Foreword by Zbigniew Rau Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland

Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland

Foreword by Zbigniew Rau Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland

Russia’s unjustifiable, unprovoked and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine is a flagrant violation of international law that shakes the very foundation of the international order. Any unilateral attempts to redraw internationally recognised borders by force or by other means are unacceptable. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in the strongest possible terms and suspended Russia’s and Belarus’ participation in OECD bodies. Poland and other Member States of the OECD stand in solidarity with Ukraine. The OECD family is determined to help the Ukrainian people, support their democratically elected government, and protect refugees throughout this crisis.

Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion, more than 4.2 million people from Ukraine have entered Poland. Relief efforts take place at multiple levels: the Polish government has immediately set up a very extensive assistance system, providing relief in Ukraine itself, but also aiding those already in Poland. Extensive logistics and accommodation facilities have been prepared, and above all, the entire process of transferring refugees to areas that can accommodate them has been launched.

As a country that is strongly committed to effective multilateralism, the principles of international law, market economy, rules-based trade and investment flows, Poland is active in all relevant international fora, including the OECD. We believe that the OECD has a far more significant role to play now, not as an elite club of highlydeveloped market economies, but as an international organisation of Member States united by the shared values. The OECD contributes to achieving a sustainable and inclusive growth and preserving economic stability by setting new standards, rules and norms. Poland is committed to supporting the Organisation’s external engagement to increase adherence to OECD standards and to promote sustainable development and peace more widely in the world. Especially now, when the Russian authoritarian regime undermines the whole international order by military force, we are obliged to consolidate the economic and social foundations of democracy, strengthen the rules-based free and fair economic order, as well as to promote multilateral solutions to global problems.

The OECD is a unique forum for the exchange of experiences and best practices within the Committees composed of the Delegates from Member States supported by the Secretariat. The role of OECD Committee Chairs is essential for the development of norms and standards, elaborating relevant recommendations and conducting the peer reviews.

This compilation of the views and insights of the OECD Committee Chairs has been initiated and edited under the guidance of Ambassador Aleksander Surdej, Poland’s Permanent Representative to the OECD. I do hope that the second edition of this valuable publication will be a useful tool for understanding the OECD’s unique working methods based on the Committee’s work.