ISRAEL & OECD
On September 7th 2010, Israel completed its accession process and became the 33rd member country of the OECD. Like all members of the Organization, Israel is represented at the OECD by both a Permanent Delegation and visiting delegates. The Permanent Delegation is headed by an Ambassador who leads a team from three different Ministries.
The OECD, which was established in its current form in 1961, is an international organization that acts to facilitate reforms and where governments can compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practices, and coordinate domestic and international policies . The mandate of the OECD is broad, ranging from economic and social to environmental issues. Initially, the OECD evolved from the Organization for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), which was founded in 1948 to help administer the Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. As the Marshall Plan faded, the OEEC focused solely on economic questions. In the 1950s, the OEEC provided the framework for negotiations aimed at determining the conditions for setting up a European Free Trade Area, to bring together the Common Market of the six and the other OEEC members on a multilateral basis.
Over the years to come, the organization has grown and expanded its activities dramatically to the current number of 36 Members, representing 62% of the world GDP. The OECD yearly budget is about 377 million euros, it employs almost 3,600 workers and publishes more than 250 official publications a year. It provides a platform for creating better policies for better lives – through evidence-based policy analysis, benchmarking, peer reviews, policy recommendations, etc. The organization leads projects with a global impact, for instance in education (PISA) and taxation (BEPS) and is highly instrumental to many other aspects of global governance.
On 27 May 2010 the Ministerial Council of the OECD adopted a resolution to invite Israel to join the organization. This decision was the closing chapter after an intense three-year-long process of negotiations and policy reviews. Accession to the OECD has a strategic importance for the Israeli economy and its positioning among the leading economies worldwide.
Today, Israel is an active participant to the OECD work across all substantive fields, contributing from its experience and expertise in various domains such as innovation, SMEs, water governance and digital security.
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