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Which country is considered the happiest in the world? According to a survey on happiness index by country, the Republic of Costa Rica, a small country in Central America was ranked as the world’s happiest country, while U.S., U.K. and France which are commonly classified into the “rich, advanced” category ranked near the bottom. As doubts are raised on the existing perception where the level of a country’s progress was measured by its economic growth as a yardstick, there is a movement to shift toward a new paradigm where a country’s level of progress is measured not only in terms of its economic achievements but also in broader terms that encompass its society, environment, quality of life, etc. The OECD World Forum is an international forum designed both to develop comprehensive indicators that can appraise a society’s level of progress from the three different aspects of economy, society and environment, and to lead world-wide discussions on the role each member of society should play toward this end. Following the 2004 meeting in Palermo, Italy and 2007 meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, the 3rd OECD World Forum on statistics, knowledge and policy will be held in Busan, Korea from October 27 to 30, 2009. Participated by 1,500 dignitaries including heads of state, representatives of international bodies, Nobel prizewinners, and corporate CEOs from 130 countries around the world, this forum will deliberate the subject of `Charting Progress, Building Visions, Improving Life.` It is hoped that this forum becomes a meaningful opportunity for the world to share wisdom and experiences related to mankind’s sustainable progress and improvement of the quality of life.