OECD Announces ‘First Major International Conference’ Dedicated to Blockchain in Public Sphere

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has officially announced a Blockchain Policy Forum in a release on the OECD website August 28.

The OECD states that the event will be held in Paris September 4-5 and will mark the first major international event of its kind, dedicated to blockchain technology. Organizers plan to focus on the use of blockchain tech in government activities and public initiatives as well as regulatory aspects.

The Blockchain Policy Forum also plans to discussing the technology’s potential global economic impact, privacy and cybersecurity, inclusiveness, the promotion of green growth and sustainability, and governance and enforcement practices.

More than 400 “senior decision makers” are visiting the forum, the OECD reports. According to the event schedule, top officials from Slovenia, Israel, Russia, Finland, Italy, Serbia and other countries are to participate in discussions.

Hyperledger, Ripple, IOTA and other blockchain company' executives will also speak on blockchain application in different areas, according to the OECD’s published schedule.

As a prelude to the event, the OECD's Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Competition Committee has launched a leaflet called "Blockchain Technology and Competition Policy," which briefly explains the technology and its utilization for government and public needs. Taxation and regulation issues worldwide are also mentioned in the document.

The OECD was established in 1961 to “promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.” There are currently 36 members states of the OECD, including the U.S., Germany, Mexico, the U.K., South Korea, and Turkey.

In March of this year, cryptocurrency and blockchain regulation formed a topic of discussion at the G20 summit in Argentina. For the G20 financial leaders, the conclusion of the meeting was that they needed more time, plus more data from a number of other bodies before instituting anything specific.