PARIS: Former Mexican Finance Minister Angel Gurria was re-elected secretary general of the Organi­sation for Economic Coo­pera­­tion and Development Tuesday, giving him a further six years to press his agenda of innovation ahead.

Initially elected to the post in 2006, Gurria has pursued his objective of transforming the once somnolent, deeply wonkish OECD into an agenda-setting source of research closer to the lives of real people and fast-moving societies.

“I am honoured and humbled by the trust and confidence the members have bestowed upon me, and look forward to continuing to transform the OECD into a cutting-edge international organisation to promote better policies for better lives,” said Gurria in a statement after the organisation’s 34 member states unanimously re-elected him to a third term.

Committed to creating what he has termed a “do tank”, Gurria has widened the OECD’s focus from traditional macro-economic indicators to a more diverse range of factors affecting economies and societies.

Those have included im­­pact studies and policy proposals on youth alcoholism, education, taxation, the environment and reversing the growing wealth gap.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2015

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