Council has designated Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and South Africa as Key Partners of the OECD. We collaborate across countries at a regional level, notably through regional initiatives, spanning Africa, Eurasia, the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and South East Europe. Today, our 37 Member countries span the globe, from North and South America to Europe and Asia-Pacific. The OECD accession process has become increasingly rigorous over time, reflecting the growing expertise of the Organisation, the increasing number of legal instruments adopted, and the demonstrated value of providing candidate countries with a more thorough assessment of their policy framework to encourage reforms. Colombia has become the OECD’s 37th Member country. We have successfully conducted and completed two Country Programmes – with Peru and Kazakhstan – and are currently implementing two additional programmes with Thailand and Morocco, and discussing future programmes with Egypt and Viet Nam. The Joint Programmes of Work contribute to enhanced co-operation and to progressively bringing the Key Partners closer to OECD standards. Regional initiatives help facilitate policy benchmarking and the exchange of good practices between countries in a specific geographical area within and across regions. Through our Country-specific approaches, the OECD supported Tunisia (in 2012) and Ukraine (in 2014) as part of this joint work. The 2012 Ministerial Council Meeting marks the fifth anniversary of the launching of Enhanced Engagement, aimed at advancing the OECD’s relationship with five Key Partners, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and South Africa. Key partners contribute to the OECD's work in a sustained and comprehensive manner. Key partners. This often results in a series of recommendations for change to align the candidate country further to OECD standards and best practices. All Committees are expected to engage with these countries and can invite them as Invitee or Participant without prior Council approval. They are represented by ambassadors at the OECD Council, which defines and oversees our work, as set out in the OECD Convention. These are means of strengthening the relevance and the impact of OECD activities at a global level. Today, our 37 Member countries span the globe, from North and South America to Europe and Asia-Pacific. The most recent country to join the OECD was Colombia, in April 2020. Non-member countries and economies may also be invited to participate in OECD meetings through different levels of partnerships, as well as Global Fora. The OECD brings together Member countries and a range of partners that collaborate on key global issues at national, regional and local levels. They participate in the OECD’s daily work, bringing useful perspectives and increasing the relevance of policy debates. Similar programmes are currently under discussion with India and South Africa. Member countries engage with our experts, use our data and analysis to inform policy decisions,  and play a key role in our country reviews, which are designed to encourage better performances. 1. Through our standards, programmes and initiatives, we  help drive and anchor reform in more than 100 countries around the world, building on our collective wisdom and shared values. Each country participates in OECD work through a programme containing a mix of several elements, notably: The actual mix and the sequencing of the elements is determined by mutual interest. Inviting Key Partners as Associates still requires approval by Council. This roadmap lists the technical reviews to be undertaken by OECD committees in various policy areas in order to evaluate the candidate country’s willingness and ability to implement relevant OECD legal instruments, as well as its policies and practices compared with OECD best policies and practices in the corresponding policy area. We work with a range of countries through Country programmes and Country-specific approaches – to help them move closer to OECD standards and policy recommendations and support their policy reforms in specific pre-determined areas, such as integrity, anti-corruption, governance, rule of law, investment, business climate. The European Commission participates in our work, but it does not have the right to vote. Joint Programmes of Work have been developed with Brazil, China and Indonesia – starting 2014. These are means of strengthening the relevance and the impact of OECD activities at a global level. A central element of the programme is the promotion of direct and active participation of these countries in the work of substantive bodies of the Organisation. Member countries engage with our experts, use our data and analysis to inform policy decisions, and play a key role in our country reviews, which are designed to encourage better performances. The OECD Council, which comprises of all the Members of the Organisation, decides on the opening of accession discussions and considerations to open an accession process can be made on the initiative of the Council itself or upon receipt of a written request by a country interested in OECD membership. Key Partners Key partners contribute to the OECD's work in a sustained and comprehensive manner. They are represented by ambassadors at the OECD Council, which defines and oversees our work, as set out in the OECD Convention. Key partners contribute to the OECD's work in a sustained and comprehensive manner. In April 2015, accession discussions began with Costa Rica, and the process is now well under way. A central element of the programme is the promotion of direct and active participation of these countries in the work of substantive bodies of the Organisation. Becoming a Member of the OECD is not a simple formality but is the result of an increasingly rigorous review process. An accession roadmap is then adopted by the Council, setting out the terms, conditions and process for accession. Since 2010, seven new countries have joined the OECD. In addition, the Organisation has developed with some regions of special interest, a few comprehensive regional programmes. The OECD Development Centre, which includes countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America, facilitates policy dialogue for and with developing and emerging economies. An Accession Agreement is signed and the candidate country takes the necessary domestic steps and deposits an instrument of accession to the OECD Convention with the depositary. Each country participates in OECD work through a programme containing a mix of several elements, notably: The actual mix and the sequencing of the elements is determined by mutual interest. See also - the OECD "Active with..."  series: ‌Latin Americaand the Caribbean English‌ | Español, Integration into OECD statistical reporting and information systems. Key Partners participate in policy discussions in OECD bodies, take part in regular OECD surveys and are included in statistical databases. Conditions On the date of deposit, the country formally becomes a Member of the OECD. The objective is to help decision makers find policy solutions to stimulate growth and improve living conditions in developing and emerging economies. The European Commission participates in our work, but it does not ha… A central element of the programme is the promotion of direct and active participation of these countries in the work of substantive bodies of the Organisation. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), © Exhibition of photo portraits, exploring changing realities and perceptions of work across continents and generations . A central element of the collaboration is the promotion of direct and active participation of these countries in the work of substantive bodies of the Organisation. They also help guide countries towards globally recognised standards and ambitious reform agendas to unlock greater prosperity and well-being for citizens, including at a local and city level. The partner(s) will be in alignment with the OECD values, mission and objectives, and its leadership strongly committed to enabling positive change and impact on citizens’ life. The OECD works closely with some of the world’s largest economies: Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, and South Africa, who are OECD Key Partners. Organisation for Economic, integration into OECD statistical reporting and information systems, The OECD's Relations with its Key Partners, Meeting of the OECD Council at Ministerial Level 2012, The Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) 2011.