Economic Diplomacy

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Japan’s accession to the OECD. In 1964, Japan became the first Asian country to join the OECD. Since then, Japan has further opened its economy by way of liberalisation in line with the OECD Codes of Liberalisation of Capital Movements and of Current Invisible Operations, and this resulted in Japan’s economic growth supported by free trade and investment.

Japan chaired the 2024 OECD Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) in this milestone year. The OECD Ministerial Council Meeting is held once a year at the ministerial level, and it is the most important meeting of the OECD's highest decision-making body, the Council. This was the third time that Japan assumed the Chair since joining the OECD, following the first two in 1978 and 2014.

The 2024 OECD MCM was held in Paris on May 2 and 3. As the Chair of this meeting, Japan led discussions to maintain and expand a rules-based free and fair economic order under the theme of “Co-creating the Flow of Change: Leading Global Discussions with Objective and Reliable Approaches towards Sustainable and Inclusive Growth”.

• "OECD and Japan Celebrating 60 Years of Membership” (Leaflet) (English (PDF) / Japanese (PDF) )
• Prime Minister Kishida and Foreign Minister Kamikawa’s articles contributed to the Japan Times (May 2, 2024) (English (PDF) / Japanese)
• Signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation with OECD: Strengthening collaboration for the economic and social development in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region (April 30, 2024) (JICA’s website: English/Japanese)
• Meeting between State Minister for Foreign Affairs Tsuji and OECD Secretary-General Cormann (January 11, 2024)
• Minister Saito Holds Meeting with OECD Secretary-General Cormann (January 10, 2024)
• Courtesy Call on Chief Cabinet Secretary HAYASHI by Mr. Mathias Cormann, Secretary-General of the OECD (January 10,2024)