Thomas Conzelmann will present the results of his recently concluded VIDI project at the OECD in Paris. He was invited to speak to state delegates and OECD staff in the Economic Development and Review Committee (EDRC). The title of the seminar is: ‘Beyond the carrot and the stick – the authority of peer reviews among states in different international organisations’.
Friday 18 January, 12.30 – 14.00. OECD, Conference Centre, CC20
- Chair: Álvaro Pereira, former Minister of Economy and Employment in Portugal and Director, Country Studies Branch, OECD Economics Department
- Discussant: Henrik Thomasen, Economic Advisor, Delegation of Denmark to the OECD
- Wrap-up: Isabell Koske, Deputy Director, Country Studies Branch, OECD Economics Department
Peer reviews among states exist in an increasing number of international organisations. Apart from the OECD, organisations as different as the WTO, the United Nations, and the Council of Europe make use of them. Peer reviews are characterized by the absence of ‘carrots and sticks’: They have to work through peer and public pressure, best practice exchange, and processes of persuasion. Yet, what precisely makes peer reviews authoritative in their field? Why would member states listen to peer advice?
This talk presents results from a publicly funded research project comparing the EDRC with other peer reviews in the OECD, the UN, the WTO, and the Council of Europe. The focus is on the perceptions of participants as to the extent of authority that peer reviews hold in their field.
