The United States is a founding member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a multilateral organization with 38 member countries working together to promote economic growth, prosperity, and sustainable development. The U.S. Mission to the OECD provides policy analysis and coordination support to facilitate U.S. engagement at the OECD and disseminates relevant research products to respective U.S. Government agencies, the public, and other interested stakeholders. The U.S. representation also engages at the highest-level within the organization to ensure decisions taken at the OECD reflect U.S. Government priorities.
Monitor, Report, and Support OECD Activities
The OECD and associated institutions primarily work through more than 300 committees, expert groups, and working groups, which cover almost all areas of policymaking to assess data, review policy actions, highlight successes, and propose solutions for member countries. Over 40,000 participants from member and partner countries take part in these meetings every year representing governments, academia, business, and civil society. In addition, the OECD has a workforce of more than 3,000 employees, called the OECD Secretariat, organized through different directorates and divisions to provide expertise, guide policy making, and complement the work of the committees.
At the U.S. Mission to the OECD (USOECD), the work of the OECD Committees and Secretariat is divided into thematic portfolios that are led by representatives of U.S. federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. These federal representatives engage with the OECD Committees and Secretariat daily to monitor and report on progress, provide recommendations, and facilitate U.S. stakeholders’ engagement with OECD counterparts.
Engage in OECD Decision-Making Process
The U.S. Permanent Representative heads the U.S. Mission and represents the United States at the OECD Council, the organization’s highest decision-making body comprised of Permanent Representatives from all 38 member countries and chaired by the OECD’s Secretary-General. The Council regularly meets to discuss key issues, share information, and take decisions on OECD business. Decisions are generally taken by consensus. Once a year, the OECD Council gathers at the minister level in a Meeting of the Council at the Ministerial level, or MCM, which brings together ministers of economy, trade, and foreign affairs from member countries to monitor and set priorities for the OECD’s work, discuss the global economic and trade context, and delve further into issues such as the budget or the accession process.
Outreach at USOECD
The United States works through the OECD to advance support for economic innovations and standards among publics in OECD member states, to advance shared values and interests, and to help set a welcoming business environment for U.S. firms wherever OECD best practices and recommendations are adopted.
USOECD reaches out to OECD stakeholders, businesses, foreign governments, and external audiences through amplification of post activities on social media, public appearances of USOECD personnel and high-level U.S. government visitors, and engagement with the news media. USOECD also leads a speaker series featuring U.S. experts to highlight U.S. economic and foreign policy priorities.
