Draft Annotated Agenda
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DRAFT ANNOTATED AGENDA
THURSDAY, 17 NOVEMBER 2022: PRE-MINISTERIAL EVENT
19:30-21:30 MINISTERIAL WORKING DINNER ON TRUST IN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
In a challenging economic, social and geo-political context, OECD governments have recognised
the importance of strengthening their own democracies. The 2021 OECD Survey on the Drivers
of Trust in Public Institutions finds that while performing well on many measures of trust in public
institutions, such as open administrative processes and public service provision, only four in ten
respondents trust their national government. What appears to be driving this disconnect is that
governments are falling short of citizens’ expectations for representation in decision making, and
are seen as unresponsive to people’s demands. Indeed, only one in four respondents (30.2%) find
that the political system lets them have a say, or that it is working well for some, but not for all,
young people, women and disadvantaged groups. To address these shortcomings and revive
people’s trust, governments will have to invest in improving the mechanisms through which all
citizens can have a voice. They will also have to enhance integrity and fight undue influence, as
well as credibly address long-term challenges such as climate change.
Keynote speeches by the Ministerial Chair (Luxembourg) and OECD
Ministers will be invited to discuss a number of questions, which will be introduced by a
high-level representative at the beginning of each course.
Reference document: Ministerial Brief on the OECD Survey on the Drivers of Trust in Public
Institutions
FRIDAY, 18 NOVEMBER 2022: MINISTERIAL MEETING
9:00-9:30 ITEM 1: OPENING
Opening remarks by the Ministerial Chair (Luxembourg) and OECD.
Short remarks by high-level representatives from Colombia, France, Lithuania and the
United States.
Reference document: Key Issues Paper
9:30-10:45 ITEM 2: PLENARY SESSION ON PUBLIC GOVERNANCE RESPONSES TO MIS- AND
DISINFORMATION
Session Chair: Ministerial Vice-Chair (Lithuania)
Events during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have all demonstrated
that the spread of mis- and disinformation poses a fundamental threat to the free and fact-based
exchange of information that underpins democracy and trust in public institutions today. It can
fuel polarisation, sow mistrust and disengagement, and ultimately undermine free speech. It
weakens governments’ ability to protect national interests and preserve national security and
democracy, thus underscoring the urgency of creating governance systems that ensure societies
are resilient to mis- and disinformation.
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Ministers will be invited to discuss the following questions:
• How does your government support whole-of-society efforts to build resilience of media and
information ecosystems? What are the specific ways in which governments can co-operate
more effectively with media and civil society organisations in the fight against mis- and
disinformation?
• What are the most promising avenues for creating regulatory frameworks to share and
analyse relevant data related to mis- and disinformation, encourage greater understanding
of algorithms?
• What public institutions are currently being created or reinforced to address mis- and
disinformation?
• What tools, mechanisms or products can the OECD develop to best support Members to
identify successful responses to the threats posed by mis- and disinformation?
Reference documents: Key Issues Paper and Action Plan on Public Governance for
Combatting Mis-information and Disinformation
10:45-11:00 COFFEE BREAK
11:00-12:15 ITEM 3: PARALLEL SESSIONS ON REINFORCING TRUST BY DELIVERING ON GLOBAL
CHALLENGES: THE ROLE OF PUBLIC GOVERNANCE
PARALLEL SESSION 1: TRANSFORMING PUBLIC GOVERNANCE FOR DIGITAL
DEMOCRACY
Session Chair: Ministerial Vice-Chair (tbd)
The rapid digitalisation of societies, economies and governments is changing and challenging the
traditional institutional mechanisms supporting the functioning of OECD countries. From one
perspective, digitalisation has opened new channels for political and public debate participation
enhancing the promotion of the rights of minorities and vulnerable groups, as well as the
accountability of, and oversight over, public institutions. It has promoted transparency and
openness in government practices, and given governments new tools to enhance their
responsiveness. From another perspective, digital tools have also brought new risks to the
protection of fundamental rights and of minorities and vulnerable groups, increased the
possibilities of undue influence in policy making (national or foreign), destabilised information
ecosystems and democratic intermediation, further participating in the polarisation of societies,
all crucial elements of the functioning of advanced democracies. Developed for the analogue
world, the institutions and public governance of OECD countries need to be renewed for the
digital age.
Ministers will be invited to discuss the following questions:
• What examples can you provide of digital initiatives strengthening public participation and
government transparency in your country?
• What are the most effective means to reduce polarisation of public debate in the digital
space?
• How to ensure that fundamental rights are protected in the digital space?
