Secretary of Delegation for the U.S. Mission to the OECD (USOECD), Steve Valen, with visiting students from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, presented about the work of the Mission and how it advances U.S. interests. “The OECD is a legacy of the Marshall Plan, and remains an important foreign policy tool for the United States. In all the countries OECD works with, it promotes American values – democracy, transparency and the rule of law” Valen stated. Steve also noted that “because it is seen as neutral and technically expert, the OECD can often convince countries to enact economic reforms that might face resistance or suspicion if the United States were to raise them in a bilateral context.”
About Steve Valen
Steve Valen, a career Foreign Service Officer, joined the State Department in 2009 and previously served in Afghanistan, Canada, and Thailand. In Paris, Steve covers OECD internal governance, private sector engagement, and public diplomacy. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Steve was an attorney.
Other recent discussions included student groups from the International Business Institute, the American University of Paris. For more information about OECD seminars, please visit: http://www.oecd.org/about/visitingtheoecd.htm
For more information about the United States Mission to the OECD, please contact: Youssef Erkouni, Public Affairs Advisor (USOECDPAO@state.gov)
