Ministers from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Latin America and the Caribbean countries, and partner international organizations convened in Paris today with a shared vision of strengthening their strategic partnership.
The OECD 2025 Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) this week, chaired by Costa Rica, will feature a strong focus on Latin America and the Caribbean as preparations continue for the 10th anniversary of the Latin American and the Caribbean Regional Programme (LACRP) in 2026.
At a High-Level Session of the Steering Group of the OECD’s Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Regional Programme today, OECD Secretary General Mathias Cormann shared OECD members’ commitment to a strengthened partnership with the region expressed in a major deliverable of the Ministerial Council Meeting: the forthcoming OECD Strategic Framework for Latin America and the Caribbean.
“The OECD has worked with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean over the past three decades, during which time Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Costa Rica have joined the Organisation,” OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said. “The accession processes with Argentina, Brazil and Peru mark another historic step forward for both for the LAC region and for the OECD.”
Manuel Tovar, Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica, the Chair of the 2025 MCM, said: “As Chair of the 2025 OECD Ministerial Council Meeting, Costa Rica proudly places Latin America and Caribbean at the forefront of the Organisation’s political and strategic agenda. Costa Rica remains a steadfast advocate for regional priorities, a champion of high standards, and a driving force behind efforts to build a more inclusive, responsive, and representative OECD, one that truly reflects the diversity and dynamism of its global partnerships.”
Patricia Frutos, Vice-Minister for Economic Relations and Integration of Paraguay welcomed the forthcoming Paraguay Country Programme as another key deliverable of the MCM, to be signed by OECD Secretary General Mathias Cormann and the Minister of Economy and Finance of Paraguay, Carlos Fernández Valdovinos on 10 June. She also invited OECD members, LAC countries and partners to attend the 3rd OECD-LAC Ministerial Summit on Governance which will take place in Asunción, Paraguay on 10 November 2025.
Also, at the Regional Programme Steering Group meeting, Minister Tovar and the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, Valeria Csukazi accepted the nomination of Costa Rica and Uruguay to become Co-Chairs of the OECD LAC Regional Programme for the cycle (2026-2029). The handover from the current Co-Chairs Colombia and Paraguay will take place at the OECD-LAC Ministerial Summit in Asunción.
The 17th International Economic Forum on Latin America and the Caribbean (follow live here), jointly organised by the OECD Development Centre, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the French Development Agency (AFD), brings together leaders from the public and private sectors, international organisations and civil society to discuss options for the region to mobilise more private resources for investment in sustainable development, ahead of the 4th United Nations Conference on Financing for Development in Sevilla and the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice.
Two publications on Latin America are released today:
The Gender and Trade Review of Latin America is launched in the context of a meeting of the Global Trade and Gender Arrangement (GTAGA), which includes OECD members and LAC accession countries (Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, New Zealand and Peru). The report highlights the different impact of trade policies on women and men and provides recommendations for gender-responsive trade policies to promote the effective participation of women in international trade in the region.
A follow up to the 3rd OECD-LAC Ministerial on Social Inclusion held in October 2024 in Colombia, a report on Gender equality in Education, Skills, and STEM Careers in Latin America and the Caribbean uses data from PISA and PIAAC to analyse gender gaps in secondary school attainment, academic performance, career choices, and skills acquisition, comparing regional patterns to OECD countries. The report provides recommendations on addressing systemic barriers faced by women and girls and offers policy recommendations to promote gender equity in education, skills, and the workforce, especially in STEM fields, to drive economic and social progress.
As part of the strengthened partnership with the region, the OECD is signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA) marking a new chapter in the cooperation with this sub-region fostering regional integration, infrastructure, and SME development in Central America. The Organisation is also renewing existing Memoranda of Understanding with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Ibero-American Secretariat (SEGIB). (Press Release / https://www.oecd.org/en/about/news/press-releases/2025/06/oecd-revitalises-and-strengthens-its-longstanding-partnership-with-latin-america-and-the-caribbean.html)