• How can the OECD better support its Members in navigating the establishment of new forms
of regulation and regulators to strengthen democracy in the digital era?
Reference document: Key Issues Paper
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PARALLEL SESSION 2: GOVERNING GREEN: GEARING UP PUBLIC SECTOR
CAPACITY TO DELIVER ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Session Chair: Ministerial Chair (Luxembourg)
While the world’s success in addressing climate change and delivering on environmental
commitments will depend on the involvement of the whole of society, governments are key
drivers of change, both at home and internationally. Yet, against a backdrop of declining trust in
public institutions and increasing discontent with democracy, they face difficulties in forging
consensus on urgent climate and environmental measures and need to step up their
competencies at steering the transition. To successfully handle complex environmental
challenges and manage difficult trade-offs, a genuine transformation of democratic governance
is required - one that is rooted in trust and consensus, that makes effective and efficient use of
public governance tools and is spearheaded by public institutions that lead by example.
Ministers will be invited to discuss the following questions:
• How is your government addressing the urgent need to build trust and secure buy-in and
consensus for the ambitious policy reforms needed to address climate change and other
environmental threats?
• In what ways could governments further ramp-up public governance tools (budgeting,
regulatory governance, procurement, infrastructure governance, public communication) to
deliver in this decade for action?
• How can the OECD continue to support your country’s efforts in transforming government to
achieve climate and environmental goals?
Reference documents: Key Issues Paper and Action Plan on Governing Green
PARALLEL SESSION 3: STRONGER OPEN DEMOCRACIES IN A GLOBALISED WORLD:
EMBRACING THE GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF GOVERNMENTS AND BUILDING
RESILIENCE TO FOREIGN INFLUENCE
Session Chair: Ministerial Vice-Chair (Colombia)
Many of the challenges OECD countries are facing today – from climate change and pandemics to
international migration and the digital transformation – transcend borders and can only be
addressed through effective international co-operation. While democracies have been at the
forefront of global governance since World War II, globalisation has placed a further strain on the
ability of national governments alone to address global challenges. Considering that citizens’
confidence in their governments’ capacity to address global challenges appears critical to
addressing them, governments need to invest in governance tools to effectively address issues
that transcend borders, thus reinforcing citizens trust in their democratic governance.
Additionally, the present geopolitical situation has made it clear that open democracies must
address in order to reinforce democracy the destabilising impacts of foreign non-democratic
influences on democracy. This will require addressing regulatory loopholes and assigning key
responsibilities for identifying, responding to, and building resilience against foreign influence.
Ministers will be invited to discuss the following questions:
• What challenges do OECD governments face in engaging citizens in addressing global
challenges?
• What have OECD countries learned from the COVID-19 pandemic about the structures,
competencies and tools needed to address global challenges at the domestic and
international levels?
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• What are the most important loopholes that allow destabilising non-democratic influence in
OECD democracies?
• What can the OECD do to support governments in strengthening their capacity to effectively
address global challenges?
Reference document: Key Issues Paper
12:15-12:30 GROUP PHOTOGRAPH
12:30-13:45 ITEM 4: PLENARY WORKING LUNCH ON UPGRADING REPRESENTATION,
PARTICIPATION AND OPENNESS IN PUBLIC LIFE, AND CITIZEN-FOCUSED SERVICES
Session Chair: High-level representative from a Vice-Chair (tbd)
According the OECD Survey on the Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions, relatively low levels of
trust in public institutions are driven, in large part, by a lack of confidence in government
responsiveness, integrity, and equal opportunities. Renewed democratic participation and
representation is therefore needed to increase confidence that the political system is working for
all. Such a paradigm encompasses strengthening existing and establishing new participatory and
more representative democratic institutions, and promoting a vibrant civic space for more open,
equitable, and inclusive societies.
Ministers will be invited to discuss the following questions:
• What are the main opportunities and challenges OECD governments face in increasing citizen
and stakeholder engagement in public life? What are the most promising practices?
• What measures do OECD countries need in order to address barriers to women’s
representation in public life, including deep-rooted gender norms, harassment and cyber
violence?
• What can the OECD do to support governments in strengthening representation and
participation in national policy making and in service design and delivery?
Reference documents: Key Issues Paper and Action Plan on Representation, Participation and
Openness in Public Life, including a focus on gender equality
13:45-14:15 ITEM 5: CONCLUSIONS AND CLOSING
Reporting back from the Chairs of the parallel sessions.
Adoption of the draft Ministerial Declaration.
Closing remarks by high-level representatives from the OECD and the Ministerial Chair
(Luxembourg).
