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  1. Global Relations
  2. Partnerships in OECD Bodies
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Partnerships in OECD bodies

Global reach has been integral to the work of the OECD since its beginning in 1961. Alongside the Organisation’s 38 Members, other countries and economies may be invited to participate in any of its committees and other bodies.

Such countries and economies are referred to as Partners, and their participation enables the exchange of best practices, standards and expertise. To determine which Partners should be invited, each committee formulates a Global Relations Strategy.

How do partnerships work?

Types of partnerships

Partners can be invited in three different capacities:

  • Invitees are invited to one meeting at a time, for non-confidential items only. A committee needs a one-off clearance from Council to invite a certain Partner as Invitee and may then decide if and when it wishes to invite this Partner;
  • Participants are entitled to be invited to all the committee's non-confidential meetings;
  • Associates participate in a committee, a project or the development or discussion of a legal instrument with the same rights and obligations as OECD Members.  However, they cannot attend discussions on the accession of new Members to the Organisation.

Participation Plans

On the basis of its Global Relations strategy, each committee will draw up a Participation Plan, for approval by Council.  These Plans identify the Partners and the capacity in which they have been invited.  The Plans also specify the conditions to be met by Associates and the fee they have to pay.

Key Partners

Council has designated Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and South Africa as Key Partners of the OECD. All Committees are expected to engage with these countries and can invite them as Invitee or Participant without prior Council approval. Inviting Key Partners as Associates still requires approval by Council.

Conditions

Invitees and Participants are expected to participate actively in the committee's meetings and, for Participants, in other committee work and by providing the information which the committee may require. Associates are expected to meet the same conditions, but also to make a commitment to the committee's goals, practices and high standards, demonstrated by their policies and by adhering to the main legal instruments for which the committee is responsible.

Fees

Invitees do not pay annual fees, whereas Participants and Associates do. The annual fees are calculated every year, taking into consideration the official inflation rate of the OECD host country, France. Fees are pro-rated in the first year of participation, except for the Project on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS), for which the fee is fixed.

For the financial year 2023, the annual fees are as follows:

  • Participants in Part I and Part II bodies:
    • 13,300 EUR for Participant status in a committee.
    • 4,500 EUR for Participant status in a working party, if they are not Participants and do not pay the fee in the parent committee.
    • There is one exception: Participants in the Centre of Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) Governing Board pay 32,801 EUR as per the CERI Mandate, which is an amount equal to the floor contribution

 

  • Associates in Part I bodies: 63,200 EUR or 25,000 EUR for a committee, as decided by the latter and provided all Associates are charged the same amount. There are, however, a few exceptions:
    • Associates adhering to the Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises: 9,000 EUR
    • Associates in Mutual Acceptance of Data (MAD)-related bodies of the Chemicals and Biotechnology Committee: 7,000 EUR
    • Associates in the Project on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS): 59,300 EUR (for Associates before 2016) or 22,900 EUR
    • Associates in the Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions: calculated on the basis used for Members’ assessments of the estimated costs of this Working Group, including a 10 per cent overhead charge, or a fee of 1.5 times the relevant Participant fee, whichever is higher

 

  • Associates in OECD bodies in which Members' participation is optional ("Part II bodies") pay an annual fee calculated on the same basis as Members' contributions to the budget or a fee of 1.5 times the relevant Participant fee, whichever is higher.

Termination

Invitations as Participant or Associate are usually issued for open-ended periods, although exceptions may apply.   The OECD or the Partner itself may terminate a Partner's status with a 12-months' notice.  The OECD may also terminate this status immediately if the Partner repeatedly fails to meet its obligations, including the payment of its fees.

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