Today, Costa Rica celebrates the first anniversary since it became the 38th member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It’s the only Central American country and the fourth Latin American country to achieve this important milestone.
A note from the Presidential Office indicated that Costa Rica’s membership is an international recognition of its commitment to promote a reformative agenda for the continuous improvement of its public policies in line with the best international practices.
“My warm congratulations to Costa Rica on its first anniversary as a member of the OECD,” said OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann.
“To become a member of the OECD, Costa Rica undertook important and transformative reforms, helping to deliver better living standards for the people of Costa Rica. We look forward to Costa Rica’s continued strong contribution as a valued member of our Organization,” he added.
President Rodrigo Chaves mentioned: “our administration is ready and committed to make the most of our membership in the OECD, to make public management and the functioning of the State and internal markets more efficient, with the ultimate goal of transforming our institutional framework and achieving a substantial improvement in the quality of life of Costa Ricans.”
“We understand Costa Rica’s work with the OECD is a catalyst for key reforms to achieve the urgent change we are facing and increase the well-being of all,” he further commented.
The OECD provides its members with rigorous tools to make timely and evidence-based decisions, including the application of periodic evaluations, which improve people’s quality of life. It also seeks to ensure citizens are always at the center of decision-making and encourages governments to work towards a more transparent and efficient state.
Working together with the Organization over the years has proven to be a powerful mechanism for improving public management in line with the best international practices.
“OECD membership is just the beginning of a project with the potential to further modernize the public system and provide people with a better quality of life. Therefore, the inter-institutional team will have to continue working on the implementation of pending commitments and making the most of this membership,” explained Manuel Tovar, Minister of Foreign Trade.
The country is currently working on fulfilling its post-accession commitments and preparing for upcoming evaluations, such as the one that will take place in October 2022 at the OECD’s Committee for Economic and Development Analysis.
