Gurría graduated with a bachelor's degree in Economics from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and undertook postgraduate studies at the University of Leeds, in the United Kingdom and at Harvard University, in the United States. He served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs (1994–1999) and as Secretary of Finance (1999–2000) in the Ernesto Zedillo administration.
The OECD is an international organisation of 30 countries (list) that accept the principles of representative democracy and free-market economy. Most OECD members are high-income economies and are regarded as developed countries.
José Ángel Gurría in action
In the video provided, Gurría answers the question "Should hunger be high in the agenda for the G8?" He claims that if not for ethical and moral reasons, perhaps for their self interests, the large economies of the world should care about Food Programmes. He says hunger is determinant for national security, stability, and world peace.
LINK: http://www.wfp.org/videos/aspen-1
Regarding unemployment, Ángel Gurría says the global recession could cost 25 million people their jobs. The unemployment rate across the 30 most industrialised nations in the OECD was 8.5% for July, the highest since World War II. It was 5.6% at the end of 2007. Spain, the Irish Republic and the US were worst hit in the OECD, with unemployment rates rising by 9.7 percentage points, 7.8 percentage points and 4.5 percentage points respectively between the start of 2007 and July this year.
Sources:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8259032.stm
http://www.oecd.org/pages/0,3417,en_36734052_36734103_1_1_1_1_1,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_for_Economic_Co-operation_and_Development
