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Airlangga submits Initial Memorandum to OECD, affirms Indonesia’s accession commitment
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(Courtesy of Coordinating Economy Ministry)
C
oordinating Economy Minister Airlangga Hartarto officially submitted Indonesia’s Initial Memorandum (IM) to OECD secretary-general Mathias Cormann during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 OECD Ministerial Council Meeting in Paris on Tuesday. The IM marks a critical step in Indonesia’s OECD accession process, providing a comprehensive assessment of the country’s national regulations and standards against OECD benchmarks.
This milestone underscores Indonesia’s strong commitment to OECD membership, which has been integrated into the 2025–2029 National Medium-Term Development Plan. Indonesia is the first Southeast Asian country to initiate accession and submit the IM.
“Secretary-general Cormann was very impressed with Indonesia’s teamwork and commitment. I conveyed that this reflects President Prabowo’s directive for the IM to be completed swiftly, across administrations,” said Airlangga.
Indonesia’s journey toward OECD accession has progressed rapidly. The government submitted a letter of intent on July 14, 2023, and accession talks were approved on Feb. 20, 2024. The OECD Accession Road Map was later adopted on March 29, 2024, and formally handed over at the 2024 Ministerial Council Meeting.
Indonesia’s IM comprises 32 chapters assessing national regulations, standards and practices against 240 OECD legal instruments across 25 policy areas. This document will guide the next stage of the process: technical reviews.
“This is a historic moment for our organization, as it marks the start of the technical phase of Indonesia’s OECD accession,” said Cormann. “It represents a transformational journey that will bring real benefits to Indonesians through new investment opportunities, economic growth and improved living standards.”
In addition to the IM, Minister Airlangga submitted a letter from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), dated May 28, expressing Indonesia’s intent to join the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and Working Group. This reflects Indonesia’s commitment to global anti-corruption governance. A national strategy for accession to the convention will follow.
Currently, the OECD consists of 38 member states, 87 percent of which are advanced economies, representing 46 percent of global GDP and 70 percent of global trade. Membership is expected to drive Indonesia’s structural transformation toward its Vision 2045 goals and strengthen its global leadership.
To further support the process, secretary-general Cormann is scheduled to visit Jakarta from Oct. 26–28, coinciding with Youth Pledge Day, a symbolic opportunity to engage young Indonesians in the country’s reform and development agenda.
