OECD to host international blockchain conference in September

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is going to host an international conference focused on blockchain technology in September.

The OECD Blockchain Policy Forum will be held at the OECD headquarters on September 4th and 5th in Paris. It will be broadcasted live.

The conference will feature OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría; Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister, Republic of Mauritius; Ana Brnabić, Prime Minister, Serbia; David Burt, Premier of Bermuda; Tadej Slapnik, State Secretary of Slovenia, and others . Some of the confirmed participants from the blockchain industry include Perianne Boring, President, Chamber of Digital Commerce and Charley Cooper, Managing Director, R3.

“The OECD will welcome over 400 senior decision-makers from the public and private sectors, experts, academics and other stakeholders for these landmark discussions,” according to the announcement.

The conference will assess the impact of blockchain technology on government activities. It will also look into the benefits and risks of the technology for our economies and societies, policy and regulatory approaches, and investigate uses in specific policy areas.

Participants will focus on blockchain’s potential global economic impact and implications on privacy and cybersecurity, as well as using the technology to enhance inclusiveness, promote green growth and sustainability, and strengthen governance and enforcement practices.

Earlier this year, OECD's Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs Competition Committee issued a paper on “Blockchain Technology and Competition Policy.” The paper focused on whether the rise of blockchain technology is relevant to the work of competition authorities, and if so how.