Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, has announced that the country plans to become a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) by 2027. Last week, Indonesia formally submitted its accession memorandum to the OECD Secretariat.

The OECD is an intergovernmental organisation that brings together 38 primarily high-income countries, with the goal of promoting democratic values, advancing economic growth, and fostering global progress. Member states collectively account for around 62% of the world’s GDP.

Following Indonesia’s recent entry into BRICS, questions had remained about the country’s long-standing policy of neutrality and non-alignment, which the government has actively championed.

While both BRICS and the OECD are officially described as intergovernmental platforms for addressing global challenges, in practice BRICS is often seen as being closer to China, whereas the OECD is more aligned with the United States and the European Union. Indonesia’s potential OECD membership would effectively resolve this geopolitical ambiguity.

Currently, only one nation — South Africa — holds membership in both BRICS and the OECD. In 2023, South Africa faced a legal dilemma that highlighted the complexities of such dual membership. At the time, debate swirled over whether the Russian president would attend the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, given the outstanding arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. Ultimately, he did not attend, as South Africa, bound by its OECD obligations, could not guarantee immunity from international legal proceedings.