Minister says Brazil is the most engaged non-member country in the OECD

Reports presented on digital transformation and telecommunications show that Brazil has progress and challenges in the areas

Presentation of the studies "Towards the Digital Era in Brazil" and "Telecommunications and Broadcasting in Brazil", prepared by the OECD. - Photo: Kenny Olee

Nov 2, Brasília: The minister of Foreign Affairs, Ernesto Araújo, returned to defend, Monday (26), the entry of Brazil in the Organization for the Cooperation and Economic Development (OECD), during an event with the participation of representatives of the organization.

According to Ernesto Araújo, Brazil is, at the moment, the non-member country most engaged with the organization, having adopted 96 of the 248 legal instruments of the OECD.

“We hope, in these circumstances, that the members will be able to overcome their different positions regarding the expansion of the organization so that Brazil can begin its adhesion process in the short term. Brazil currently enjoys the support of all members to initiate such procedures, ”said the minister.

And he added: “We are convinced that full adherence will be important for Brazilian reforms, intensifying Brazilian integration into the international economy”.

Brazil has made efforts to integrate the OECD, as the organization represents an international quality seal that can increase the country's credibility, boosting investments, opening up trade and generating jobs. It means aligning Brazil with the best public policy practices in the world.

In May, American President Donald Trump declared support for Brazil during President Jair Bolsonaro's visit to Washington.

Digital Transformation

Two publications prepared by the OECD, A Caminho da Era Digital no Brasil and Telecomunicações e Radiodifusão in Brazil, presented on Monday made an analysis of the panorama of digital transformation and telecommunications in Brazil and show that the country has advances and challenges in these areas.

In the presentation, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría cited data that account for significant advances in Brazil in recent years such as the increase in the percentage of people accessing the internet that reached 70% in 2018, compared to 25% in 2016. And he added that important laws have been passed in the country to strengthen digital security, the protection of personal data and the protection of consumers.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ernesto Araújo, said that the studies are in line with the opening of Brazil to new technologies. “The study addresses the core of several issues that Brazil today is dedicated to solving, such as bureaucracy, greater integration in global value chains and policies more focused on results in terms of innovation, infrastructure and data security, among others”, said.

Internet governance and 5G

A recommendation from the publication A Caminho da Era Digital no Brasil is that the 5G auction in Brazil should be carefully designed in order to guarantee market competition. "High-quality communication services at competitive prices are crucial for the digital transformation in Brazil", says the text.

The Minister of Communications, Fábio Faria, said that some of the recommendations made by the OECD have already been implemented by the Government, such as the regulation of the General Antenna Law that facilitates and accelerates the deployment of telecommunications networks. "In addition, the economic freedom law, signed last year, provides a favourable business and investment environment in the country," he said.

Among the conclusions presented in the study Telecommunications and Radio Broadcasting in Brazil, are that Brazil has strengthened its legal and regulatory framework for communications in recent years, showing that the Government understood the need to carry out regulatory reform, to have a solid and ensure effective competition in the country.

Another point highlighted by the publication is the institutional structure of internet governance in Brazil, which is coordinated by the Internet Steering Committee in Brazil (CGI.br). “CGI.br is an example of good practices in institutional arrangements capable of involving different types of relevant actors in the Internet ecosystem”, records the text.

The OECD

Headquartered in Paris, France, it is an international organization that brings together the most advanced economies in the world, as well as some emerging countries such as South Korea, Chile, Mexico and Turkey.

It was founded on December 14, 1961, succeeding the Organization for European Economic Cooperation, created on April 16, 1948. It is a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems. It is dedicated to research and studies to improve public policies in the most diverse areas and to exchange experiences between member countries and partners.

The 37 OECD countries are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United States and the United Kingdom.

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