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World-renowned authority on global affairs, José Ángel Gurría was Secretary General of the OECD ( 2006-2015) as well as Treasury Secretary and Foreign Relations Secretary of Mexico.
José Ángel Gurría is one of the most respected and recognized leaders and voices on the state of global affairs. He served 5 terms (2006-2021) as Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, the most renowned institution in the field of multinational trade. Also he is founder Secretary of Finance and Foreign Relations in Mexico.
As OECD Secretary-General, since June 2006, José Ángel Gurría reinforced the OECD's role as a "hub” for global dialogue and debate on economic policy issues while pursuing internal modernization and reform. Under his leadership, OECD has expanded its membership to include Chile, Estonia, Israel and Slovenia and opened accession talks with Russia. It has also strengthened links with other major emerging economies, including Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and South Africa, with a view to possible membership. The OECD is now an active participant in both the G-8 and the G-20 Summit processes.
His achievements at the helm of the OECD include his effort to reach the Paris Accords signed in 2016, the launch of the New Approaches to Economic Challenges (NAEC) initiative and various strategies in the field of innovation, green growth, gender equality, development and skills. As Mexico’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from December 1994 to January 1998, José Ángel Gurría made dialogue and consensus-building one of the hallmarks of his approach to global issues. From January 1998 to December 2000, he was Mexico’s Minister of Finance and Public Credit. For the first time in a generation, he steered Mexico’s economy through a change of Administration without a recurrence of the financial crises that had previously dogged such changes.
José Ángel Gurría has participated in various international not-for-profit bodies, including the Population Council based in New York, and the Center for Global Development based in Washington. He chaired the International Task Force on Financing Water for All and continues to be deeply involved in water issues. He is a member of the International Advisory Board of Governors of the Centre for International Governance Innovation based in Canada. Also he was the first recipient of the Globalist of the Year Award of the Canadian International Council to honour his efforts as a global citizen to promote trans-nationalism, inclusiveness, and a global consciousness.