DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL CHAIRS COORDINATION MEETING OF UN SYSTEM IN WESTERN ASIA REGION -- BEIRUT, 2 MARCH
Press Release
DSG/4
ECOSOC/5814
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL CHAIRS COORDINATION MEETING OF UN SYSTEM IN WESTERN ASIA REGION -- BEIRUT, 2 MARCH
19990310 Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette visited Lebanon from 27 February to 2 March, where she chaired the Coordination Meeting at the Regional Level of the United Nations System, hosted by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) on 1 March.The First Annual Coordination Meeting of the entities of the United Nations System active in the Western Asia region was held at United Nations House in Beirut. The meeting is part of a series of regional coordination meetings being held in response to Economic and Social Council resolution 1998/46. The objective is to improve coordination and promote collaborative action in order to reinforce synergies and avoid overlapping. The meeting brought together 18 regional offices of the United Nations, including its funds, programmes and specialized agencies.
In opening remarks, the Deputy Secretary-General emphasized that the meeting was part of the reform of the United Nations and of attempts at better coordination between the related entities, at the regional level.
During the meeting, a thorough and substantive discussion revealed a strong commitment to regional coordination and cooperation. Examples of successful partnerships were reviewed. It was also noted that instances of unnecessary duplication and overlap should be avoided. The importance of achieving complementarity in the activities of the United Nations system in order to better serve the needs of the region was emphasized. It was agreed that concerted efforts by the entities involved were necessary for the mobilization of additional resources for development activities in the region. In this respect, the importance of international financial institutions was recognized.
Participants also stressed that a common assessment of regional issues was necessary in order to enhance the level of existing coordination arrangements and mechanisms. The need to take account of the mandates and work of the regional and subregional organizations, as well as the objectives and activities of non-governmental organizations, was also stressed. The link between issues of peace, security, democracy and development in the region was underscored.
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The meeting agreed that an Inter-Agency Coordination Group was the most suitable forum for forging a United Nations system strategy or vision for the Western Asia region. The ESCWA was entrusted with convening its meetings. The work undertaken in preparation of the twenty-fifth anniversary of ESCWA could contribute to the process of formulating this common vision or strategy. Participants agreed to evaluate this strategy and its impact on the activities of the United Nations system in the region after one year.
Similar coordination meetings were held in Geneva on 9 February, for the region covered by the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), and in Nairobi on 5 March for the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). Future meetings are scheduled to be held at Bangkok on 2 June for the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and on 6 May in Santiago for the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).
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