On 18 October 2022, the Cabinet approved the annual information report on Latvia’s membership of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). The report has been prepared in association with line ministries and subordinate institutions, and it provides and overview of Latvia’s cooperation with the OECD as well as the areas and ways how OECD recommendations and best practice are implemented in Latvia.
The report concludes that OECD evaluations and recommendations remain a significant support for Latvian experts and policy makers in order to sustain the quality of Latvia’s legislation, bringing it closer up to the highest standards of international policy on governance. Latvia’s preparedness to entrust carrying out assessments on topics important for Latvia to the OECD is proof of the high level of trust in the OECD’s expertise and best practice. March 2022, following a two-year cycle, saw the presentation of the OECD Economic Survey on Latvia, which evaluates the economic situation in Latvia, the course of principal reforms and challenges to the national economy as well as offering recommendations.
Bilateral projects with the OECD keep providing the opportunity to engage with the organisation’s experts in surveying the situation in Latvia and obtaining recommendations for more effective policy models. The projects with the OECD are carried out in the most diverse fields, for instance, accessibility of housing, employers’ support for skills development of their employees, and devising of innovation governance mechanisms to promote the competitiveness of the private sector.
Not only are Latvian experts using OECD recommendations increasingly more often to draft policy documents and legislation, they are also actively involved in OECD work by contributing to the development of best practice and recommendations, and taking part in the organising and management of work in committees. Latvia’s officials have regularly participated in peer reviews in other member states and in governance capacity building projects in third countries introducing partners to Latvia’s best policy practice.
The war launched by Russia on Ukraine caused considerable changes to the OECD’s agenda. The OECD Council unanimously condemned Russia’s aggression as a clear violation of international law and serious threat to the rules-based international order. Shortly after, the OECD stopped cooperation with Russia and Belarus and suspended the participation of the two countries in OECD bodies. At the same time, an OECD Ukraine office was established to promote cooperation with Ukraine, coordinate the OECD’s contribution to post-war recovery, and provide assistance in the implementation of structural reforms.
Latvia is one of the member states supporting enhanced cooperation with Ukraine and the allocation of funds from the OECD’s main budget for work with Ukraine. Latvia will also make further effort towards keeping the war of Russia on Ukraine high on the organisation’s agenda.