Message from Ambassador Kazuo KODAMA
October 2013
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
The Delegation of Japan to the OECD
Kazuo KODAMA
Welcome to the website of the Delegation of Japan to the OECD. Since its creation in 1961, the OECD has greatly contributed to member countries' economic growth by basing its work on the market economy and democracy, employment, the improvement of living standards, the expansion of free trade, and the economic expansion of countries in the process of economic development.
The year 2014 is a historical year for Japan as it will mark the 50th anniversary of Japan’s accession to the OECD since 1964. Japan will chair the OECD Council Meeting at Ministerial Level (MCM) in this memorable year, for the second time since 1978.
With currently 34 member countries including Japan, through discussions in committees and sub-committees on different themes in various fields such as economy, finance, trade and development, and by improving statistical data, the OECD has been providing policy recommendations which are desirable for the international community as a whole in addition to proposing standards to be followed jointly. This is why the OECD is referred to as the “world's think-tank.”
Since the financial and economic crisis in 2008, employment and the achievement of economic growth have become issues of great importance for OECD member countries. In this context, the OECD has been focusing on issues pertaining to structural policy, fiscal policy, maintenance of freedom of trade and investment, and employment policy. In tackling these issues the OECD launched projects such as “New Approaches to Economic Challenges (NAEC)” based on the reflections and lessons learned from the crisis, along with analyses on “Green Growth” with an aim to seek compatibility between environmental issues such as climate change with economic growth, and “Knowledge Based Capital (KBC)” to conceptualise new sources of growth.
Furthermore, as globalisation advances, the impact of emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil on the world economy is becoming substantially bigger today. The OECD has been serving as an international organization for discussion on economic and social issues by advanced economies. Today, it also cooperates with emerging economies and makes intellectual contributions to support new global frameworks such as the G20. The OECD has been making efforts to strengthen its ties with emerging economies by nominating five countries, namely Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and South Africa, as “Key Partners”. It also attaches great importance to its efforts to further engage Asia, a region known for its remarkable economic growth. In this regard, the OECD decided to launch a Southeast Asia Regional Programme in 2013. In connection with the G20, the OECD has been making contributions particularly in the area of tax administration by exchanging information on taxes and through efforts such as Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS).
In 2014, Japan, as the Chair of the Ministerial Council Meeting, will make its utmost efforts to tackle issues in the areas of economic and social policies which the international community is faced with by fully utilising Japan’s capacity and strong points. In the same vein, this Delegation will make available the details of the OECD’s activities as well as Japan’s efforts through the OECD throughout the year 2014, which is a 50th anniversary of Japan’s accession to the OECD.
I hope our webpage will serve to help you better understand the OECD's activities and outputs as well as its relationship with Japan.