Secretary-General of the OECD Visiting Australia

The Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Mr Angel Gurría, is visiting Australia at the invitation of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Trade.

This is Mr Gurría’s first official visit to Australia as OECD Secretary-General.

Mr Gurría will attend the APEC Structural Reform Ministerial Meeting in Melbourne from 3 to 5 August. The meeting, chaired by the Treasurer, will consider improvements that can be made to institutional frameworks, regulations and government policy. The OECD is a leading proponent of the benefits of structural reform.

During his visit, Mr Gurría will meet the Prime Minister and a number of government ministers including the Minister for Trade and the Minister for Foreign Affairs. They will discuss a range of key policy issues, including developments in the global economy and financial markets, climate change, investment issues, trade, innovation, and education and employment policies.

"I greatly enjoyed the productive meeting I had with Secretary-General Gurría at the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting in June. I look forward to further discussions with him in Melbourne, and in particular exchanging views on developments last week in Geneva and how the multilateral trading negotiations might be developed from here," Mr Crean said.

Mr Gurría’s other meetings will include business and union leaders . The Secretary-General will also be the keynote speaker at an International Forum at the University of Sydney.

The OECD is an organisation of 30 countries that provides a forum where governments can compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, and seek solutions to major global challenges. Australia benefits significantly from the opportunity to exchange ideas and develop policy best practice across a broad range of issues in economic, environmental and social policy.

A Mexican national, Mr Gurría took up the post of Secretary-General of the OECD in June 2006 following a distinguished career in public service, including two ministerial posts. He served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs (1994-98) and as Secretary of Finance (1998-2000) under former President Ernesto Zedillo.

Media Inquiries: Mr Crean's office 02 6277 7420 - Departmental Media Liaison 02 6261 1555