OECD

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is a unique forum where the governments of 34 market democracies work together to address the economic, social and governance challenges arising from globalization as well as to exploit its opportunities. The ultimate objective of the Organization is to help governments design and implement “better policies for better lives”.

The OECD provides a setting where governments can compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practice and co-ordinate domestic and international policies in view of building a stronger, cleaner and fairer global economy. It is a forum where peer pressure can act as a powerful incentive to improve policy and which produces internationally-agreed instruments, decisions and recommendations in areas where multilateral agreement is necessary for individual countries to make progress in a globalised economy. Non-members are invited to subscribe to these agreements and treaties and to participate in their update whenever relevant. Exchanges between OECD member and partner governments are based on information and analysis provided by a secretariat in Paris. The secretariat collects data, monitors trends, and analyses and forecasts economic developments. It also researches social changes or evolving patterns in trade, environment, agriculture, technology, taxation and more.

The OECD helps governments to foster prosperity and fight poverty through economic growth, financial stability, trade and investment, technology, innovation, entrepreneurship and development co-operation. It is helping to ensure that the environmental implications of economic and social development are taken into account. Other aims include creating better jobs for everyone, achieving social equity and improving public and corporate governance.

For more than 50 years, the OECD has been one of the world’s largest and most reliable sources of comparable statistical, economic and social data. OECD databases span across a wide range of areas such as national accounts, economic indicators, trade, employment, migration, education, energy, health and environment.

Over the past decade, the OECD has tackled a range of economic, social and environmental issues. Negotiations at the OECD on taxation and transfer pricing, for example, have paved the way for bilateral tax treaties around the world.

In light of its expertise, the OECD has been supporting the G20 process since December 2008 (alongside other international organizations). It has provided contributions to the discussions on the “Framework for a Strong, Sustainable and Balanced Global Growth”; taxation; corruption; employment and skills development; trade and investment protectionism and development, to cite just a few. In May 2007, OECD countries agreed to invite Chile, Estonia, Israel, Russia and Slovenia to open discussions for membership of the Organization and offered enhanced engagement, with a view to possible membership, to Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and South Africa. By end 2010, Chile, Estonia, Slovenia and Israel had become members of the OECD.