Reference document: draft Ministerial Declaration
14:15-14:45 PRESS CONFERENCE
Draft Annotated Agenda
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Global Forum on “Building Trust and Reinforcing Democracy”
Luxembourg, 17 November 2022
Session Overview
09:00-09:30 Opening and keynote introduction
09:30-10:20 Plenary Session 1: Taking the pulse in OECD democracies: trust in public institutions
Plenary Session 2: Strengthening information ecosystems and tackling mis- and
10:20-11:10
disinformation
11:10-11:30 Networking Break
11:30-12:30 Plenary Session 3: Reinforcing integrity and countering undue influence in
democracies
12:30-13:45 Lunch break
13:45-14:35 PARALLEL SESSIONS A
Parallel session 1: Parallel session 2: Parallel session 3:
Youth empowerment Protecting civic I-Citizen, Digital
and intergenerational space and enhancing democracy
justice participation and
representation
14:35-14:50 Transition
14:50-15:40 PARALLEL SESSIONS B
Parallel session 4: Parallel session 5: Parallel session 6:
Accountable public Toward Green Addressing barriers to
administrations for Democracy: the role
stronger democracies of Government women’s democratic
in EU Enlargement representation
and Neighbourhood
partners (focus on
Ukraine)
15:40-15:50 Networking Break
15:50-16:10 Reporting from Parallel Sessions
Plenary Session 4: Current geopolitical challenges: consequences for official development
16:10-16:50
assistance
16:50-17:00 Refreshments
17:00-18:00 Global High-Level Dialogue on Reinforcing Democracy
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DRAFT ANNOTATED AGENDA
09:00-09:30 OPENING AND KEYNOTE INTRODUCTION
• OECD high-level representative
• High-level representative from Luxembourg
• Well-known former policy maker or academic
09:30-10:20 PLENARY SESSION 1: TAKING THE PULSE IN OECD DEMOCRACIES: TRUST IN
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
In democratic countries, trust is an important indicator to measure how citizens perceive the
quality of, and associate with, government institutions. The 2022 OECD Survey of the Drivers of
Trust in Public Institutions provides for the first time a comprehensive view of people’s confidence
on how their governments work and deliver. It provides concrete evidence on what values,
processes and outcomes of democratic life drive people’s trust in 22 OECD countries. This session
will explore how public institutions, civil society, business, academia and media can use this
evidence to strengthen democracy.
Proposed speakers:
• Minister from a country participating in the OECD Trust Survey
• European Commission
• National Statistical Office
• International Organisation
• Media
• Civil society/Foundation
• Academia
10:20-11:10 PLENARY SESSION 2: STRENGTHENING INFORMATION ECOSYSTEMS AND TACKLING
MIS- AND DISINFORMATION
The increased spread of mis- and disinformation significantly alters public debates, fuels
polarisation, and threatens democracy and stability in both advanced and developing countries.
Both national whole-of-society and more global solutions are needed in the short- and long-term
to enhance a healthy information landscape, which is a core element of the solidity of democratic
systems. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has highlighted the need for democracies to fight for
truth and to reinforce spaces for fact-based engagement and debate. Responses to the threats
posed by mis- and disinformation are multi-disciplinary and include protecting media freedom,
improving media and information literacy, and promoting effective public communication. Public
policy responses must also address the role of global social media platforms and identify
innovative policy and regulatory solutions that improve the information space and preserve
freedom of speech. It is now widely recognised that a whole-of-society approach is needed,
requiring new types of partnerships among governments, civil society, and social media. This
session will provide an opportunity for a multi-stakeholder discussion on tackling mis- and
disinformation globally and in different country contexts and strengthening democratic resilience.
Proposed speakers:
• OECD Minister
• OECD non-member representative
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• NATO
• Forum on Information and Democracy
• Baltic Centre for Media Excellence
• Business at OECD
• Academia
11:10-11:30 NETWORKING BREAK
11:30-12:30 PLENARY SESSION 3: REINFORCING INTEGRITY AND COUNTERING UNDUE
INFLUENCE IN DEMOCRACIES
Integrity is an inherent value of democracy that ensures that the government responds to the
interests of the people. From elections to policy implementation, integrity ensures that everybody
has a voice, that elected officials properly represent and respond to the interests of their
constituencies, that there is no undue influence of government policies, and that overall the
action of government is aligned with the public interest. Solid integrity systems also help to
strengthen the resilience of democracies to foreign interference by non-democracies. This session
will unpack how governments can further strengthen integrity in elections, political affairs, and
policy making.
