The expected impact is to facilitate an exchange of information among governments on tax incentives that would encourage business and people to spend more on human development-related purposes. In today's world of international financial markets it is, of course, difficult to make a distinction between financing national and financing international development. This distinction holds primarily when it comes to public financing. In light of the recent decisions of the General Assembly of the UN on the issue of financing international development, and given ODS' prior work in this area, further studies are being planned for the forthcoming three years around issues that are likely to find consensus. More and more developmental issues have a dimension of inter-generational equity.
Examples are sustainable development and ensuring old-age financial security.
The issue of inter-generational equity becomes more pronounced to the extent that demographics change, e.g. populations are aging, and other developmental changes, such as urbanization, increased mobility, and marketization are affecting traditional family structures and patterns of solidarity among generations. Also, young people today have a considerably enhanced life expectancy and hence probably a strengthened interest in knowing more about aging and life planning. Since they have, on average, been living longer than their ancestors - today's older generations have more experiences to share. ODS will also assist in the organization of the key-note speeches and panels for this conference, which is held under the aegis of IDC, Washington, and a number of partner organizations, including international organizations of youth and the elderly. The initiative may also encourage an enhanced public awareness that the older, richer populations of industrial countries stand to gain from collaboration with the younger, poorer populations of developing countries.