Brazil is considering requesting changes to its OECD accession proposal

The new Brazilian government is considering requesting changes in its proposal to join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Finance Minister Fernando Haddad explained today that this process is already underway and could undergo some modifications.

Speaking at a conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Haddad said that nothing prevents a nation from applying for admission to the OECD according to its interests and that the issue is being discussed in a working group that will advise President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on the next steps to be taken by Brazil.

“It is not an all-or-nothing situation. There is room for discussion. Brazil can make changes to its petition. So can other countries,” he added after meeting with OECD Secretary General Mathias Cormann. Haddad recalled that Brazil already participates in the meetings of several OECD technical committees.

Brazil formally applied to join the OECD in 2017.

However, in recent years, during the mandate of Jair Bolsonaro, the accession gained more momentum after obtaining the support of the United States in exchange for ceding the special status Brazil had in the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Since then, the process of joining the OECD has cooled down, as Brazil needs to present a series of measures yet to be fulfilled.

In another aspect, Haddad recalled that Brazil’s international agenda in the coming years would be complex, as the country will assume the presidency of several multilateral organizations and will have to develop a solid policy to participate in these mechanisms.

“Brazil’s relationship with the world is complex and encompasses many forums. Brazil assumes the presidency of the G20, then the Brics and Mercosur.

The country has a strong presence in all forums and participates in all multilateral organizations, so it needs to design a policy.

“This will be done with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Then, the ministries will align themselves with the president’s determination”, he stated.

On Brazil’s participation in the Davos Forum, Haddad said that the balance was positive and that the country managed to convey tranquility to the international community after the pro-coup riots of Jan. 8.

“I am leaving the forum satisfied with what I heard about Brazil. When I came here, I was surprised by the degree of concern for Brazil. I think Marina Silva (Minister of Environment) and I tried to show that Brazil is still strong, and people were happy to hear that,” he concluded.