Australia's former finance minister Mathias Cormann is the new head of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Mr Cormann is set to become the first person from Asia-Pacific to lead the Paris-based, 37-nation organisation.

In a recent vote, Mr Cormann beat out fellow top contender, Sweden's Cecilia Malmstrom, after another eight candidates were whittled out of contention.

He will take up the role in the middle of one of the worst global recessions on record.

“It would be a privilege and an honour to take on the leadership of the OECD … it brings together like-minded countries from around the world committed to developing and delivering better policies for better lives,” Mr Cormann said in a statement.

“It provides a great platform for international cooperation and best practice policy development, from the foundation of a shared commitment to democracy, human rights, the rule of law, market-based economic principles and a rules-based international order.”

Dozens of environmental groups went against Mr Cormann’s campaign, citing previous occasions in which he appeared to question the need to act on of climate change.

Mr Cormann now says: “Action on climate change to be effective, requires an ambitious, globally coordinated approach”.

It is a long way from his previous campaigns against a carbon pricing system to curb emissions in Australia, which he ran during his time as a senior member of the government that repealed the scheme in 2014.

While he was making his bid, pushing the line that climate change is one of the OECD’s key challenges, Mr Cormann used an air force jet to criss-cross Europe and promote himself to other leaders.

The Prime Minister has described Mr Cormann’s appointment as a “great honour”.