Proposed speakers:
• OECD Minister
• OECD non-member representative
• International IDEA
• Transparency International
• Hudson Institute
12:30-13:45 LUNCH BREAK
13:45-14:35 PARALLEL SESSIONS A
PARALLEL SESSION 1: YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND INTERGENERATIONAL JUSTICE
OECD data show that younger people tend to have lower trust in public institutions. They also
continue to lack a voice in public life. For instance, only 22% of members of parliament are
younger than 40 and in some OECD countries less than 5% of the central government workforce
are 35 years or younger. It is now well established that the COVID-19 crisis has affected young
people disproportionately, with likely consequences on their trust in public institutions. At the
same time, young people have led social movements to demand greater ambition in tackling
climate change and played an important role in building societal resilience during the pandemic.
This session will provide the opportunity to discuss how governments can further empower young
people in democratic processes and promote the well-being of today’s young and future
generations, also in the context of ageing populations.
Proposed speakers:
• Government representative (OECD member or non-member)
• Representative from the OECD’s Network of Youth Organisations
• Academia
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PARALLEL SESSION 2: PROTECTING CIVIC SPACE AND ENHANCING PARTICIPATION
AND REPRESENTATION
While in many countries, civic space is under strain and political participation is declining,
democracies are renewing their commitment to civil liberties with innovative ways to
meaningfully involve citizens in public decision making, especially at the local level. Using
innovative tools, these initiatives seek to empower citizens in public affairs and the oversight of
government, for example through open government, citizens’ assemblies, consultative platforms,
crowdsourcing initiatives, civic activism, and in many other ways. These initiatives form a strong
evidence base of 'what works', and the most recent trend has been to embed these processes as
new institutions that give citizens greater voice between elections. This session will explore how
new forms of citizen participatory and deliberative institutions, often facilitated by digital
innovations, are helping expand civic participation and political representation, build trust
between citizens and the state, and revitalise the democratic fabric.
Proposed speakers:
• OECD Minister
• OECD non-member representative
• Local government representative
• Foundation
• Academia
• Open Government Partnership
• International Organisation
• Tech Start-up in the participation space
PARALLEL SESSION 3: I-CITIZEN, DIGITAL DEMOCRACY
The accelerated digital transformation of governments, economies and societies bears important
implications for the functioning of democracy. Reinforcing and renewing democracy in the digital
age is a multifaceted and complex issue, which calls for exploring the critical opportunities that
digitalisation provides for democratic participation and representation, as well as government
transparency, responsiveness, and accountability, while mitigating the risks presented by digital
tools to democracy. Governments in many democracies are grappling with these challenges,
advancing innovative initiatives, and developing normative frameworks to enhance digital rights
and protect democracy. This session will bring together actors from different sectors and
geographies to discuss what the digital age means for democracy and how governments are
seizing the opportunities and addressing the challenges.
Proposed speakers:
• OECD Minister
• OECD Non-Member representative
• International Organisation
• Non-Governmental Organisation
• Academia
• Private Sector
14:35-14:50 TRANSITION
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14:50-15:40 PARALLEL SESSIONS B
PARALLEL SESSION 4: ACCOUNTABLE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATIONS FOR STRONGER
DEMOCRACIES IN EU ENLARGEMENT AND NEIGHBOURHOOD PARTNERS – WITH A
FOCUS ON THE CASE OF UKRAINE
Promoting and supporting continuous adherence to the values of the OECD and the EU –
democracy, individual liberty, rule of law and the free market economy – is crucial for peace,
security and stability. Developing accountable institutions and sound public governance systems
is a fundamental element of this endeavour. A sense of disconnect between people and their
public institutions can undermine progress in addressing some of the most important societal
challenges and increase the risk of destabilisation. Crisis situations often pull societies together,
but to maintain trust in government in a sustainable way, countries need to improve the quality
of public services and strengthen public institutions. This session will provide an opportunity for
a multi-stakeholder debate on how government, civil society, business, academia and media can
jointly promote accountable public administration that maintains trust acquired during crises and
delivers for people over time. A special focus will be put on Ukraine and the response of its public
governance system to the challenges brought by the Russian Federation’s aggression.
Proposed speakers:
• OECD Minister
• Ukrainian Minister
• EU enlargement country Minister
• European Commission
• Academia
PARALLEL SESSION 5: TOWARD GREEN DEMOCRACY: THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT
Ambitious global action on climate and the environment will call for a reshaping of public
governance. Countries need to promote democratic consensus-building and secure trust for green
policies, engaging with citizens through upgraded participatory channels. The complete range of
public governance tools needs to be revamped to address these pressing challenges for the long
haul. Governments also need to lead by example by “greening” their own operations and services.
