OECD

Every product crossing a border carries more than a value and code. It also carries information about where it came from, how it was made and its environmental footprint.

Traceability helps capture and verify this information, while trade facilitation helps goods cross borders smoothly and efficiently.
Together, they can support new regulations without making trade slower or more costly.

Learn more in our new report, Better Borders for Trade, Traceability and Enforcement, released today: https://brnw.ch/21x6chB

You may not know about standards, but they can affect – and improve – your life every day.

Swipe to see how the OECD makes a difference ➡️

Informal work – which isn't covered by national labour laws, is not taxed and does not provide pension rights – is the norm for billions of workers. In some countries, economic growth has even coincided with rising informal employment.

Across countries covered by a new report, 68% of workers are employed informally, with 16% of those informal workers being in highly paid jobs and possibly choosing to remain informal.

Securing the Livelihoods of Informal Economy Workers in Times of Global Changes, launched today, provides insights on the diversity of informal work and how population ageing, the automation of work and environmental risks are reshaping the livelihoods of informal workers.

Key findings:

➡️ Informal workers earn 44% less per hour than formal workers, limiting their ability to build financial security and withstand economic shocks.

➡️ One in three informal workers holds a job at high risk of being automated, nearly twice the rate among formal workers.

➡️ Informal workers are especially vulnerable to environmental degradation, particularly in developing countries where many depend on the natural environment for their livelihoods. More than 40% of informal workers face medium to high risks from floods and droughts, compared to less than 2% of formal workers.

As demographic shifts, technological change and environmental pressures increase risks to the livelihoods of informal workers, effective policies to strengthen their resilience are crucial for sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

Find out more about what governments can do to support informal workers: https://brnw.ch/21x6bkv

Growing up in poverty or socio-economic disadvantage can shape a child’s life. Children are more likely to experience poorer health, lower educational achievement and fewer employment opportunities throughout life.

Our new report, Spending Better for Children through Social Policy looks at how governments can use social spending to improve children’s lives.

Spending more can help, but changing the way we spend can achieve much more.

The findings show that while additional investment can improve outcomes, greatest benefits for children are achieved when resources are directed towards a balanced mix of policy packages that combine employment support, adequate income protection and accessible, high-quality public services.

Getting the policy mix right can improve outcomes for children today. And they prevent costs from showing up later in our economies, including lower productivity, weaker growth and higher public spending.

Discover more insights: https://brnw.ch/21x6asW

Bilateral official development assistance (ODA) for health is projected to fall to its lowest level in almost two decades.

ODA is financial support from governments promoting the economic development and welfare of developing countries.

projections show that bilateral ODA for health could decline by 29-46% between 2024 and 2026, equivalent to a reduction of USD 5-8 billion. This would bring support back to levels not seen since 2008.

The decline follows the sharp increase in health ODA during the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2026, funding is projected to be 63% below its 2022 peak, with further reductions expected beyond 2026 as major providers continue to implement multi-year cuts.

Health was the third-largest sector for bilateral ODA in 2024, receiving USD 17.6 billion, after humanitarian aid and support to government and civil society. The scale of the projected reductions could therefore have significant implications for countries that rely on external financing to support their health systems.

Explore the latest data on ODA for health ➡️ https://brnw.ch/21x69RB

Why does food end up in the bin?

data point to spoilage and concerns about expiry dates as common reasons.

Better planning, storage guidance and clearer food-date labels can help households waste less.

Explore the evidence: https://brnw.ch/21x69ex

Artificial intelligence is transforming how people access data, with more users turning to chatbots and AI assistants instead of government websites for official statistics.

How can governments ensure that data quality remains intact and that users can trust the information they receive?

Our blog post explores this emerging challenge and discusses solutions to help safeguard quality throughout the information chain.

🔗 https://brnw.ch/21x691F

In 2024, bilateral donors and EU institutions mobilised USD 23.4 billion in private finance (commercial money channelled towards sustainable development objectives).

But how was that money mobilised, and where was it invested?

The 2026 Development Co-operation Profiles highlight how providers of development assistance are using public resources to attract private investment and which sectors are receiving support.

Insights include how:

➡️ The United States mobilised USD 6.9 billion, followed by EU institutions (USD 6 billion) and Germany (USD 2.5 billion)

➡️ The banking and financial services sector accounted for more than one-third of all mobilised private finance

➡️ The energy sector represented 23% of the total

➡️ Together, banking and financial services and energy attracted more than half of all mobilised private finance in 2024.

Find out more in the : https://brnw.ch/21x68Gv

Cuts in official development assistance (ODA) for health are concentrated in countries that rely most on external financing.

ODA is financial support from governments promoting the economic development and welfare of developing countries.

projections show that bilateral ODA for health could fall to its lowest level in almost two decades.

Some of the steepest reductions are expected in sub-Saharan Africa, where many countries rely on aid to support their health systems.

➡️ Uganda could see bilateral health ODA fall by 53.5% between 2024 and 2026.

➡️ Malawi and South Sudan could see declines of 50.8% and 42.4% respectively. External financing accounts for around 60% of current health expenditure in both countries.

➡️ Other recipient countries, including Mozambique and Lesotho, where external finance matters, are also projected to face significant reductions.

Health is projected to experience the deepest cuts of any ODA sector between 2024 and 2026.

For countries with limited fiscal space to replace declining support, these reductions could place additional pressure on already constrained health systems.

Explore the latest data on ODA for health ➡️ https://brnw.ch/21x67Qi

Informal work, which isn't covered by national labour laws, is not taxed and does not provide access to worker protections such as pensions, remains the predominant form of employment worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, shaping the livelihoods of billions of workers and their families.

As populations age, technology transforms the world of work and environmental challenges increase, many informal workers are facing pressures such as limited pension protection, automation of work and vulnerability to climate risks.

What policies can help address this?

Find out at the launch of the report on Securing the Livelihoods of Informal Economy Workers in Times of Global Changes.

📅 5 October 2026 | 14:30–16:00 CEST

Register now to attend online or in person ➡️ https://brnw.ch/21x6751