Oecd's Founding: Nations Behind The Organization's Inception

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was founded in 1961 as an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries. The OECD is the successor to the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), which was established in 1948 to administer American and Canadian aid for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. The OECD was formed with the addition of the United States and Canada as full members, along with the European founder countries of the OEEC. The Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy ratified the OECD Convention after September 1961 but are still considered founding members. The organisation aims to stimulate economic progress and world trade, with member countries committed to democracy and the market economy.

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European nations

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was founded in 1961 as a successor to the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC). The OEEC was established in 1947 or 1948 among the European recipients of the Marshall Plan aid for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II.

The OECD was ratified by 18 European nations in 1961, in addition to the United States and Canada. The Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy ratified the OECD Convention after September 1961 but are still considered founding members. Therefore, there were at least 21 European nations that constituted the OECD in 1962.

The European founder countries of the OEEC included:

• Netherlands
• Luxembourg
• Italy

Unfortunately, I could not find the other 15 European nations that constituted the OECD in 1962. However, it is likely that they were among the original members of the OEEC, which included European countries that received Marshall Plan aid after World War II.

North American nations

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was founded in 1961 as a successor to the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC). The OECD was established with the goal of stimulating economic progress and world trade. It is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries as of 2024.

The OECD officially superseded the OEEC in September 1961, consisting of the European founder countries of the OEEC, with the addition of the full members, the United States and Canada. Thus, in 1962, the North American countries that constituted the OECD were the United States and Canada.

The United States and Canada were already OEEC observers before they became full members of the OECD. The OEEC was established in April 1948 among the European recipients of Marshall Plan aid for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. Only Western European states were members of the OEEC, and its primary function was the allocation of American aid.

The OECD is headquartered in Paris, France, at the Château de la Muette, which also housed its predecessor, the OEEC. The organisation aims to achieve the highest sustainable economic growth and employment and a rising standard of living in member countries while maintaining financial stability. It provides a platform for member countries to compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practices, and coordinate domestic and international policies.

High-income economies

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was founded in 1961 with the aim of stimulating economic progress and world trade. The majority of its members are regarded as developed countries with high-income economies.

In 1962, the OECD consisted of the following high-income economies:

• The United States of America: The US has consistently had the world's largest economy for some time. In 1960, it represented 28.69% of the world's economy, the highest point in its history. By 1962, the US had already established itself as a superpower, with its economic influence spanning the globe.
• Canada: Canada was an OEEC observer before becoming a full member of the OECD. It was one of the founding members of the organization.
• European founder countries of the OEEC: These included France, where the OECD's headquarters are located, as well as the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy, which ratified the OECD Convention after September 1961 and are considered founding members.

These countries constituted the OECD's high-income economies in 1962, working together to address economic issues and promote global trade.

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Developed countries

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries as of 2024, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. The majority of OECD members are regarded as developed countries, with high-income economies and a very high Human Development Index.

The OECD is the successor organisation to the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), which was established in 1948 among the European recipients of the Marshall Plan aid for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. By the early 1960s, some leading countries felt that the OEEC had fulfilled its purpose but could be adapted to take on a more global mission. This reconstituted organisation would bring the US and Canada on board as full members, and work to convince Japan to join as well.

The OECD was ratified by 18 European nations, plus the United States and Canada in 1961. Three other countries—the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy—all OEEC members, ratified the OECD Convention after September 1961 but are still considered founding members. Japan became a member in 1964, and over the following decade, Finland, Australia, and New Zealand also joined the organisation.

OECD nations have strong social security systems, with average social welfare spending at roughly 21% of GDP. They are committed to democracy and the market economy, providing a platform to compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practices, and coordinate domestic and international policies.

Marshall Plan aid recipients

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was founded in 1961 as the successor to the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC). The OEEC was established in April 1948 among the European recipients of Marshall Plan aid for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. The Marshall Plan was a US initiative to provide economic assistance to restore the economic infrastructure of postwar Europe. It was proposed by Secretary of State George Marshall in 1947 and signed into law by President Truman as the Economic Recovery Act of 1948, also known as the European Recovery Act. Over four years, Congress appropriated $13.3 billion for European recovery, which provided much-needed capital and materials for reconstruction. This amount accounted for about 3% of the combined national income of the recipient countries between 1948 and 1951, resulting in an increase in GDP growth of less than half a percent.

The recipient nations of the Marshall Plan were represented collectively by the OECD, which was headed by British statesman Oliver Franks. The Marshall Plan aid was primarily used to purchase goods from the United States, as European nations had exhausted their foreign exchange reserves during the war. The funds were jointly administered by local governments and the ECA, with each European capital having an ECA envoy to advise on the process. Counterpart funds were also established, using Marshall Plan aid to create funds in the local currency, with recipients required to invest 60% of these funds in industry. This played a crucial role in the reindustrialization of Germany, with 40% of the investment in the German coal industry in 1949-50 coming from these funds.

The Marshall Plan had a significant impact on the recipient countries, with the economy of every participant state surpassing pre-war levels by 1952. For all Marshall Plan recipients, output in 1951 was at least 35% higher than in 1938. The plan modernised European industrial and business practices, reduced artificial trade barriers, and fostered a sense of hope and self-reliance. It also created reliable trading partners for the United States and supported the development of stable democratic governments in Western Europe.

The founding members of the OECD consisted of the European founder countries of the OEEC, with the addition of the United States and Canada. The Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy, all OEEC members, ratified the OECD Convention after September 1961 and are considered founding members. Japan joined the organisation in 1964, and over the following decade, Finland, Australia, and New Zealand also became members. Yugoslavia held observer status in the organisation until its dissolution as a country.

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