Brazil is invited to start process of joining OECD
The Brazilian government received on Tuesday (Jan. 25) the letter of invitation from the Council of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that formalizes the beginning of the country's accession process to the group.
The announcement was made during a statement to the press, at Planalto Palace – the official seat of the President of Brazil, which was attended by Presidential Chief of Staff Ciro Nogueira; Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos França, and Minister of Economy Paulo Guedes. The start of the accession process was unanimously approved by the ambassadors of the 37 countries that make up the group.
"OECD Secretary-General Mr. Mathias Cormann has already sent Brazil’s President the letter of invitation. It opens the door for our country to the beginning of the discussions aimed at the accession of our country as a full member to the group of the most advanced economies in the world. The decision reflects Brazil's sharing of OECD's fundamental values: preservation of democracy, individual liberty, open market economy, protection of the environment, and of the human rights - number one priority for our country and for the organization", said Ciro Nogueira.
There is no set deadline for completing the process, but it should take at least another three years from now. Besides Brazil, OECD has formalized the same invitation to five other countries: Argentina, Peru, Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia.
Created in 1961 and based in Paris, OECD is an international organization currently formed by 37 countries, including some of the main developed economies in the world, such as the United States, Japan and European Union countries. It is seen as a “club of the rich”, but it also has among its members emerging Latin American economies, such as Mexico, Chile and Colombia.
Brazil formally expressed its interest in becoming a full member of the organization in 2017, during Michel Temer's government. Since then, it has sought to quickly adhere to the organization's norms.
Over more than three decades, Brazil has adhered so far to 103 of the 251 OECD normative instruments, 37 of these provisions were formalized over the last three years, during the current government.
"The idea that we can participate in this forum will lead us to adhere to best governance practices, fight corruption, improve public policies and to many benefits to the economy", highlighted Foreign Minister Carlos França.
According to França, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs will create a section exclusively dedicated to the relationship with OECD, a new staff in the area of economic diplomacy, and a commission of negotiators to deal with the accession process.
Next steps
The next stage of the process, after the letter of invitation, is the preparation of individual assessment roadmaps for each of the candidate countries, which must confirm their adherence to the values, vision and priorities of the organization, with emphasis on topics such as democracy, the rule of law and the protection of human rights.
For Minister Paulo Guedes, the formalization of the invitation is the recognition of Brazil’s efforts in what he called modernization, such as the economic liberalization reforms under discussion in recent years.
"This path, this process of access to OECD, requires from Brazil precisely this convergence in tax reform, financial liberalization, international agreements on services. Everything we have already been doing. It’s the recognition of our job, and a reinforcement…to continue with modernization reforms", the minister said.
