Kazakhstan and OECD
Eurasian Competitiveness Program
Kazakhstan’s cooperation with the OECD has started in 2008 as part of the Eurasian Competitiveness Program (hereinafter referred to as the YPC) which includes 13 countries of Central Asia, the Caucasus and Eastern Europe.
YPC is implemented with the aim of attracting investments, increasing competitiveness and developing private entrepreneurship in Eurasia. The program aims to assist countries in developing policies to improve the business climate based on OECD standards and tools.
In 2011 Kazakhstan was invited by the OECD to join the Steering Committee of the Central Asian Initiative of the OECD Eurasian Competitiveness Program (CAI) provided that the country becomes a donor to the Program. Thus, the Agreement on financing the budget of the Program for 2011-2012 in the amount of 800 thousand euros was signed between the RoK Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and the OECD in order to finance the activities of the YPC in 2011.
In the period of 2013-2016 Kazakhstan had been a co-chair of the Central Asian Initiative of the OECD Eurasian Competitiveness Program in conjunction with the European Union.
Country program of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the OECD
In January 2015 in Davos the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the OECD Secretary General signed the Country Cooperation Program. The program is a unique OECD tool allowing non-Organization countries to adopt the OECD experience and standards.
Subsequently after the Country Cooperation Program was signed in 2015 all the OECD projects are being implemented within the framework of the Country Program.
The ountry Cooperation Program consists of two phases. The Republic of Kazakhstan has implemented 20 events already within the first phase of the Country Program for the period of 2015-2016.
And 16 activities had been implemented within the second phase of the Country Program which ended in December 2018.
The form of cooperation within the framework of the Country Program involves carrying out work in three areas: (1) conducting industry reviews and parity assessments, (2) active participation of the country in committees and working bodies, (3) joining legal instruments.
Due to the Country Program been completed in December 2018 the cooperation between Kazakhstan and the OECD is to be continued within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Kazakhstan and the OECD for 2019-2022.
OECD Coordination Council
To ensure effective coordination of programs and initiatives the Coordinating Council for cooperation with the OECD was created under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in which all government bodies at the ministerial level are involved.
General coordination at the national level is carried out by the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Ministerial Teams in Priority Areas
In order to strengthen cooperation between government bodies and OECD Committees and ensure coordination over government bodies on the implementation of OECD projects, Ministerial Teams were formed headed by leaders at the level of Vice Ministers in such priority areas as:
- tax policy;
- education and innovation;
- social development and skills;
- investments and transport;
- green economy;
- corruption and integrity;
- public administration;
- competition - SMEs and corporate governance;
- agriculture
Each team is to determine the strategy for interaction with OECD Committees and working bodies, hold internal discussions on developing a common position on the issues under consideration, propose permanent delegates (persons of Kazakhstan) to OECD events, work on ongoing projects, provide interaction and all kinds of support for OECD missions in Kazakhstan, and also make proposals for new projects and expand cooperation with the OECD.
Each Team, in addition to the leader, will include two coordinators, as well as five to seven permanent research analysts from government agencies, research centers of ministries.
The section on the Republic of Kazakhstan on the official OECD website can be visited here.
Participation of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the OECD working bodies
Accession of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the OECD legal instruments
