On Tuesday, July 8, the Center for International Strategies of Governments and Organizations (CIG) of the Universidad AustralThe Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Argentine Council for International Relations (CARI) co-organized a new edition of the OECD Dialogue Cycle, with the presentation of the Argentina Economic Report 2025, prepared by the OECD Economic Policy Committee. 

The event was held in a hybrid format, with in-person attendance at CARI and online streaming. It was presented by Fernando Straface, Director of the CIG, and Francisco de Santibañes, President of CARI. Francisco Resnicoff, Senior Fellow at the CIG, and Marcelo Elizondo, Director of CARI's International Economics Committee, commented on the report. The keynote address was given by Jens Arnold, Division Chief in the Economics Department of the OECD. 

The full report is available. available on the official OECD website. 

A key report in Argentina's accession process to the OECD 

In his presentation, Jens Arnold highlighted that Argentina is undergoing a process of profound reforms, which are already showing positive results: inflation has decreased and the economy is heading towards a strong recovery, although significant challenges remain. 

The report's main recommendations include: 

• Maintain the fiscal consolidation process by phasing out subsidies and improving the efficiency of the public sector, while replacing distortionary taxes with broader tax bases on income and consumption.

• Increase labor market flexibility and reduce non-wage labor costs, especially for low-income workers, to reduce informality.

• Promote the use of renewable energies and develop the lithium industry, improving the supporting infrastructure and properly managing water resources.

• Continue reducing barriers to domestic and international competition, improve the quality of public services and strengthen the integrity of the public sector to foster productivity growth.

Arnold praised the country's commitment to correcting structural distortions and stressed that "this economic study seeks to provide solid evidence and the comparative experience of OECD member countries to support Argentina's development efforts." 

Panel interventions 

Francisco de Santibañes, President of CARI, highlighted the relevance of the report in Argentina's accession process to the OECD, and the importance of "creating spaces like this that allow us to move beyond the current situation and think strategically about the country's development." 

Fernando Straface, Director of the CIG, highlighted in this context the work of Observatory of Argentina's Accession Process to the OECD The CIG, launched in 2024 with the aim of generating information and knowledge about the accession process, is supported by the Latin America and Caribbean Division of the OECD's Global Relations Secretariat. Its mission is to contribute to constructive dialogue surrounding the accession process and to promote a sustainable and inclusive development model throughout the country. 

The Observatory develops four lines of work: 

• Monitoring and analysis of the access process, with a focus on milestones, challenges, and opportunities.

• Research and content creation, including case studies and international experiences.

• Dissemination and training, through workshops, seminars and conferences.

• Institutional development through cooperation with the OECD, academic centers, governments and actors from the private sector and civil society.

Straface also highlighted that this was the sixth edition of the Observatory's Dialogue Cycle, an initiative in collaboration with the OECD that regularly brings together public policy leaders, including active participation from international relations officials from Argentine provinces and a community of practice of more than 100 subnational officials. 

Francisco Resnicoff, Senior Fellow at the CIG, emphasized that the report “expresses conventional international knowledge about Argentina” and represents the “state of the art” in development debates. He highlighted the importance of the sequence of reforms and raised the need for social and political consensus to advance pending reforms in areas such as education, social security, labor, and international integration. 

Marcelo Elizondo, Director of the International Economics Committee of CARI, acknowledged the progress made by the country and the alignment between the reforms already implemented and the report's recommendations. He noted that key transformations still lie ahead, especially regarding tax reform, fiscal federalism, and improving the business environment. He stated that developing social and political consensus will be essential to sustaining these transformations over time. 

About the OECD Dialogue Cycle 

The Dialogue Cycle of Observatory of Argentina's Accession to the OECD It seeks to create spaces for debate and knowledge production on public policies central to the OECD agenda. Since its inception in 2024, it has established itself as a federal, participatory, and strategic platform to support the accession process. 

The upcoming activities of the Cycle are: 

• August 2025: Regions and cities in the OECD with the participation of Aziza Akhmouch, Division Chief, Cities, Urban Policies and Sustainable Development.

• September 2025: Cooperation and financing for development with the participation of Pilar Garrido, Director of Development Cooperation at the OECD.

• October 2025: Business environment and investment policy with the participation of Ana Novik, Head of the Investment Division of the OECD.

• November 2025: Public governance with the participation of Monica Brezzi, Head of the Governance and Performance Indicators Division, and Santiago Gonzalez, Senior Economist/Policy Analyst OECD.