ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE CONCLUDES ITS FIFTY-FIRST SESSION
Press Release
ECE/471
ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE CONCLUDES ITS FIFTY-FIRST SESSION
19960429 GENEVA, 18 April (UN Information Service) -- The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) concluded its fifty-first session Thursday, 18 April, by adopting eight decisions on: its future activities; participation of the business community; diversification of forms and methods of the activities designed to assist countries in transition; strengthening its cooperation with the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe; economic cooperation in the Mediterranean; environment and sustainable development; transport; and energy.Nearly all of the 55 member countries attended the Commission session. The European Union was represented by Italy, its Council and the Commission of the European Communities. Important subregional groupings, such as the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Council of Baltic Sea States, the Council of Europe, EFTA, the Interstate Council of the Republic of Kazakstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) participated in the debate. Representatives of Specialized Agencies and United Nations programmes, and a large number of non-governmental organizations were represented.
Strategic Directions for Future Activities
The Commission pursues a process of thorough review of the strategic directions of its future activities which will culminate in 1997 when, at the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary, a "Declaration on Strengthening of Economic Cooperation in Europe" will be adopted. This exercise of forward-looking reform was commended by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, whose message to the Commission session was read by Vladimir Petrovsky, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva. This initiative, the Secretary-General underlined, was complementing his own ongoing efforts to reform the United Nations. Member countries are actively involved in the definition of new strategic directions. An ad hoc Working Group will continue its discussion on the future strategic directions immediately after this Commission session.
General Debate on ECE's role
The Commission's Executive Secretary, Yves Berthelot, called upon the member countries to make full use of the ECE, which fulfilled its task well as
a forum where all member countries met at equal level to exchange ideas, harmonize policies and negotiate instruments which helped to integrate all countries of the region. Thus, ECE contributed to the maintenance of peace and to the economic development of the region.
At the general debate, which was opened by the Foreign Minister of Poland, Dariusz Rosati, delegations underlined the need of assistance to countries in transition and their integration into the European and global economy. They noted the progress made in the transition process but also severe difficulties, encountered particularly by the newly independent States and the war-torn countries of the region. The ECE was urged to speed up its work, to enhance the service of regional advisers and its programme of seminars and workshops. Commonwealth of Independent States countries requested that the instruments should be even more adapted to their particular needs.
Transition countries reaffirmed their interest in increased ECE assistance not only in the priority sectors set by the Commission in 199O- 1991, but also in the fields of energy and industry. The European Union and the North American delegations, on the other hand, insisted that the ECE had to work under the financial constraints of the United Nations. It must cooperate closely with other organizations and institutions in the region and avoid any duplication and overlapping of activities.
Links with Business Community
The outstanding role of the private sector in the transition process was universally recognized and the close cooperation with the business community in virtually all aspects of ECE activities was supported by the ECE member countries. A highlight of the Commission session -- the Round-Table Conference on Sustainable Industrial Development -- was a clear and successful sign of the common interest of private management and politicians.
The business community, represented by top managers of five large multinational companies active in central and eastern Europe, met with political leaders from three countries in transition. Chaired by Percy Barnevik, President of ABB, the panellists identified the weak points in the transition process, debated problems of international trade, foreign direct investment, local training, the development of human resources and developed concrete solutions to overcome these problems and to speed up the transition process.
Countries in transition were no homogeneous zone, said participants. Each country and its needs must be analysed individually. A high-level East-West forum should be established within the ECE to exchange information and best practice on industrial policy development. Countries in transition
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had to keep up with international networks in automation, globalization of the economy and the environmental movement.
The western governments must, according to the participants in the Round Table, remove trade barriers, particularly for the exportable goods of transition countries, and foreign investors needed more information on the trade condition in those countries. Advisory Councils should be created to attract and promote foreign investment, for which the ECE should act as a clearing house. The social systems in transition countries must be further developed and foreign investment should not leave aside the development of human resources.
Efficiency with Limited Resources
For the first time, the 14 principal bodies, which carry out the sectoral ECE activities, were invited to present their achievements on the difficulties encountered in their work. They reported on substantial progress in nearly all areas, and their efforts to assist countries in transition in their areas of competence. The results achieved by the committees and working groups, particularly standardization for transport and environmental protection, had impacts on developments far beyond the regional context and were often implemented worldwide.
