How we work

We provide knowledge that Members and partners can use as they make policy decisions. Our analysis is captured in the more than 500 major reports and country surveys and more than 5 billion data points we release every year, as well as the hundreds of policy briefs, articles and digital content on policy issues that we produce. As one of the world’s largest and most trusted sources of comparable statistics, data and policy analysis, we help inform debates in parliaments, the media, and research work. We scan and anticipate economic, environmental and social change, and provide country-specific reviews at the request of governments.

We help to guide and inform the international policy debates in global fora. We contribute to virtually all of the G20 work strands with data, analytical reports, policy recommendations and standards, and we collaborate with the G7, Deauville Partnership, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and African Union Commission, as well as many others. We provide leadership in key areas at the request of governments, such as on tax avoidance, the fight against corruption, and digital transformation which can only be tackled through cross-border approaches. We help to foster effective international co-operation that improves economic outcomes and everyday lives.

As a forum and knowledge hub focused on designing better policies to improve lives, we convene countries and a range of partners from around the world to explore innovative ideas and best practices across the entire policy spectrum. Through its substantive committees and their subsidiary bodies, policy makers and policy shapers share insights and inspiration, tackling tough issues like inequality, youth unemployment, the gender gap, migrant integration, or ageing in poverty, to ensure that successes and challenges in one place can help inform and benefit others.

Representatives from governments, parliaments, other international organisations, business, labour, non-governmental organisations and academia all bring a unique perspective to guide change. While some 4 000 meetings and other events take place each year at the OECD, our experts are present where the debates are happening, working directly with governments and broader civil society in countries and through consultations.

The OECD sets international standards in collaboration with relevant stakeholders. OECD standards range from legally binding Decisions and international agreements, such as the 1997 Anti-bribery Convention, to non-binding Recommendations and Declarations, such as the 2019 AI Recommendation. Since the creation of the OECD in 1961, more than 500 substantive legal instruments have been developed within its framework in a variety of areas: from consumer protection and chemical testing, to responsible business conduct and to safeguarding the environment. Some of our benchmarks include the Polluter Pays Principle and safety testing codes for tractors. OECD standards aim to level the playing field, facilitate transfers across borders and improve wellbeing and outcomes for citizens. They are one of the most visible ways in which the OECD has a concrete impact in co-ordinating positive outcomes for Members and their citizens. OECD standards are particularly important in the context of the ongoing accession processes, in which there is an in-depth technical evaluation of candidate countries against all OECD legal instruments resulting in concrete recommendations to improve alignment.