The OECD is boosting its private sector work with a five-year programme of development activities for southeast Europe, the Caucasus, Black Sea region, central Asia and the Middle East/Mediterranean.

Turkey and the OECD signed a memorandum of understanding on the extended programme at the inauguration of a new site for the six-year-old OECD centre in Istanbul on September 8. The centre is unique within the OECD as it is exclusively devoted to private sector development in transition economies.

The Istanbul centre was established in 1994 and organises some 20 workshops each year for businessmen and policy makers. These cover a wide range of topics, from entrepreneurship and enterprise development to rule of law and anti-corruption programmes. 

©OECD Observer No 223, October 2000