in the UK, the Home Office estimates that ID fraud costs £1.7 billion (US$330 billion) to the UK economy, nearly 50% up on 2002." ("Online identity theft", in No 268, June 2008) If everyone is given a "place" on the net where people can be contacted, that also creates an opportunity for people to protect themselves. But this "place" must be made safe, and therefore must be seen by governments as part of their country's normal infrastructure. Integrity is the key word.

(234 words)
OECD.org 
Lighting the way forward for education

An "education lighthouse for the way out of the crisis" was recently launched in the form of a new OECD web community dedicated to guiding education through the economic crisis. To date, the educationtoday collaborative website features nearly 200 content items from OECD experts and external analysts and is available to anyone who registers via myOECD at www.oecd.org.

(167 words)
Headlines
Poll

What do you think will be the biggest policy challenge in 2010?

  • Financial crisis
  • Poverty
  • Climate change
  • Jobs
  • Energy
  • Health
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NOTE: All signed articles in the OECD Observer express the opinions of the authors
and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the OECD or its member countries.


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