OCDE reprezinta forumul international de dezbatere a politicilor economice si sociale la nivel global, o asociatie apolitica a tarilor cel mai bine dezvoltate din punct de vedere economic avand drept misiune construirea unei economii puternice in statele membre, imbunatatirea eficientei, perfectarea sistemelor de piata, extinderea comertului liber si contributia la dezvoltarea economica. e8k19kl
OCDE s-a dezvoltat din Organizatia pentru Cooperare Economica Europeana (OCEE) Organisation for European Economic Co-operation a carei instituire s-a facut pentru administrarea ajutorului american din cadrul Planului Marshall pentru reconstructia Europei dupa cel de-al II-lea Razboi Mondial .
Tarile membre OCDE in numar de 30 reprezinta o structura foarte solida. Celor 20 de state care au fondat organizatia in 1961, printre care s-au numarat Canada, Franta, Germania, Italia, Marea Britanie si SUA, li s-au alaturat incepand cu anul 1964 alti 10 parteneri importanti, cum ar fi: Australia, Japonia sau tarile din Grupul de la Visegrad, ultima tara admisa fiind Republica Slovaca, in decembrie 2000.
In prezent, statele membre ale Organizatiei detin impreuna peste 70 % din productia si comertul mondial cu bunuri si servicii si peste 90% din volumul investitiilor straine directe la nivel mondial, fapt pentru care Organizatia a fost numita "clubul tarilor bogate".
Valoarea si valabilitatea recomandarilor si rezolutiilor OCDE este atat de mare, incat se constituie practic intr-o matrice de functionare a economiei mondiale. Acolo unde OCDE decide sa dezvolte programe, reuseste sa mobilizeze fonduri, fie din resurse proprii, fie din alte resurse, cum ar fi cele ale UE, Comisia Europeana facand parte din Consiliul OCDE.
Dialogul si consensul reprezinta nucleul insusi al Organizatiei. Corpul de conducere al OCDE este Consiliul OCDE, format din reprezentantii tarilor membre. El ofera asistenta asupra activitatii comitetelor OCDE (200 de comitete si grupuri de lucru) si decide asupra bugetului anual (contributii nationale ).
Secretariatul OCDE este coordonat de catre Secretarul General, Donald J. Johnston, sprijinit in activitatea sa de catre 4 secretari generali adjuncti. Secretarul General este cel care prezideaza sedintele lunare ale Consiliului asigurand legatura dintre statele membre si Secretariat. Mandatul secretarului general actual va expira in mai 2006. Alegerea noului secretar general se va face prin consens, din cele 6 candidaturi depuse pana la termenul final de 15 iulie 2005.
Sediul OCDE se afla la Paris.
Strategia de extindere a OCDE
In urma Conferintei Ministeriale a OCDE din mai 2004 de la Paris s-a aprobat „Strategia pentru Extindere si Colaborare cu Statele Nemembre OCDE” An OECD Strategy for Enlargement and Outreach, cunoscuta si sub numele de Raportul Noboru, dupa numele ambasadorului Japoniei la OCDE. In urma Conferintei trebuiau luate masuri concrete privind tarile candidate la OCDE, precum si de reforma a Organizatiei ca atare.
Criteriile de aderare vor deveni si mai selective in privinta aderarii unor noi membri, prin suplimentarea criteriilor, intre care:

existenta unei economii de piata si a unei democratii (like-mindedness); dimensiunea si importanta economica a unui stat (significant player); principiul beneficial reciproc prin care aderarea unui nou stat sa fie benefica atat pentru statul respectiv cat si pentru OCDE (mutual benefit); consideratii globale, nu neaparat limitat la diversitatea geografica.

Relatiile OCDE - Romania
Unul dintre obiectivele de politica externa in plan multilateral il reprezinta dezvoltarea si intensificarea relatiilor cu OCDE in vederea indeplinirii conditiilor de admitere a Romaniei in grupurile si structurile de lucru ale organizatiei.
La 28 aprilie 2004 Guvernul Romaniei a transmis oficial candidatura Romaniei de aderare la OCDE.
In perioada ianuarie 2003 -; iulie 2004, Romania a asigurat co-presedintia Investment Compact (initiativa a Pactului de Stabilitate pentru Europa de Sud -; Est), alaturi de OCDE si Austria, fiind prima tara din regiune care a avut aceasta calitate.
In prezent, Romania participa in cadrul urmatoarelor structuri de lucru:

