Paris has been very busy in the past week as many high-ranking officials, including Ministers and Ambassadors of various countries, have visited the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for OECD Week. OECD Week is composed of the OECD Forum 2019 and the Ministerial Council Meeting 2019. Just like Paris, I have also been busy, settling in to a new city while learning and fulfilling my duties as part of my internship.
The OECD promotes policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world, through providing a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems. The Permanent Delegation of Turkey to the OECD is the official mission of Turkey as one of the 36 member states. It represents the country in the OECD and takes an active role in policy development and promotion through involvement in various OECD committees, while also maintaining diplomatic and economic relations with foreign governments.
As part of my internship at the Permanent Delegation, I have attended committee meetings and prepared reports on various topics, such as development assistance and local economic and employment development. I also had the privilege of taking part in the OECD Week, where a diverse range of issues related to digitalization have been discussed, possible policy measures have been proposed and economic reviews of countries have been shared. I have been especially impressed by the multilateral approach to all the issues considered within the organization.
As a student who is highly interested in diplomacy and economics, it has been a valuable experience to be present at these meetings. It has allowed me to better understand how issues are discussed and approached and how data is utilized. Conversations with diplomats and the opportunity to ask questions have also allowed me to gain valuable insights into diplomatic careers.
The first two weeks have been very enjoyable and beneficial. I look forward to updating you further on my experiences soon!