OECD [to 18 April 2015]
http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

.
OECD’s Gurría welcomes call for ‘Social Compact for Digital Privacy and Security’ as critical first step for trust and economic prosperity
15-April-2015
On the occasion of the Global Conference on Cyberspace meeting today in The Hague, the Global Commission on Internet Governance (GCIG) issued a statement calling on ‘the global community to build a new social compact between citizens and their elected representatives, the judiciary, law enforcement and intelligence agencies, business, civil society and the Internet technical community..

.

Cities need new finance options and better governance to tackle future water risks
13/04/2015 – Rapid population growth, ageing infrastructure and new weather risks are straining the ability of cities in OECD countries to provide clean water and to protect against floods and droughts, according to a new OECD report. Cities will need large-scale investment and more effective tariffs and taxes to pay for upgrades to water systems.

Water and Cities: Ensuring Sustainable Futures finds that city water systems in OECD countries will increasingly struggle with deteriorating plants and pipelines, pollution, and changing weather patterns. It also recognises that rapid urbanisation, with 86% of the OECD population set to be living in cities by 2050, means that urban users, farmers and energy firms will increasingly be draining the same water basins.

The report finds that the need to fit new hardware into decades-old infrastructure so that it can cope with future demands could greatly inflate running expenses and capital spending.

“OECD Cities are entering a new era of uncertainty in terms of water services and security,” said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría, launching the report at the 7th World Water Forum in Korea. “We need new ways of financing and managing water. Planning ahead will mean a much lower bill than if we carry on as we are today.” (Read the full speech)…