On February 2, 2015, U.S. Ambassador to the OECD Daniel Yohannes met with students from the University of Kiev in Ukraine and Deakin University in Australia to discuss the United States’ engagement within the OECD.
Ambassador Yohannes gave the students an overview of the history and evolution of the OECD, describing its transformation from a European organization charged with implementing the Marshall Plan to a global “policy engine” with 34 Member States on five continents.
The Ambassador stressed the unique role of the OECD in using evidence-based analysis to formulate policy, identify best practices, and facilitate coordination on issues that require a global response. Ambassador Yohannes also spoke of U.S. policy priorities for the organization, including investment, development, climate change, taxes and inequality, as well as of the importance of expanding the OECD’s reach to new countries and regions.
Speaking of outreach, he said, “we believe that the values the OECD stands for – democracy, open markets, rule of law, transparency – are essential to promoting growth and well-being across the world.”
Ambassador Yohannes urged the Australian and Ukrainian students to look to the OECD as a resource for data and policy recommendations, and expressed his hope that they would work with the United States and the OECD in the future to “build better policies for better lives.”