This session will discuss how governments can achieve this transformation and the opportunities
it presents to improve public governance and democratic institutions and ensure they are able to
deliver on green.
Proposed speakers:
• OECD Minister
• OECD Non-Member representative
• International Organisation
• Academia
PARALLEL SESSION 6: ADDRESSING BARRIERS TO WOMEN’S DEMOCRATIC
REPRESENTATION
Ensuring that public institutions reflect the diversity of the population they serve can significantly
contribute to enhancing their fairness and responsiveness, as well as to strengthening
democracies’ capacity to deliver on global challenges effectively. Indeed, as forthcoming OECD
research shows, gender-balanced representation in parliaments is associated with increased
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satisfaction with democracies and citizens’ trust in government decision-making. However,
women’s representation and participation in public life continue to be hindered by long-standing
and new barriers, including gender norms and stereotypes, work-life balance challenges, limited
commitment by political parties, as well as harassment and cyber violence. This session will gather
a variety of stakeholders to discuss the barriers to women’s representation and participation in
democratic institutions and processes and explore the measures that government could take to
prevent, address, and eliminate them effectively to promote stronger, more inclusive
democracies.
Proposed speakers:
• Member of Parliament from an OECD country
• OECD non-member representative
• #ShePersisted
• Fundación Multitudes
• Wilson Center
15:40-15:50 NETWORKING BREAK
15:50-16:10 REPORTING FROM PARALLEL SESSIONS
Rapporteurs from parallel sessions will be called upon to share 3 key take always from each
session, which will feed into the Forum conclusions.
16:10-16:50 PLENARY SESSION 4: CURRENT GEOPOLITICAL CHALLENGES:
CONSEQUENCES FOR OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE
The Development Assistance Committee (DAC) has a long-standing and strong commitment to
open, democratic and inclusive societies and to use development co-operation to support
democracy, the rule of law and human rights, including freedom of expression and peaceful
assembly and association. Current events, and in particular the war in Ukraine, are redrawing the
global geopolitical map in ways that will have immediate and far-reaching consequences for
international development cooperation. This challenges how DAC members can continue
pursuing the commitment towards enabling democratic governance, and will require adjusted
and adapted approaches to better juggle the democratic agenda with contemporary challenges.
This session will explore how official development assistance can continue support democratic
forces in a fundamentally changing geopolitical context.
Proposed speakers
• DAC Chair
• OECD non-member representative from the global south
• Academia
16:50-17:00 REFRESHMENTS
17:00-18:00 GLOBAL HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUE ON REINFORCING DEMOCRACY
The Global Forum will conclude with a Global High-Level Dialogue sharing its reflections on the
main challenges affecting the democratic model of governance globally, and the opportunities
and policy levers available to reinforce it and make it fit-for-purpose in the 21st century. Insights
from this Dialogue will be reported to the OECD Ministerial Meeting on Reinforcing Democracy.
Saatja: MKM info <
[email protected]>
Saadetud: 11.07.2022 14:26
Adressaat: MKM info <
[email protected]>
Teema: FW: Invitation: OECD Public Governance Committee at Ministerial
level and Global Forum (17-18 November 2022)
From: Andres Sutt <> Sent: Monday, July 11, 2022 11:35 AMTo: Katry
Ahi <>; Silver Tammik <>Subject: Fwd: Invitation: OECD Public
Governance Committee at Ministerial level and Global Forum (17-18
November 2022)
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Date: 11. July 2022 at 11:14:41 EESTTo: Andres Sutt <>Cc:
Helmuth Martin Reisner <>, Priit Pallum <>, Ivar Hendla
<>, Subject: Invitation: OECD Public Governance Committee at
Ministerial level and Global Forum (17-18 November 2022)
Dear
Minister,
Please find attached a letter from the OECD Secretary-General and the
Minister of Justice of Luxembourg, inviting you to the meeting of the
OECD Public Governance Committee at Ministerial level and its Global
Forum in Luxembourg on 17-18 November 2022 on the theme of Building Trust
and Reinforcing Democracy.
Draft Annotated Agendas for both events are attached and registration
details will follow.
To confirm your attendance, we invite your office to contact the OECD
Secretariat () by 26 August 2022.
Best regards,
PGC Secretariat
Public Governance Committee SecretariatPublic Governance Directorate
2, rue André Pascal - 75775 Paris Cedex 16 ||
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