The only way is up? Social mobility and equal opportunities – Joint OECD-Eurofound Conference

Eurofound and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are co-organising a joint high-level conference on social mobility and equal opportunities in Paris, France on Thursday, 4 May 2017.

The event will provide a lively platform to discuss fresh evidence on intergenerational mobility and policies which support upward mobility, especially among the disadvantaged population groups within the European Union and OECD countries. The event will be opened by Angel Gurría, Secretary-General, OECD and Juan Menéndez-Valdés, Director, Eurofound. EAPN France will be contributing.

Since the global financial crisis many people in a range of countries are facing a sharp fall in living standards and economic inequalities are on the rise. Consequently, policy attention is starting to shift towards addressing this lack of equal opportunities as well as the transmission of (dis)advantage across generations.

The one-day high-level conference will bring together an interdisciplinary group of international experts, policymakers and stakeholders from both OECD and EU countries to examine the major trends in social mobility and how these vary across countries. The sessions will consider why lack of mobility and intergenerational inequality is of concern and what policies work in the field of education, labour market, urban development, health and social protection to improve equal opportunities and social mobility. The concluding panel will aim to identify how a more integrated approach at different levels can underpin greater equality of opportunity and promote upward social mobility.

A draft agenda is available.

If you are interested in registering to attend please contact Jade.Baker@oecd.org or Bernice.Turner@eurofound.europa.eu