The subsidiary bodies made many attempts to increase their efficiency under considerable constraints. Their cooperation with other national and international institutions had increased. But several bodies said that, despite all their imagination and perseverance to achieve additional efficiency, a point could be reached where the very core of their universally appreciated work would be jeopardized. In case of further reductions of the ECE secretariat's resources, governments might be compelled to choose other institutions to carry out high priorities, such as the administration of the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution and its protocols.
Decisions
The eights decisions adopted concern various aspects of the future activities of the Commission.
An "omnibus decision" on the work of the Commission and its future activities, which approves the work programme for 1996-1997 and endorses the longer-term programme of work for 1996-2000, introduces mainstreaming of a gender perspective, wherever appropriate, into the work of the Commissions subsidiary bodies and emphasizes the cooperation and coordination of ECE activities with other organizations and institutions and sub-regional groupings active in the region. Further liberalization and expansion of trade, including market access and competitiveness, should be the objective of
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ECE activities. The preparations for the fiftieth anniversary of the Commission were endorsed by the decision. The activities of the Committee on Agriculture were suspended and only ECE work on standardization of perishable produce and on agricultural statistics were retained, "pending the decisions of the fifty-second session on the future of the Committee on Agriculture".
A decision on participation of the business community states that the Commission is aware of the need for increased private sector involvement in ECE activities. Business community participation to the greatest extent practicable is recommended and possible mechanisms for increasing the involvement of non-governmental organizations and the business community in ECE activities should be studied.
A decision on forms and methods of assistance to countries in transition recommends consultations with the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction, other relevant institutions and the business community on data collection and sharing on foreign investment opportunities. The cooperation of the ECE secretariat with the European Commission on projects identified by countries in transition within the European Union programmes PHARE and TACIS is commended. The ECE Advisory Services Programme is to be focused on complementing the activities in favour of transition countries. The programme of workshops and seminars on subjects of practical importance to transition countries should be continued. A recommendation to the Secretary-General is reiterated to consider using ECE as a focal point to promote and enhance mutual cooperation within the global programmes of the United Nations.
The decision on cooperation with the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe states that it should be strengthened and workshops and seminars on economic dimension subjects including investment promotion and investment regimes in transition countries should be organized in cooperation between both institutions. The ECE should elaborate early warning indicators of the economic situation through provision of timely and topical statistics and analysis.
The decision on cooperation in the Mediterranean urges member countries to assist the Commission in activities on the analysis of macro-economic and sectoral policies which take into account the Mediterranean dimension of the ECE. Subjects of common interest to the Mediterranean countries should be treated in cooperation of the other regional organizations concerned (ECA and ESCWA) and other United Nations bodies. The dialogue with the Mediterranean partners should be intensified through seminars and specific projects.
The decision on environment and sustainable development states that the Regional Conference on Transport and Environment will be held at Vienna in November 1997. Member countries, if they have not already done so, are urged to ratify, at the earliest possible date, the ECE Conventions on Long-range
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Transboundary Air Pollution, on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents and on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, as well as the Protocols on Nitrogen Oxides Volatile Organic Compounds and on Further Reductions of Sulphur Emissions. All ECE member countries are invited to support the elaboration of the new Nitrogen Oxides Protocol and the Protocols on Heavy Metals and Persistent Organic Pollutants.
The decision on transport stated that the provisions of the Customs Convention in the International Transport of Goods under Cover of TIR Carnets must urgently be revised and the Contracting Parties should agree on immediate amendments to the Convention wherever consensus exists. The European Agreement on Main Inland Waterways of International Importance should be signed between 1 October 1996 and 30 September 1997.
The decision on energy said private sector support should be mobilized to assist countries in transition through extra-budgetary activities such as the Gas Centre, Energy Efficiency 2000 project and the clean coal implementation programme. International standards and norms in the energy sector should be further developed.
The session was chaired by Romulus Neagu (Romania). The Vice-Chairmen were Björn Skogmo (Norway), Olexandre S. Sliptchenko (Ukraine) and Lodewijk R. Willems (Belgium).
For the fifty-second session, to be held 14 to 18 April 1997, Mr. Willems (Belgium) was elected Chairman. Michael Bartolo (Malta), Peter NRAY (Hungary) and Mr. Sliptchenko (Ukraine) were elected Vice-Chairmen.
The 55 ECE member countries are: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kazahstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Yugoslavia.
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