Doing my bit on Small States at the OECD. I had the honour to speak about the ability of small states to influence decision making in international organizations at a meeting of ambassadors of small states in the OECD at the residence of the Icelandic ambassador, Kristján Andri Stefánsson, in Paris. It was great to meet representatives of small states who have the challenging task to try to have a say in the complex structure of the international system. We had lively discussions about the methods small states can use to exercise their influence in international organizations. Great to see that Iceland is taking the lead in getting small states together and finding a way for them to cooperate closer within the OECD. I finished my talk by saying something like: A strategy based on prioritisation, flexibility, informality, autonomy of officials and decisive knowledge combined with a positive image and political willingness can lead to negotiation successes of small states in international organizations.
