The OECD first began work on economic globalisation in the early 1990s, when its Industry Committee set up a Statistical Working Party to develop new indicators on globalisation. Since then, a special session on globalisation has been meeting each year to further define and develop the work programme in accordance with Member governments' needs.

Since its early years, the OECD has given priority to analysis on international investment. Work in this area focuses primarily on the activities of foreign affiliates in OECD countries (inward investment) and those of offshore affiliates of national firms (outward investment). It is based on the results of numerous OECD surveys in a variety of areas.

In order to provide policymakers with reliable and up-to-date information, the OECD is constantly faced with two main tasks: i) revisiting the scope and interpretation of existing indicators; and ii) developing new indicators to rectify and supplement the latter. In doing so, it must pay particular attention to the need to produce internationally comparable data.

The above task does not necessarily entail organising new surveys but, in most cases, it will require harmonisation of definitions and methodologies from existing data sources. To facilitate this process of harmonisation, the OECD has JUST PUBLISHED a Handbook on Economic Globalisation Indicators containing a wealth of indicators based on years of OECD experience.