The United States, along with a number of European countries, formed the predecessor organization to the OECD, the Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC), in order to administer aid under the Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. In 1961, the OECD was formed to take over from the OEEC with a mandate to build strong economies in its member countries, improve efficiency, hone market systems, expand free trade, and contribute to development in industrialized as well as developing countries. In 2011, the OECD celebrated its 50th anniversary. The 34 member countries of the OECD decided to broaden the OECD beyond its roots as a transatlantic organization into a global network of nations that focus their efforts on assisting developing and newly emerging economies that adopt free market systems. As a result of this broader perspective, the OECD has shifted its emphasis from focusing exclusively on the members of the OECD to assessing the manner in which various policy issues affect a broad range of countries, including the impact globalization is having on world trade, wages, and industrial development. The OECD is organized around three main bodies: the Council, the Committees, and the Secretariat. Committees are comprised of representatives of all the member countries. The overriding committee is the Council, which has decision-making power. It is composed of one representative for each member country, generally at the level of Ambassador; gives guidance to the OECD; and directs its work. Since the work agenda is set by unanimous consent by the Council, a veto by a Council member removes an item from the agenda. The Council meets at the ministerial level once a year, when foreign, finance, and other ministers from member countries raise issues and set the priorities for OECD work for the coming year. About 200 committees, comprised of some 40,000 senior government officials from the member countries and representatives from the private sector and labor, meet to review and contribute to work that is conducted by the Secretariat. In many cases, these committees serve as conduits for providing information on work that is being conducted by officials among the OECD member countries on economic issues. The Council also determines the OECD's budget, which presently amounts to about €354 million, or about $460 million (€1.00 = $1.3). The OECD's budget is comprised of shared expenses, public sales of publications, assessments of all the members based on the relative size of their economies, and voluntary contributions (not a part of the official budget). The United States, which appropriated about $82.2 million in FY2012 (the Administration has asked Congress to appropriate $83.2 million in FY2014), contributed 21.58% of the OECD's budget. The U.S. share of the budget is expected to decline to 19.53% in 2018 as a result of financing reforms. In addition, the OECD undertakes special projects and research at the request of and on behalf of a smaller number of OECD members and other non-OECD members, who fund those projects separately. The Secretariat is comprised of a staff of about 2,500, mostly economists, scientists, lawyers, and other professionals, who are organized into directorates to support the work of the Committees to deliver the work program approved by the Council. As a result, the Secretariat is organized along substantive areas to mirror the work of the Committees, although the structure is flexible enough to handle cross-disciplinary studies. There are 13 directorates that focus their work in such areas as employment and labor; environment and economics; trade and investment; biotechnology, agriculture, science and technology, internet, tax and anti-bribery standards, gender, green growth; public management; and globalization and development. One directorate collects data, monitors trends, and analyzes and forecasts economic developments, while other directorates research social changes or evolving patterns in trade, environment, agriculture, technology, taxation, and more. In addition to standard statistics that provide quantitative measures of economic development, the OECD has developed a "better life initiative" through which it is attempting to assess more broadly the quality of life and policies that can enhance living conditions of people and households and improve well-being. The OECD produces (1) semi-annual economic outlook reports that analyze economic conditions generally and provide forecasts of economic growth in member countries; (2) comprehensive reports on the individual members of the OECD; and (3) a vast amount of statistical information and data on the member countries that are made comparable to facilitate comparison and analysis regarding best policies and practices. These data include national accounts, economic indicators, labor force and employment, migration, education, energy, taxation, tourism, and environment. The OECD also initiated and coordinates the work of the International Collaborative Initiative on Trade and Employment (ICITE), a group of 10 organizations with the stated goal of improving understanding of the impact of international trade on labor. The ICITE project has attempted to improve the knowledge base of trade and labor through empirical analysis, publications, and conferences. In 2012, the group published Policy Priorities for International Trade and Jobs, a compilation of 14 separate studies, ranging from trade, wages, and employment to trade and services, trade and working conditions, and regional trade perspectives. Similar coordination takes place regarding the Internet as part of the Information and Communication Technology Policy Committee. In the 1990s, the OECD, under the direction of its member countries, including the United States, spearheaded an international agreement to outlaw crimes of bribery, and it continues to coordinate efforts that are aimed at reducing the occurrence of money laundering and corruption. Also, the OECD is a pivotal player in promoting corporate codes of conduct that attempt to develop a voluntary set of standards for multinational firms that can be applied across national borders. The OECD is also analyzing the role of state-owned enterprises in the world economy, and it is spearheading the development of potential international standards on the Internet. In 2011, the OECD members adopted an updated version of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises that (1) includes a new chapter on human rights that is consistent with the United Nations' Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; (2) provides a new and comprehensive approach to due diligence and responsible supply chain management; (3) makes changes to such chapters as combating bribery, employment and industrial relations, bribe solicitation and extortion, environment, consumer interests, and disclosure and taxation; and (4) provides clearer and reinforced procedural guidance to strengthen the role of the National Contact Points, who hear complaints in each country. In the area of international investment, the OECD also sponsors a number of initiatives, including (1) the Freedom of Investment roundtable, a forum for governments to discuss policy frameworks for international investment and capital movements; (2) the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Afflicted and High-Risk Areas to help companies respect human rights and avoid contributing to conflict through their mineral or metal purchasing decisions and practices; and (3) the Policy Framework for Investment, a non-binding set of policy areas to improve conditions for domestic and foreign investment. The OECD is a strong proponent of the view that increasing world economic growth and welfare is best supported by a free and open flow of goods, services, and capital. As a result, it views its own role in this process as that of a leading proponent of the benefits of globalization and as a "forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems." The OECD also seeks to facilitate a dialogue among its members and with developing countries on good governance to develop institutions and regulatory structures that can make a broad range of benefits available to the OECD members and to developing countries. Following the 2008-2009 financial crisis, the OECD directed its efforts to issues closely related to the crisis: low growth and high government debt levels; balancing stimulus measures to spur economic growth with efforts to consolidate public finances; and creating jobs, providing equal opportunities, and restoring trust among citizens. Since then, the OECD has shifted its focus to a new initiative titled "New Approaches to Economic Challenges" (NAEC) to improve the OECD's analytical frameworks and policy advice. This approach is meant to improve the OECD's analytical framework by improving the way the OECD analyzes factors in key linkages and feedbacks in order not only "to improve better policy advice that delivers higher rates of economic growth, but to improve people's well-being, support a fair distribution of the benefits of growth and ensure natural resources are used in a way that is sustainable over the long term." In order to promote this agenda, the OECD expects to focus on three broad areas: Inclusiveness and Growth . The OECD is focusing its analyses on supporting countries in the design and implementation of agendas aimed at reforming their economies to spur growth and jobs. Continuing work will focus on such structural issues as competition and productivity; education and job skills; labor and product market reforms; domestic and international markets; innovation; and the more efficient use of energy. It is also looking at measures to make economic growth more inclusive and improving living standards across the board. This includes addressing structural reforms to affect the high rates of unemployment, issues of long-term structural unemployment, job instability, and poor career prospects. This initiative also will include an assessment of the skills that are necessary to compete in the global economy, while understanding the effect of the global economy on local economies. The initiative also includes migration, areas of high youth unemployment, an assessment of changing skills needed in the labor market, and mitigating the impact on income inequality that arises from necessary economic adjustments. In addition, the initiative will address the needs and issues of developing countries, including food security, illicit financial flows, governance of tax incentives to attract investment, and sustainable economic development. Interconnectedness for Growth .