OECD Representative Office May Open in Kazakhstan

An initiative to open a representative office for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Kazakhstan has been announced by Deputy Prime Minister Nurlan Baibazarov and William Thompson, Head of the OECD Eurasia Division, who met earlier this week. To date, OECD regional offices operate in China, Indonesia, Ukraine, and Greece, according to the website of the Government of Kazakhstan. During the meeting, the parties discussed implementing OECD recommendations, implementing the Joint Action Plan of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the OECD Secretariat until 2025, and cooperation within the framework of the OECD Eurasian Competitiveness Program. William Thompson noted the positive experience of OECD interactions with Kazakhstan. Following recommendations from the OECD, several political and economic reforms have been carried out in the country. In particular, institution of investment ombudsman was introduced, parliamentary control over the use of budgetary funds was strengthened, the Low Carbon Development Strategy of the country until 2060 was developed, and the National Contact Center for Responsible Business Conduct and the Supreme Audit Chamber were established. Direct elections of akims (heads) of districts and cities of regional significance has also been introduced. "Our country has been a stable partner of the OECD for more than 15 years and a Central Asian leader in implementing its recommendations. In 2025, Kazakhstan intends to apply to join this authoritative international organization as a full member. We are confident that further cooperation will have a qualitative impact on the socioeconomic and legal aspects of the development of our state," Nurlan Baybazarov stated.

Uzbekistan’s Schoolchildren to Sit International PISA Tests

In 2025, Uzbekistan, with the support of the World Bank, will participate  in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) administered by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), with pilot testing starting this May. PISA testing assesses the ability of students from more than 80 countries in their knowledge and skills in reading, math and science. When allocating funding for PISA testing in 2019, World Bank experts noted the acute shortage of teachers and their low qualifications and in addition,  the absence of means to assess  both the quality of preschool education and a comfortable environment for learning. "Investing in children's early education is one of the most effective ways to develop human capital, which in turn will stimulate economic growth in the country," Hideki Mori, the head of the World Bank's representative office in Uzbekistan, said at the time. Last year's test results placed Uzbek schoolchildren in the bottom ten  of the 80 participant countries. The cause indicated significant problems within the domestic education system and subsequent data revealed a direct correlation between test results and  families' socioeconomic status. To address the issue,  officials plan to allocate more than $3.7 billion for schools and school education curricula this year.