Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Virolainen to attend OECD Ministerial Council Meeting on digitalisation in Paris

The OECD will hold its Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) in Paris on 22–23 May 2019. Finland’s representative at the meeting will be Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Anne-Mari Virolainen.

The main theme on the meeting agenda will be digitalisation. The theme will be examined from various perspectives, including digitalisation as an enabler of growth and innovations, smooth competition, security aspects, privacy protection, challenges relating to data administration, as well as the transformation of work and the importance of education and training in connection with digitalisation.

“The transition to digitalisation will lead to fundamental changes in the operation of economies and societies in the next few years. It is important for Finland to be among those that are in the forefront when it comes to harnessing the opportunities offered by digitalisation. The OECD’s studies provide first-class support for our national decision-making,” Minister Anne-Mari Virolainen says.

Minister Virolainen will also participate in discussions on digital trade, its inclusiveness and openness, and the challenges of the global trading system in general. “In the current situation in the world economy, it is important to exchange views on the state and rules of international trade in a forum like the OECD, which is not a discussion mechanism but an organisation founded to distribute knowledge.”

The meeting will sign the OECD’s Recommendations on Artificial Intelligence. The OECD will also publish its annual Economic Outlook, which assesses the prospects of world economies. In addition, the OECD Secretary-General will present his views of the organisation’s strategic orientations. In their internal management session, the member countries will discuss the organisation’s vision and future direction.  

The MCM will be preceded by the OECD Forum 2019 on 20–21 May. It will bring together business life, civil society, researchers and media representatives from different parts of the world.

Read more about the Ministerial Council Meeting at http://www.oecd.org/(Link to another website.) and on Twitter (#OECDweek). It is possible to join the discussions of the open Forum 2019 event at the OECD Forum Network at https://www.oecd-forum.org/(Link to another website.) and on Twitter (#OECDForum).

Inquiries: Tuuli-Maaria Aalto, Diplomatic Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, tel. 358 40 352 0463, Antti Eskola, Commercial Counsellor, Ministry of Employment and the Economy, tel. +358 2950 7612, and Johanna Ala-Nikkola, Commercial Counsellor, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 40 847 2178.

The email addresses are in the following formats: Ministry for Foreign Affairs: [email protected]; Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment: [email protected]