High-level webinar: Ensuring the Resilience and Continuity of Critical Infrastructures and Services: Learning from the COVID-19 crisis

HIGH-LEVEL WEBINAR

The high-level webinar on “Ensuring the Resilience of Critical Infrastructures and Services: Learning from the COVID-19 crisis” took place on 9 December 2020, 10am-12pm (CET), via Zoom.

This high-level event, organised by the MENA-OECD Governance Programme in cooperation with the MENA-OECD Training Centre in Caserta and the Italian delegation to the OECD, brought together the co-chairs of the MENA-OECD Governance Programme, Minister Ben Slimane (Tunisia) and Ambassador Bernardini (Italy), as well as Italian Minister Dadone and Deputy Minister Sereni, and Elsa Pilichowski, Director of the Governance Directorate. The webinar will also bring together other high-level representatives from the MENA region as well as operators of critical infrastructures and services.

Discussions were based on the strategic outcomes of the OECD High Level Risk Forum, which provides a platform for risk managers to forge a collective vision on the most critical risks and how to manage them, as well as the 2019 OECD Report on Good Governance for Critical Infrastructure Resilience. Discussions also benefit from the forthcoming release of the OECD indicators on governance of critical infrastructure resilience.

DOCUMENTS

OVERVIEW

The COVID-19 outbreak has presented governments with unprecedented challenges in ensuring not only the health of their citizens, but also the continuity of public services, including education, social services, waste collection, first responders, energy provision, courts, prisons, public transportation, and public administration.

Governments have taken considerable measures to tackle the vulnerabilities of their systems and networks and ensure the continuity of their public services and critical infrastructures. In the MENA region, governments have promoted the adoption of teleworking arrangements, digital services and innovative hygiene protocols to facilitate the delivery of public services and the business continuity of industry.

Governments are facing increased demands not only to protect and maintain their critical infrastructures and public services, but also to innovate them based on the needs of the new normal and make them more resilient to future shocks. The recovery presents an opportunity to apply public governance measures for coordination, transparency and accountability to enhance public sector resilience, re-build citizens’ trust in public institutions, and strengthen the coordination and cooperation of actions between public services and the operators of critical infrastructure upon which they depend.

How do governments and operators address the challenges posed to the continuity of public services and critical infrastructures?
Learning from the COVID-19 crisis, how can governments and operators best join forces to ensure the resilience of critical infrastructures and services to future shocks?
Which tools of public governance provide effective support to these efforts?

CONTACT

For more information on the webinar, please contact: GAGLIARDI Pietro, Pietro.GAGLIARDI@oecd.org

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