OECD Forum and annual ministerial meeting

21/04/2006 - The OECD's annual Ministerial Council Meeting will be held at the French Foreign Ministry in Paris on 23-24 May 2006 under the chairmanship of Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis, with discussions focusing on the theme of  “Delivering Prosperity”. Ministers from OECD countries will discuss:

• the short-term economic outlook,
• how to ensure economic stability and improve economic performance,
• how to implement economic reforms for growth and employment,
• the follow-up to last December's WTO ministerial meeting in Hong Kong,
• the future strategic direction of the OECD.

On 23 May, the OECD’s Chief Economist, Jean-Philippe Cotis, will present the analysis and forecasts contained in the OECD’s Economic Outlook no. 79 to ministers and, at 11.00 a.m., to the media at a news conference at the French Foreign Ministry. The news conference will be broadcast live on the OECD's website.

Selected emerging and developing economies have been invited to send representatives to some sessions of the meeting. In parallel, participants are invited to join discussions at the OECD Forum 2006, which brings together leaders of governments, business, labour, civil society and the media to debate the issues on the ministerial agenda. The Forum will take place on 22-23 May at the Centre International de Conférences Kléber in Paris. 

At the end of May, Donald J. Johnston, the current Secretary-General, will complete his second five-year term. Following the ministerial meeting, he will hand over office to his successor, former Mexican finance minister Angel Gurría, who was selected by OECD countries last November as the next Secretary-General and who will formally take up office on June 1 2006.

Further information is available on the OECD’s website at www.oecd.org/mcm2006/, where details of news conferences and other media events will be regularly updated. To cover the ministerial meeting and the Forum, journalists are requested to complete the online registration form. Limited media facilities will be available at both locations on a first-come, first-served basis.

For further information, journalists are invited to contact the OECD's Media Division (tel. 33 1 45 24 97 00).