New Work Programme will accelerate OECD cooperation with Brazil | WPN World People News

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría signs Brazil-OECD Programme of Work with Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and Finance Minister Joaquim Levy

The OECD launched Tuesday the Programme of Work with Brazil which sets out joint activities for the next two years and will strengthen cooperation between the Organisation and the Brazilian Government. At a critical moment for Brazil, this Programme will intensify exchanges on structural reform and see Brazil become more closely engaged in shaping and adhering to best practices and OECD standards.

The new programme was signed during a ceremony in Brasília by OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría, Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and Finance Minister Joaquim Levy. It follows up on a recent OECD Cooperation Agreement with Brazil signed during the two Ministers’ participation in the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting last June in Paris.

“This new programme puts the OECD’s relationship with Brazil on a whole new strategic level,” Mr Gurría said. “The OECD stands ready to share best practices and offer advice to help Brazil overcome its most pressing social, economic and environmental challenges.”

Brazil is currently involved in the work of 18 OECD committees. The 2016-17 Work Programme will see this long-standing engagement enhanced, through a number of projects oriented to support Brazil’s reform agenda. It will focus on five core areas of mutual interest:

● Economic, industrial, trade and financial issues;

● Public governance and the fight against corruption;

● Science, technology, environment, agriculture and energy;

● Labour, pension and social issues;

● Development cooperation.

The Programme includes a number of policy reviews in the fields of innovation, agriculture, public expenditure and social protection.

Under the new Programme, Brazil is also expected to participate more actively in OECD Committees and Working Groups, including those covering fiscal affairs, investment, competition and corporate governance. Finally, the programme envisages Brazil’s adherence to a number of OECD legal instruments, including those in the fields of consumer protection, digital security and Internet policy, competition, regulatory policy and gender equality, among others.

The OECD Secretary-General’s visit to Brazil includes participation in the launch of several new OECD reports meetings with senior members of government as well as representatives of the business sector and civil society.

The Paris-based OECD is an international organisation that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people worldwide. It provides a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to the economic, social, and governance challenges they face.

The OECD's 34 current members are: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Four countries – Colombia, Costa Rica, Latvia and Lithuania – have been formally invited to become members of the Organisation, and are currently in the process of accession.

The OECD established a Key Partner programme in 2007 with five dynamic emerging economies - Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and South Africa - who participate in a wide range of the Organisation’s activities.

Source: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development