Council Working Party on Shipbuilding (COUNCILWP6) H.E. Per Egil Selvaag
1.
What is the mission and mandate of your Committee?
The mission of the OECD Council Working Party on Shipbuilding (also called WP6) is to contribute to establishing normal competitive conditions in the global shipbuilding sector. As a Part 2 Committee, the WP6’s Mandate is renewed every five years and puts forward two intermediate objectives of the WP6 which are to: Increase transparency and improve the understanding of the shipbuilding market, including supply and demand, economy-level policy settings, and international and inter-industry linkages; Contribute to a business climate that enables growth and innovation in the shipbuilding industry. This contributes to a wider OECD strategic objective of promoting sustainable economic growth, financial stability and structural adjustment. 2. You have been designated Committee Chair. What is your background and what has convinced you to take up this post? How do you consider your background and experience contribute to such a role and function? I am a career diplomat, with an educational and practical background in trade policy issues, which I have found to be a useful background for someone chairing the Shipbuilding committee, given that much of the work aims at creating a level playing field in the sector. An important factor for taking up this position was the support from other members for me chairing the committee. 3.
What is your main priority as Chair?
My priority is to facilitate the work of the WP6 so that it can fulfil its mission and Mandate. This involves facilitating agreement among members and looking for possibilities for the committee to have impact on as larger a share of the global shipbuilding market as possible. 4. How would you define the added value of your Committee in relation to the work of the OECD in an international context? How does it differ from other international fora dealing with the same topic? The value-added of the WP6 is notably to bring together government representatives responsible for the shipbuilding industry in their countries as well as shipbuilding industry representatives. The WP6 is the only forum which provides this international platform for the exchange of information as well as the elaboration of economic and policy analysis on several aspects of the shipbuilding sector. Other fora dealing with the Shipbuilding industry have different missions; for example, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which is a United Nations specialized agency, deals with the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships.
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