The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has announced that it will host an international conference on blockchain technology. The conference is the very first of its kind and is expected to take place next month on September 4-5 at 9:30 (CEST) from Paris and it will be live-streamed. The event will focus on the use of blockchain technology in government activities, regulatory initiations, and public initiatives.
A post on the OECD website dated August 28, 2018 states:
“The OECD Blockchain Policy Forum is the first major international conference to take stock of blockchain’s impacts across the full range of government activities and public priorities. The Forum will address the benefits and risks of blockchain for our economies and societies, begin to identify good policy and regulatory approaches and investigate uses in specific policy areas. The OECD will welcome over 400 senior decision-makers from the public and private sectors, experts, academics and other stakeholders for these landmark discussions.”
According to the agenda put forth by the organization, participants will learn about:
- High-Level Panel: Blockchain for Better Policies
- Blockchain at the Frontier of Trust Present and Future
- Blockchain and Economics: Global Impacts
- Blockchain for Governance & Enforcement
- Blockchain for Green Growth & Sustainability
- Blockchain for Inclusiveness
A number of executives from blockchain companies will speak at the event including Hyperledger, Ripple, and IOTA. Some of the speakers will also include OECD’s Secretary-General Angel Gurría, the prime ministers of Serbia, Bermuda and the Republic of Mauritius, and the State Secretary of Slovenia.
The news release for the event said, “Blockchain has the potential to transform how a wide range of industries function. Fulfilling its potential, however, depends on the integrity of the processes and requires adequate policies and measures while addressing the risks of misuse. Governments and the international community will play a significant role in shaping policy and regulatory frameworks that are aligned with the emerging challenges and foster transparent, fair and stable markets as a basis for the use of blockchain.”
The OECD was created in 1961 with the primary goal of promoting “policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.” The OECD currently has 36 member states which include the United States, the United Kingdom, and Mexico.
