From the Marshall Plan to Global Governance: Historical Transformations of the OEEC/OECD, 1948 to Present

Abstract

This chapter proposes a historical framework for understanding the OEEC/OECD. After presenting key modes of governance, it provides an overview of the organization’s trajectory since 1948. The periodization we propose is linked to the mandates of successive Secretary-Generals, dates that coincided with deeper transformations of the organization’s set-up, tasks, and overall outlook: The OEEC’s focus on reconstruction and European integration (1948–1961), the OECD as the center of Atlantic cooperation and Keynesian growthmanship (1961–1969), the crisis-ridden 1970s and the OECD’s shift of economic ideology of neo-liberalism (1969–1984), the deepening of liberalization and the search for a post-Cold-War role (1984–1996), and the focus on enlargement and the management of globalization (1996–2016). The conclusion discusses the OECD as a (geo)political platform, expert think tank, and identity-generating Club.

A Short Guide to Historical Archives, Online Resources, and Research Materials on the OEEC/OECD

OECD Library & Archives, Paris, France

www.oecd.org/general/oecdarchives.htm.

The OECD Library & Archives collection dates from 1947. It includes records from the Conference for European Economic Cooperation (CEEC), the OEEC, and the OECD. The collection contains items which document the Organization’s work, including agendas and minutes of Council and committee meetings, background documents, technical and working papers, publications, press information, and Secretary-Generals’ speeches. Most material is available as microfilm or microfiche. There are also paper-boxes, and some of the newer material since 1990 has been digitalized (see: http://search.oecd.org/officialdocuments/years). The OECD Library & Archives also contains full collections of several key reference books about the OEEC/OECD (see below, key printed and online materials). Unfortunately, a comprehensive finding aid is not yet available on the OECD website. Researchers thus have to rely on the information and guidance of the OECD Library & Archives staff in Paris.

Historical Archives of the European Union, Firenze, Italy

www.eui.eu/Research/HistoricalArchivesOfEU/Index.aspx.

The Historical Archives of the European Union (HAEU) situated at the European University Institute hosts archives of the CEEC and OEEC (1947–1961). Most material is available online at http://archives.eui.eu/en/fonds/173448?item=OEEC. Copies of the documents can also be found at the OECD archive in Paris (as microfilm and microfiche). According to the archive, the HAEU holdings contain: “Mainly official documents of the OEEC describing activities of the various OEEC bodies and committees and working parties, including complete series of Minutes and Working Papers of the Council and Executive Committee. A relevant part of the fonds, arranged in Subject Files concerns the creation of a Free Trade Area.” The archive also hosts various holdings on the European Communities and on OEEC-related institutions such as the European Productivity Agency (EPA), European Payments Union (EPU), or the European Nuclear Energy Agency (ENEA).

To supplement these two main archival collections, researchers are highly advised to consult the historical archives of other international organizations, as well as national archives, which often contain copies of OECD documents as well as paper files with much more details on OECD-related work processes, negotiations, or surveys.

Key Published and Online Materials

An annotated bibliography, The European Reconstruction 1948–1961: A Bibliography on the Marshall Plan and the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation and Development (Paris: OECD, 1996) is available on the OECD website.

The main OECD Acts, or Decisions, Recommendations and other Instruments of the OEEC/OECD (since 1957) are available online at http://webnet.oecd.org/oecdacts/Default.aspx (searchable by type, title, committee, and date). The Acts of the OEEC and OECD, which contain further information, are also available in printed form at the OECD Library and Archives. The Directory of Bodies of the Organization also contain invaluable information about the committee structure of the Organization and are available in printed form at the OECD Library & Archives.

The Annual Reports of the OECD (from 1970 onward) can be found in several libraries, as well as at the OECD Library & Archives. Before 1970, the annual report of the OEEC, and then the OECD, was published as a report to the Council of Europe. Some exemplars are available in printed form, others exist only as typescripts. The Annuaire européen/European Yearbook, published since 1953, also contains a regular chronology of OEEC/OECD activities, as well as information on its Secretariat and main publications.

Database of OECD and international tax documents: This joint project of several universities and tax research centers offers a wealth of historic and official documents drafted in preparation not only of the OECD Model Convention of 1963, but also of the older convention drafted under the League of Nations. Online at www.taxtreatieshistory.org

Since 2010, the OECD has also begun to digitalize large quantities of its core publications. These are available on the OECD iLibrary (www.oecd-ilibrary.org). These publications include:

• 1. The OECD Economic Outlook (1967 to present), a bi-annual analysis of the current economic situation of the OECD area.

• 2. The OECD Economic Surveys (1961 to present), which contain periodic reviews of member and non-member economies prepared through a peer review procedure by the Economic and Development Review Committee (EDRC). Currently, member country reviews are generally done on an 18-month cycle, while non-member reviews are done as agreed with the subject country (for more details, see the chapter by William Gray in this volume).

• 3. The OECD Observer (1962 to present), a quarterly magazine presenting concise and up-to-date analysis of world economic and social issues, providing an easy entry-point into current OECD work.