Japan Celebrates 50 Years in OECD
The OECD celebrates a historic landmark this year, as it marks the 50th anniversary of Japan’s membership of the group.
Japan joined the OECD in 1964, three years after it was formed. It was not only the first new member, but the first Asian country to be a part of the group.
This marked an important transition for the OECD, from an organisation centred on Europe and North America, to a more global concern. Yet even now, with 34 member countries, there are only two Asian members, in the form of Japan and Korea.
With the increasing importance of Asia in the global economy, the Ministerial Council Meeting in May 2014 will launch the Southeast Asia Regional Programme. Japan will play an important part in bridging the interests of the OECD and Southeast Asia throughout this programme.
Japan remains the second largest contributor to the OECD, and is firmly committed to advancing the organisation’s values and work in the coming years. Japan has, in its turn, gained numerous advantages from OECD membership, including international recognition, an ability to influence international treaties and rules, and to promote internal reforms, backed by analysis, data and influence from the OECD.
These advantages and more will be highlighted to other Asian countries that would benefit from being included in the OECD family of countries. This is particularly true in a world that is highly volatile economically, and which, in Southeast Asia in particular, has been dramatically affected by natural disasters such as the 2011 Tsunami.
It is no coincidence that the 2014 Ministerial Council Meeting is headlined as ‘Resilient Economies and Inclusive Societies’. Japan will be there, of course, as it has been for 50 years.
About Kevin Sorkin
I am the Founder and CEO of Pendragon International Media Ltd, publishers of Global Government Forum. This portfolio also includes research services and important world leading events for public servants such as the Global Government Summit, the Global Government Finance Summit, the Global Government Forum Innovation conference, Global Government Digital Summit and Putting Citizens First. I am also the founder of the Civil Service Awards and Civil Service Live, established industry leading brands and extremely important events for government. I also launched and published Civil Service World. Over the years I have established relationships with the most senior officials in government and the private sector and have built a very strong and positive reputation across the industry.
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