Founding of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development began as the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation, created to coordinate the American Marshall Plan funds that helped rebuild Western Europe after the Second World War. Based in Paris, it encouraged European countries to cooperate in trade and in planning economic recovery. In 1961 it was transformed into the OECD, with the United States and Canada as full members, and its focus moved to promoting economic growth and development worldwide. It later admitted countries such as Japan, Australia and Mexico. Today the organisation publishes comparative data and policy advice on topics from taxation to education, including the PISA student assessment.

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