Uruguay has formally taken over the Presidency of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) economic development program for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Building on Strengths and International Partnerships
The OECD’s economic development program for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) brings together OECD member countries and regional partners working to design, coordinate, and implement effective public policies to address common development challenges and promote sustained, inclusive growth.
The presidency, which the Uruguayan government and the organization will hold in joint coordination until 2028, will be based on four pillars: productivity, social inclusion, institutions, governance, and environmental sustainability.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its involvement in this area of the OECD, will continue working to strengthen the program, so that its actions are in line with the real interests of the countries of the region and benefit their population,” said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Valeria Csukasi.
An Opportunity to Lead the Region
The OECD economic development program for Latin America and the Caribbean is designed to support and stimulate public policy innovation and regional cooperation to tackle the challenges that countries in the region face. From strengthening social protection systems to promoting sustainable economic growth, the program plays a crucial role in helping countries build more inclusive and prosperous societies.
Uruguay’s new position will enable the country to strengthen and diversify South-South cooperation with countries in the region, advancing governance, transparency, competitiveness, and other essential aspects for the well-being of society.
Strengthening dialogue and collaboration among countries, international organizations, and civil society will be central to the new round of work under Uruguay’s coordination. In this sense, Deputy Minister Csukasi advanced that her visit to the OECD headquarters was an opportunity to meet with international partners in order to define work priorities and identify cooperation opportunities. “We have also had the opportunity to meet with the Secretary-General of the OECD, Mr. Mathias Cormann, and with Ms. Elsa Pilichowski, Director of Public Governance, among others,” said the deputy minister.
Dialogue and consensus-building among governments, civil society, and the private sector are key to achieving the goals of the economic development program. The program’s member countries and partner nations in the region agreed to structure their work around four strategic pillars of action. These include productivity, social inclusion, strengthening institutions and governance, and sustainability.
Promoting Productivity and Innovation
One of the program’s key pillars is productivity, which is essential to economic growth and competitiveness. The OECD and participating governments will work together to support policies that help Latin American and Caribbean countries increase productivity, including by integrating small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) into regional and global value chains.
Opening access to technology and improving training and financing for SMEs are priorities that will receive particular attention during the Uruguayan Presidency. The program also supports innovation and competitiveness through better policy design and implementation, helping businesses to grow and compete in regional and global markets.
Expanding Opportunities for All
Expanding social inclusion and access to labor markets is another strategic objective. The OECD will work with Latin American and Caribbean governments to promote more inclusive social protection systems, better vocational training, and access to education.
Attention will also be paid to the benefits of digital transformation, given that many people in the region do not yet have equal access to these technologies. The expansion of public transport and urban infrastructure is also a clear priority to make access to employment and services more inclusive.
Building Stronger Institutions and Governance
Strengthening institutions and governance is critical for creating more transparent, accountable, and effective public policies. The OECD program promotes best practices in public administration and supports a culture of integrity to build trust between governments and citizens.
Uruguay will support countries in the region to improve their institutional performance, strengthen the rule of law, and protect human rights. Policies that promote fiscal transparency, for example, can also help attract more investment and make public spending more efficient and transparent.
Environmental Sustainability and Resilience
Latin America and the Caribbean face significant environmental challenges, including climate change, deforestation, and natural disasters. The OECD economic development program supports countries in the region to develop and implement environmentally sound policies, strengthen resilience to climate-related risks, and better manage natural resources.
The program also supports clean energy transitions and efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Biodiversity protection is also high on the list of the governments’ and OECD’s environmental priorities.
Enhancing Regional Cooperation and Dialogue
During her official visit to the headquarters of the OECD, Deputy Minister Csukasi had the opportunity to meet with different international partners to exchange on issues of common interest. Among these, she held a meeting with the OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann, with whom she discussed the strengthening of relations between Uruguay and the Organization in key areas such as the quality of institutions, good governance, and sustainable growth.
“We agreed on the need to continue working together in order to ensure that regional public policies are aligned with best practices in OECD countries, which will help increase transparency and competitiveness,” said the Deputy Minister after the meeting.
Subsequently, she met with Anabel Gonzalez, Vice President for Countries and Regional Integration of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), with whom she identified opportunities to explore synergies between the IDB’s regional integration projects and the OECD’s capacity-building initiatives.
In turn, she had meetings with Ragnheidur Elin Arnadottir, Director of the OECD Development Center, and Elsa Pilichowski, Director for Public Governance in the OECD, to discuss opportunities for advancing policy coherence in areas of common interest such as digital government, education, and transparency.
21st Meeting of the Executive Committee
Dya Cukasi also co-chaired, together with Costa Rica’s Minister of Foreign Trade, Manuel Tovar, the 21st meeting of the Executive Committee of the program’s participants, which served to assess progress made in recent years and to give shape to the next phase of work.
She also participated in a session with members from various countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and officials of the OECD. She also presented a speech in which she highlighted Uruguay’s strengths in matters such as digital government, green energy, and social protection, and expressed her government’s commitment to working in a pragmatic way to develop public policies that ensure the well-being of citizens and benefit from synergies with regional and multilateral work.
Uruguay’s Presidency
Member countries and partner nations recognized Uruguay’s pragmatic approach and record of successful governance and economic management, with its emphasis on social protection, green energy, and regional integration.
During the next stage of the work program, Uruguay will focus on building long-term and effective partnerships, translating policy recommendations into practical results, and leveraging its experience in innovation to support reforms in other countries in the region.