On February 7, 2024, Mr. Thatchai Keeratipongpaiboon, Director of the Strategy and International Cooperation Coordination Division (SICC), representing NESDC, participated in the Business at OECD (BIAC) Southeast Asia Meeting via teleconference. The meeting was attended by representatives from BIAC Southeast Asia, the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC), the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN), and representatives from the OECD’s South Asia/Southeast Asia Division.
BIAC is a private sector network from OECD member countries and external observers, including two organizations from ASEAN countries: the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Singapore Business Council. BIAC collaborates with the OECD to provide business perspectives, including cooperation with the Southeast Asia region. This cooperation is implemented through the OECD Regional Programme, focusing on driving public policy engagement with the business sector in the region, promoting investment environments, and supporting sustainable and adaptable supply chains.
The Business at OECD (BIAC) Southeast Asia Meeting is one of the mechanisms that BIAC organizes to enhance relationships with the Southeast Asia region through discussions between BIAC and the OECD with private sector and other representatives from Southeast Asia. This ensures that BIAC’s strategies and operations in Southeast Asia are truly aligned with and responsive to the region’s needs and context.
During this occasion, the meeting discussed and exchanged views, opportunities, and strategies for coordinating cooperation between the Southeast Asia region. Representatives attending the meeting emphasized their positions and the importance of initiatives under OECD and ASEAN cooperation that will lead to sustainable economic growth.
First, the ASEAN-BAC representative expressed the readiness and commitment of Lao PDR to serve as ASEAN Chair in 2024 under the main theme “Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience,” which supports connectivity, reducing development gaps, economic integration, people-to-people exchanges, and strengthening relationships between ASEAN and external cooperation partners. The focus is on six key areas: digital transformation, sustainable development, public health resilience, food security, trade and investment promotion, and supply chain connectivity, along with promoting Legacy Projects, which are economic and social infrastructure development projects between ASEAN regions that align with all six areas of operation.
The KADIN representative from Indonesia discussed Indonesia’s progress and success in cooperating with the OECD as a Key Partner. KADIN has collaborated with ASEAN-BAC to reflect ASEAN and Indonesia’s needs to the OECD since 2023, resulting in Indonesia’s development in law, taxation, infrastructure, revenue, and trade. Additionally, they mentioned Indonesia’s application for OECD membership, which Indonesia views as beneficial both in receiving best practices from the OECD and promoting the role of developing countries and emerging markets like Indonesia.
The NESDC representative discussed the cooperation between Thailand and the OECD in both phases of the Country Programme, including current efforts to advance Thailand’s OECD membership application, and informed the meeting about Thailand’s commitment to OECD membership. They also mentioned the second awareness-building workshop on Thailand’s OECD membership for the private sector to be held in February.
The OECD South Asia/Southeast Asia Division representative discussed cooperation between the OECD and the Southeast Asia region, focusing on business governance, market opening, promotion and support of various sectors, and entrepreneurship promotion. The main cooperation with ASEAN is through the Southeast Asia Regional Programme, which supports the development of ASEAN recommendations and guidelines, as well as the publication of various reports such as the Economic Outlook for Southeast Asia, China and India.
NESDC As the main coordinator for advancing Thailand’s OECD membership, an awareness-building workshop for the private sector will be organized on February 23, 2024. Representatives from the OECD Global Relations and Co-operation Directorate (GRC) and BIAC will produce a video to disseminate information about OECD-Thailand cooperation and perspectives on the private business sector, as well as the role of the private sector in the OECD and the benefits the private sector will receive. NESDC will support greater private sector participation with BIAC through mechanisms such as ASEAN-BAC, of which Thai private sector is already a member, to ensure that the private sector participates in policy formulation and truly benefits from Thailand’s OECD membership.
Information about Business at OECD can be found at https://www.businessatoecd.org/
Progress on Thailand’s OECD membership can be followed at bit.ly/45OiXLG
