PRESS RELEASE 
 
PRESS/769 
6 April 2016 
 
(16-1905) 
Joint press release by Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría, IM F Managing Director Christine 
Lagarde, World Bank Group Presid ent Jim Yong Kim, ILO Director-
General Guy Ryder and WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo on 
the occasion of their meeting in Berlin on 5 April 2016 
Last year, global economic growth suffered a s light setback once more, against the backdrop of 
distress in some emerging market economies, a significant decrease in commodity prices, and 
ongoing risks and uncertainties in the financial markets. Geopolitical risks remain high in various 
regions of the world. The IMF’s latest reading of the global economy once again shows a weakening baseline. The ILO expects global unemployment to rise by 2.3 million in 2016. In September 2015, the WTO updated its forecast of global trade growth to a very modest 2.8% in 
2015, with a similar number expected in 2016. Th e OECD has portrayed an “elusive growth” 
scenario, and we all agree that decisive action and a new policy mix are needed.   Against this backdrop, governments continue to focus on reforms and proactive measures in order 
to support recovery and ensure growth. Ambitious demand and supply-side measures, especially 
in the areas of labour markets and decent work, education, skills and training, can help to create more productive, more dynamic and more inclusive economies and societies. In the euro area, the growth-friendly policies of structural reforms and long-term fiscal sustainability without damaging 
social protection must be reinforced. In the US, the renewed increase in growth must be made 
sustainable by adequate economic, fiscal and monetary policy measures. Emerging market countries are challenged by a downturn in former growth rates and should reverse this trend by undertaking courageous reform measures. 
 
Our common approach of international economic policy cooperation has mitigated the consequences of the crisis, brought progress as regards resolving global challenges, set new standards and fostered growth prospects. Both in stitutional and informal links between national 
governments, international organisations and othe r stakeholders have been strengthened in the 
course of this process. Building on the close cooperation with the current Chinese G20 Presidency in 2016, Germany is fully committed to using its upcoming G20 Presidency in 2017 to discuss key issues in economic, financial, climate, trade, social and development policy, as well as other 
current global challenges. We welcome the ongoin g cooperation between the IMF, the World Bank 
Group, the ILO, the OECD and the WTO in the following areas in particular:  • Several international organisations have documented that for more than a decade, productivity gains have slowed down. This trend has been magnified by the crisis. We therefore 
welcome the ongoing efforts by many countries to enhance their productivity, raise employment 
and improve fiscal positions. Nevertheless, further efforts, especially with respect to youth PRESS/769 
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 employment, social inclusion, gender equality, structural reforms and growth-friendly 
consolidation, continue to be urgently needed. Boosting investment, innovation and digitisation, as 
well as the transition to Industry 4.0, are cruc ial as regards reaccelerating productivity. Equally, 
improving education and health systems, strength ening productivity, narrowing social divides and 
strengthening product and labour markets are important policy goals to be achieved by 
implementing an ambitious reform agenda.  
 • Efforts to promote decent work and inclusiv e growth, drawing on the ILO’s Decent Work 
Agenda, must be strengthened with a special emphasis on better implementation of labour, social 
and environmental standards. The Decent Work Ag enda is an integral element of the United 
Nations’ new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Concrete steps such as the G7 initiative on sustainable global supply chains, including strengthening the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the ILO Multinationals Declaration and the launch of the Vision Zero Fund in cooperation with the ILO, are examples of multilateral actions and tangible results aimed at 
preventing serious and deadly work-related accidents in global supply chains. Our goal remains to 
create good and safe work conditions, rising incomes and real prospects for all who want to work, while simultaneously promoting gender equality. The OECD’s Quality Jobs Framework and Inclusive Growth Initiative and the IMF’s work on  growth and inequality can support these goals. 
 
• Trade remains an important driver of glob al growth, development and employment. Trade 
policy cooperation and coordination thus remain essential. We welcome the results of the WTO Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, in particular the decision to abolish export subsidies in the 
agricultural sector. We support the ongoing work  post-Nairobi, which aims to resolve remaining 
issues and to explore new issues and methodolog ies. Many of these are best addressed through 
multilateral trade policy in order to create new growth and development opportunities on a global 
scale. Moreover, we welcome ongoing efforts to conclude new bilateral and regional free trade 
agreements. We welcome the conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and expect significant 
progress in the negotiations on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership in 2016. In order to complement the multilateral trading system, such arrangements should be open, transparent and comprehensive, and should minimise discr imination between members and non-members.  
 
• Climate change and the protection of natural resources remain key challenges of our time. All international organisations are committed to combating climate change and promoting green growth, and to this end are cooperating within their mandates. The World Bank Group is leading 
efforts with all the multilateral development banks to increase climate financing. We welcome the 
new, comprehensive and ambitious climate agreement concluded at the Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC in Paris in December 2015 as an outs tanding milestone of inte rnational climate policy. 
All international organisations are committed to supporting the targets of the Paris agreement and 
its successful and robust implementation through their activities. 
 • In September 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in New York. This Agenda successfully integrates the three dimensions of sustainable 
development, namely the economic, social and environmental dimensions. It constitutes a unique 
and universal commitment to improving living conditions for all people, while sustainably 
managing the natural resource base and protecting the planet from degradation. We reiterate our commitment to implementing the Agenda ambitiously with the international community and institutions in order to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 at national, 
regional and global level.  
 • The scale of refugee flows is a matter of gl obal concern. We welcome the very strong 
commitment to solving the crisis through a comprehensive set of international, European, regional PRESS/769 
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  and national measures. The aim is to improve prospects and living conditions for people in crisis 
regions and to significantly and sustainably reduce the unprecedented flow of refugees. 
 
END