Government leaders deliver OECD Roadmap for Rural Development in Ireland
Lamia Kamal-Chaoui, director of the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities
The 13th OECD Rural Development Conference outlined the Cavan-OECD Roadmap on Strengthening Rural Resilience against Global Challenges. The 2-day Conference, held last week, was hosted by the Government of Ireland and convened around 500 delegates from 30 OECD countries, including Government ministers, senior policy makers and stakeholders in the rural sector.
Centred on the objective of “building sustainable, resilient and thriving rural places” the Roadmap highlights the huge potential of rural areas in renewable energy, the digital economy, and in deploying new technologies as they seek to respond to global shifts and shocks.
In his keynote address, Taoiseach, Micheál Martin said:
As a founding member in 1961, Ireland’s role in the story of the OECD is a reflection of our early and lasting commitment to multilateralism and to overcoming common and global challenges as a community of nations. The OECD’s standing as a globally open and evidence driven forum, which engages from national to local levels of Government, is more vital than ever as we confront increasing challenges to the international rules-based system. It is important that the OECD remains an open and globally relevant organisation, and Ireland welcomes the recent decision to commence accession discussions with five countries in Europe and Latin America.
OECD Deputy Secretary-General Yoshiki Takeuchi said:
As we leave Cavan with this Roadmap for rural areas, we must remember that this is a road we must walk together – with the residents of rural communities. The current shocks present us all with opportunities and the OECD will continue to work with governments at all levels to put in place the right policies to enable rural areas to thrive. The Roadmap will help us prioritise policies that improve physical and digital accessibility, rural innovation, digital and lifelong learning skills, and quality public services to support diversification, resilience, and well-being.
