On September 30, the Universidad ORT Uruguay inaugurated the OECD-ORT Observatory in the Auditorium on the Pocitos Campus, with national officials, OECD representatives, academics, and members of the diplomatic corps in attendance.
Sponsored by the Department of International Studies in the School of Administration and Social Sciences, the Observatory was created with the purpose of deepen understanding of the OECD, how it operates, and the opportunities it offers Uruguay.
The initiative will conduct research, publish reports, and organize exchange activities with representatives from the government, the private sector, academia, and civil society.
An academic forum for analyzing the relationship between Uruguay and the OECD
The opening remarks were delivered by Mariella de Aurrecoechea, MBA, dean of the School of Business and Social Sciences, who emphasized the importance of gaining a better understanding of Uruguay’s relationship with the organization.
During his remarks, he noted that the Observatory will address topics such as productivity, innovation, artificial intelligence, education, digital government, and financial integrity from an independent academic perspective and with methodological rigor.
“We want to promote research and analysis on the work of the OECD and its relationship with Uruguay in particular,”, he said.
The Observatory was presented by Ambassador Ricardo González-Arenas, former Permanent Representative of Uruguay to the OECD and professor in the Department of International Studies at ORT.
González-Arenas highlighted the OECD’s international influence in developing standards, disseminating best practices, and strengthening public policies. He also emphasized the need to explore different options for Uruguay’s engagement with the organization, beyond the possibility of full membership.
The OECD and Opportunities for Uruguay's Development
The launch took place during a particularly significant week for the country, marked by the holding in Montevideo of the 11th Ministerial Conference of the OECD Regional Programme t for Latin America and the Caribbean, which Uruguay co-chairs with Costa Rica.
The meeting featured presentations by Juan Labraga, Director of the Trade Policy Advisory Office at the Ministry of Economy and Finance and Professor of International Trade at ORT; Silvia da Rin Pagnetto, Director of the Council and Secretariat of the OECD Executive Committee; José Antonio Ardavín, Head of the OECD’s Latin America and Caribbean Division; and Valeria Csukasi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The event was led by Andrés Bancalari, MBA, academic coordinator of ORT’s Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies.
With the creation of the OECD-ORT Observatory, the university gains a new space for research and dialogue to contribute insights to the debate on Uruguay’s integration into the international community and its development challenges.
https://youtu.be/_UXBOt-cL8M?si=89EBYppLvicbvsSS