1. Grupul de lucru al Comitetului pentru Constructii Navale, cu statut de observator;
2. Comitetul pentru Dreptul Nuclear din cadrul Agentiei pentru Energia Nucleara, cu statut de observator;
3. Comitetul Otelului, cu statut de observator;
4. Schema II a Comitetului pentru Agricultura (Sistemele OCDE de certificare a semintelor furajere, a cerealelor, a sfeclei de zahar, a semintelor de legume si Regimul OCDE de aplicare a normelor internationale pentru legume si fructe), cu statut de observator;
5. Comitetul Transporturilor Maritime cu statut de observator;
6. Centrul de Dezvoltare OCDE, cu statut de membru cu drepturi depline si, avand un loc in cadrul "Governing Board" (organismul de coordonare al Centrului);
7. Declaratia OCDE privind investitiile internationale si companiile multinationale DIICM Declaration and Decisions on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises (alaturi de celelalte 38 de tari semnatare), cu statut de membru;
8. Membru cu drepturi depline in cadrul Programului de Dezvoltare Economica Locala (LEED) al OCDE -; "Local Economic Employment Development".
Evolutii recente importante in relatia Romaniei cu OCDE:
• Inaugurarea oficiala in luna mai 2005 a Centrului Roman de Informare si Documentare (CRID) al OCDE, cu infiintarea si functionarea CRID in cadrul Academiei Romane si a Punctului de Informare (PI) al OCDE in cadrul MAE. Centrul Roman de Informare si Documentare OCDE isi propune sa asigure in timp real accesul la documentele si publicatiile elaborate de OCDE si sa devina principala interfata intre expertii romani si Organizatie, fiind in acest sens singurul centru din Europa de Sud -; Est.
• Organizarea la Bucuresti a unei misiuni oficiale a OCDE (23-27 mai 2005), delegatia fiind condusa de secretarul general adjunct, domnul Herwig SCHLOGL. Din delegatie au mai facut parte domnii Jean Francois Rocchi, presedinte LEED si Sergio Arzeni, director al LEED si al Centrului OCDE pentru Antreprenoriat. Principalul scop al vizitei a fost reprezentat de stabilirea unor modalitati concrete de colaborare prin participarea Romaniei la Programul LEED.
• Infiintarea Punctului National de Contact pentru aplicarea Ghidului OCDE pentru intreprinderi multinationale ca urmare a aderarii Romaniei la Declaratia OCDE pentru Intreprinderi Internationale si Companii Multinationale
Sunt in curs de analiza la OCDE, solicitarile de participare prezentate in mod oficial conducerii Organizatiei, ca urmare a implementarii strategiei privind relatia de colaborare cu Organizatia:

1. Participarea, cu statut de observator, in cadrul Comitetului pentru Concurenta;
2. Aderarea la Conventia pentru Lupta Impotriva Coruptiei Functionarilor Publici in Tranzactiile Comerciale Internationale;
3. Participarea, cu statut de observator, in cadrul Comitetului pentru Agricultura;
4. Participarea, cu statut de observator, in cadrul Comitetului pentru Comert;
5. Participarea, cu statut de observator, in cadrul Comitetului pentru Educatie si Comitetul pentru Stiinta, Tehnologie si Industrie;
6. Participarea, cu statut de Observator la Grupul de Lucru pentru Intreprinderi Mici si Mijlocii si Comitetul Turismului;
7. Formularea cererii de a deveni Observator in Grupurile de Lucru ale Agentiei Nucleare.

Becoming a Member of the OECD: the Accession Process

In contrast to many other international organisations, becoming a member of the OECD is not an automatic process. The Member countries of the Organisation, meeting in its governing body (the Council), decide whether a country should be invited to join the OECD and on what conditions. This decision is taken at the end of what might be called "the accession process".
What does this process involve?
The process begins when the Council decides to invite a country to engage in discussions with a view to joining the Organisation. The Council determines the procedure to be followed and asks the appropriate Committees to examine the country's policies and regulations to ensure that it is ready to assume the responsibilities of OECD membership. Each country must have demonstrated its attachment to the basic values shared by all OECD members: an open market economy, democratic pluralism and respect for human rights. The applicant country must also state its position vis-a-vis the OECD "legal instruments" (meaning the Decisions, Recommendations and Declarations adopted within the framework of the Organisation). In other words, it has to show both the will and the ability to adopt the main principles of the Organisation, as well as the legal and political obligations that result therefrom.
These "instruments" -- more than 160 in all -- are grouped by sector and the country's position in each sector is examined by a Committee, or by the Secretariat when no Committee has been appointed to this task.Countries are entitled to make reservations regarding "instruments" (or parts of instruments) that they are unable or unwilling to apply. These reservations are submitted to the relevant Committee which discusses them until a consensus on their application is reached. This can sometimes be a time-consuming process.
While many OECD Committees are involved in this process, the CMIT (Committee on Capital Movements and Invisible Transactions) and the CIME (Committee on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises) play a fundamental role. They jointly examine how the reviewed country would implement the "Codes" (the Code of Liberalisation of Capital Movements and the Code of Liberalisation of Current Invisible Operations) were it to become a member of the Organisation. The Codes are legally binding instruments relating to capital movements, international investment and trade in services. The core principles underlying the Codes are equality of treatment and non-discrimination. This means that a country may not privilege its nationals in comparison to those from other Member countries, nor may it favour one Member country over another. The extent to which a country complies with the Codes is an essential yardstick in assessing its readiness to join the Organisation.
What happens after this examination phase?
When the Committees and the Secretariat have finished their examination they present their recommendations to the Council for decision. If the Council decides that the necessary criteria are fulfilled, it invites the country to accede to the OECD Convention . The Secretary-General and a representative of the country then sign an Agreement concerning the acceptance by the country of the obligations of membership of the OECD. It is then usual for this Agreement to pass through the parliamentary process of the country concerned. When all these steps have been completed, the country accedes to the Convention and becomes a member of the OECD.
Has any country failed in its application for membership?
No. It is unlikely that the Council would begin an accession procedure unless there were a good chance of success. To date countries which have received such an invitation have had substantial links with the OECD. They have attended meetings of various Committees of the Organisation, either as participants or observers, and have participated in Programmes of Co-operation with non-Members . The process is also designed to be flexible and to reflect the specific characteristics of each country -- the intention is not to impose any particular social or macroeconomic policy, but to introduce a certain objectivity into the procedure.
However, that being said, there is no guarantee that an accession procedure will be successful. For example, if a country were to change its position during the examination process, perhaps by retreating from an open-market economy or backtracking on progress achieved on the democratic front, it would have little chance of becoming a Member.
Finally, it should be emphasised that the process offers an ideal opportunity for a country to take stock of its position: dialogue between the different branches of the public administration is enhanced and working relationships improved; and domestic legislation is reviewed and adapted to ensure that it is in line with OECD countries. Thus, the process itself is usually seen as a positive one by the potential new Member.