Address by Minister Ernesto Araújo at the releasing ceremony of OECD studies “Going Digital in Brazil” and “OECD Telecommunication and Broadcasting Review of Brazil 2020”

Good morning to all here in Brazil, good afternoon in Paris and elsewhere,

It is a pleasure to welcome you all. Here are, on the Brazilian side, Ministers Braga Netto, Marcos Pontes, Fábio Faria, and the President of the Telecommunications Agency, Leonardo Euler. And, on the OECD side, of course, Secretary-General Ángel Gurría, and other colleagues from the OCDE, Ambassador Cozendey.

I have the pleasure to open this launch ceremony of two peer reviews carried out by the OECD’s Committee on Digital Economy Policy (CDEP), called “Going Digital in Brazil”, within the framework of the OECD Going Digital Program, and “Telecommunications and Broadcasting in Brazil”, the other peer review.

As we all know, the reviews provide an opportunity for technical evaluation of public policies, with diagnosis and recommendations aimed at exchanging experiences and bringing policies closer to the standards and principles adopted by the organization. They shall provide meaningful inputs to the improvement of public policies in Brazil. Cooperation with the OECD is crucial in building a framework favorable for the reforms which are necessary to increase the Brazilian economy’s competitiveness, and integration with global value chains.

The review Going Digital in Brazil analyzes the current setting of several features that play a role in the ongoing digitalization of Brazilian society, pointing out the opportunities and challenges we need to overcome. The Telecommunications and Broadcasting review, concerning telecommunication services, analyzes the institutional environment and the performance of these two branches, as well as their policies and regulations, with historical developments as an important backdrop of the current situation.

In line with the aspirations of the Brazilian society for development, prosperity, good governance, and some public policies, Brazil has intensified its relationship with the OECD, converging its policies and practices with the organization’s standards and guidelines, and fostering the incorporation of the OECD’s a legal framework, as well as working on reviews and studies devised in partnership with the organization. Brazil is currently the non-member country most engaged with the organization. We have already joined 96 out of the 248 OECD’s legal instruments. We are currently working together on 15 reviews involving several different areas of public policies. We hope, under those circumstances, that the members shall overcome their different views on the organization’s enlargement so that Brazil may start its accession process, in the short term. Brazil now enjoys the support of all members to start the procedures, but they still have to find convergence concerning the other current candidates.

We are convinced that full membership will be relevant to the dynamics of reforms by intensifying Brazil’s integration in the international economy, as well as the adoption of higher regulatory standards to the benefit of our economic ties with the member countries. The two studies launched today are witness to how this corporation can be fruitful. The reviews provide a qualified diagnosis of the main challenges for the development of two strategic areas: digital economy and telecommunications. They will certainly help us reflect on our current policies and improve them based on the recommendations presented.

Conclusions of the telecommunications review, in this sense, could not have turned up in a better time. In the context of swift changes and the rising relevance of digital data in the economy, a fast, efficient, and solid communications infrastructure is imperative for social and economic development. And not only that, it is imperative and essential for democracy, for the maintenance of civil liberties, and for good governance. This is a pivotal issue for Brazil’s government.

As President Jair Bolsonaro has claimed at the United Nations General Assembly, Brazil is open to the development of cutting-edge technology and innovation, such as industry 4.0, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and 5G technology with any partners who respect our sovereignty and cherish freedom and data protection. The report’s conclusions are in line with the new openness Brazil professes to new technologies. It also provides meaningful inputs for our policies to move further in this direction.

“Going Digital in Brazil” makes a broad and precise assessment of how the country can foster its digital transformation. The study goes to the heart of several issues, which Brazil is now devoted to solving, such as red tape, greater integration and global value chains, and more result-oriented policies on innovation, infrastructure, security, and data protection, among others. The implementation of the review’s recommendations will allow Brazil to converge further with the good practices advocated in this area by the OECD. We hope, as a member country in the future, to continue to follow discussions on these issues within the organization and to contribute to those discussions.

We are convinced that the OECD shall also have much to gain from Brazil’s full membership, which would allow for the reinforcement and broadening of the OECD range of standards and practices and for the strengthening of its presence in other regions, especially in our region. Also, for the maintenance of the fundamental values of the OECD, around freedom and democracy. I now open the floor to the Secretary-General of the OECD, Mr. Ángel Gurría, my dear friend, the floor is yours.