OECD

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

OECD• groups 30 member countries committed to

democracy and the market economy

• provides statistics and economic and social data

• analyses and forecasts economic developments

• researches social changes and evolving patterns in trade, environment, agriculture, technology, fiscal policy and more

Helping governments to

• compare policy experiences

• seek answers to common problems

• identify good practice

• co-ordinate domestic and international policies

Global partners

OECD member countries Countries invited to open talks on potential membership

Countries to which OECD is offering enhanced engagement

(Click on map to view names)

OECD’s mission

Article 1 of the OECD Convention defines the Organisation’s mission as being to:

• support economic growth• boost employment • raise living standards • maintain financial stability• assist other countries’ economic development • contribute to growth in world trade

Who drives OECD’s work? Council

Oversight and strategic direction

Representatives of member countries and of the European Commission; decisions taken by consensus

CommitteesDiscussion and implementation

Representatives of member countries and of invited non-members work with the OECD Secretariat on specific issues

Secretariat

Analysis and proposals

Secretary-GeneralDeputy Secretaries-GeneralDirectorates

OECD in action

1. Data collection 2. Data analysis

3. Collective policy discussion

4. Decision-making

5. Implementation

Major work areas

Employment, education, social welfare

• ensure equal access to education for all • promote effective and accessible health systems• fight social exclusion and unemployment• bridge the “digital divide” between rich and poor

Economy• analyse and publish comparative data• produce forecasts• develop policies for growth and stability• foster open markets• promote cross-border investment• share best practices• study how international development co-ordination

helps developing countries • offer knowledge and experience to help countries or

regions in the process of development

Environment, sustainable development• make markets work for a healthier environment• use science and technology to benefit people

everywhere• cut wastage and pollution • bring together member countries to discuss

fundamental energy issues through the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)

Finance• promoting liberalisation in financial services and

the development of international financial best practices.

• working to promote investment policy reform and international co-operation.

• analysing national tax systems and their impact on labour, capital and product markets.

• studying the consequences of ageing populations and their implications for insurance and pensions.

Governance• promote effective public administration• encourage companies to run their affairs better• ensure transparent and fair tax systems • foster fair competition • fight corruption and money-laundering• promote high ethical standards• encourage citizen-participation in policy-making

Innovation• a strong record on biotechnology-related topics

through work that spans more than 25 years.

• improving our understanding of how Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) contribute to sustainable economic growth and social well-being and their role in the shift towards knowledge-based societies.

• development of indicators to benchmark countries' innovation performance.

OECD achievementssome examples

Improving transparency and ethics in international business• Principles of Corporate Governance• Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises• Anti-Bribery Convention• Polluter-Pays Principle (PPP)

Simplifying tax issues in international transactions• Model Tax Convention

Helping emerging and transition economies• Co-operation programmes with emerging market economies including China, India and Brazil

Some OECD facts

Two official languages:

English & French

Secretariat staff: more than 2500

OECD’s headquarters are located

in Paris, France

OECD’s Secretary-General is

Mr. Angel GurríaThe OECD’s

total budget is € 340 million

(2007)

OECD communications• publications (over 150 titles per year)

• a regularly updated website (statistics, data, studies…)

• a corporate magazine OECD Observer

• radio and TV studios

• an annual civil society Forum

• OECD Centres (Berlin, Mexico City, Tokyo and Washington) which organise events to disseminate OECD’s work

For more information

www.oecd.org

References mentioned in the presentation: www.oecd.org/powerpointreferences