State-owned enterprises (SOEs) play an important role in economies worldwide, often providing key public goods and services. Over the past two decades, their share in the global economy has nearly quadrupled. SOEs are prevalent in strategic sectors such as energy, extractives, infrastructure and finance, with important consequences for global markets, competition and sustainability. Managing SOEs responsibly and ensuring accountability and integrity through good corporate governance is important to ensure they contribute to competitiveness, economic resilience and sustainable development.
The OECD will address these and other related issues during a high-level event on Monday 28 October, starting at 9:30am CET (7:30am GMT).
The event will include a presentation and discussion of the revised OECD Guidelines on Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises, the leading global standard which provides advice to governments to better manage the companies they own. Revised in 2024, the Guidelines reflect recent evolutions in the global marketplace and corporate governance.
The OECD will also present a new report, Ownership and Governance of State-Owned Enterprises 2024, a rich source of comparative information and global trends providing detailed information on how the Guidelines are implemented in 59 jurisdictions worldwide.
OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann will open the event, which will be livestreamed to the public, here. Other participants include:
- Charles Donald, Chair of the OECD Working Party on State Ownership and Privatisation Practices, and CEO of UK Government Investments
- Maria Pagan, Deputy US Trade Representative and Chief of Mission (Geneva)
- Alexis Zajdenweber, Director General, Commissioner, Government Shareholding Agency (APE), France
- Maija Strandberg, Director General, Prime Minister’s Office, Ownership Steering Dept., Finland
- Giuseppe Zafarana, Chair of the Board, ENI, Italy
- Carmine Di Noia, Director for Financial and Enterprise Affairs, OECD
Further information on the OECD’s work on corporate governance of state-owned enterprises is available here.
Journalists can request an advance copy of Ownership and Governance of State-Owned Enterprises 2024, thereby undertaking to respect the OECD’s embargo procedures, by emailing embargo@oecd.org.
For further information or to arrange interviews, journalists should contact the OECD Media Office (+33 1 45 24 97 00).
Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to preserve individual liberty and improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.