PARIS -- The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) announced Monday that it has formally started talks with five prospective members to help them confront the challenges and opportunities posed by globalization.
The OECD said in a statement that the so-called "road maps" setting a negotiating framework for the five countries had been approved, marking the formal launch of the negotiation progress. The five countries are Chile, Estonia, Israel, Russia and Slovenia.
OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria urged governments to work together to tackle issues like innovation, intellectual property rights, poverty, inequality, climate change and international migration. He added the OECD provides a forum for doing this.
Analysts said that with the strong economic growth of Russia, Brazil, China and India in recent years, the OECD hoped to draw on new members to enhance its representation. Earlier, the organization had also announced plans to engage other significant economies including South Africa, Brazil, China, India and Indonesia.
Founded in 1961 in Paris, the OECD defines its mission as being to help make the world economy work effectively and efficiently. The organization currently has 30 members.
