Press releases, 01.11.2018

Disruptive technologies are changing the the world of work globally. In its flagship World Development Report 2019, presented in Bern on 1. November 2018, the World Bank calls on governments to invest in education and health.

In its flagship annual report, the World Bank analyses the opportunities presented by new technologies. In an event organised by SECO, Simeon Djankov, Co-Director of the World Development Report (WDR), demonstrated how jobs and the productivity of companies are affected and also which opportunities and challenges may arise from this.

With the Human Capital Index launched as part of the WDR, governments around the world are called upon to make larger investments in education and health. The report also calls for employees to be protected from negative social impacts and to strengthen the mobilisation of financial resources within developing countries. Innovative digital examples from developing countries demonstrate how these goals can be achieved. The Swiss development cooperation already takes into account the recommendations of the World Bank by focussing on primary education and vocational training and supporting partner countries with regard to taxation issues.

SECO, together with the World Bank and SDC, organised the presentation of the World Development Report - entitled «The Changing Nature of Work» in Bern. On this occasion Simeon Djankov, Stefan Wolter from the University of Bern, Gabriella Crescini from Swisscontact and Klaus Thieme from Solidar Suisse considered possible courses of action. They discussed how  employees can benefit from technological developments, how much scope for action is available for governments, how the private sector can contribute towards sustainable development and the opportunities that the successful Swiss dual education system offers for developing countries.


Address for enquiries:

Lorenz Jakob, SECO, Enquiries on Economic Development Cooperation, Tel. +41 58 468 60 56, lorenz.jakob@seco.admin.ch


Publisher:

Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

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