Introduction by the UNECE Executive Secretary

The broad-reaching impact of UNECE work

After two full years of managing and facilitating the functioning of UNECE, I clearly realize that one salient characteristic of the organization is its ability to use its sectoral focus – based on in-house expertise and well-established networks of governmental experts – for such key objectives as promoting integration and sustainable development throughout the region. In other words, the organization is much greater than the sum of its parts. This broad-reaching impact of our core and sectoral activities is also reflected in the fact that several of them stretch well beyond the borders of the UNECE region.

Placing UNECE work in a broader context is actually the main reason why the Annual Report for 2008 does not entirely follow the format of previous Reports. The first section is a collection of thought-provoking essays that reflect the activities of UNECE from a more analytical assessment and wider view. This deeper and enhanced intellectual insight serves not only to promote consideration of our technical work in a policy perspective, but also to adopt cross-sectoral approaches that enable us to achieve a higher level of coherence in our various activities. The series of ten discussion papers shows that if there is an overriding framework uniting all the economies in the UNECE region, it is a desire for combining pan-European integration, strong economic growth, environmental sustainability and social cohesion. All these essays have been prepared by staff members and it was my decision that these authors should not rest in anonymity. This Report is thus an opportunity to recognize and place the spotlight on just a fraction of the immense wealth of individual talent and expertise that is the hallmark of UNECE.

Key past events…

In its second part, the Report provides an overview of the wide range of activities carried out during the last year by UNECE in its various areas of work. Here, I would like to underline in particular the major events which took place in 2007. It is noticeable that all of them were held at the ministerial level and in partnership with other concerned regional organizations as well as with the host countries for those taking place outside Geneva. This clearly confirms the convening power of UNECE and its willingness to team up with the other regional organizations which are also involved in the issues addressed at such events.

The Sixth Ministerial Conference “Environment for Europe” (EfE) took place in Belgrade, 10 to 12 October 2007. The Ministerial Declaration adopted by the Conference underlined that the EfE process provides a valuable response to the common intention of UNECE member States to improve the environment throughout the region; it also initiated a reform of the process in order to further ensure its alignment with the environmental needs and priorities of the UNECE region. The UNECE Ministerial Conference on Ageing held in León, Spain, 6-8 November 2007, discussed progress achieved in the implementation of the Regional Implementation Strategy for the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing adopted at the 2002 Ministerial Conference in Berlin. The Declaration adopted in León constitutes a roadmap for policymaking in an area which has a decisive impact on the development prospects of the UNECE region. Finally, the Fifth Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE) took place in Warsaw, 5 to 7 November 2007, on the theme "Forests for Quality of Life". UNECE together with FAO, as partners of MCPFE, made several major contributions to the Conference, including notably the report on The State of Europe’s Forests 2007 which addresses all criteria for sustainable forest management in our region.

UNECE additionally took an active part in organizing the First United Nations Global Road Safety Week, 23-29 April 2007, in cooperation with the World Health Organization and the four other regional commissions. Some 400 young people from over 100 countries attended the event. The importance of this issue is obvious: worldwide, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among 15-19 years old, while for those in the 10-14-year and 20-24-year age brackets they are the second leading cause of death. Road safety is precisely one of the areas where UNECE can share its experience as well as its policy and legal instruments with the other regions of the world.

…and challenges ahead.

UNECE needs to address a number of challenges which are specific to the region and to call for strategic priorities to be pursued during this year and beyond.

First, the UNECE region is still marked by countries with startlingly different levels of development in terms of poverty, competitiveness and environmental performance. Fostering regional integration and, in particular, opening borders are key for reducing these development disparities. This is why one of our strategic priorities is to play an active expert role in subregional processes. Such an approach multiplies our outreach and thereby the impact of our work. Hence our efforts, among others, for strengthening the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), supporting the European Union’s Strategy for Central Asia and contributing our expertise to the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), the new institutional framework succeeding to the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe. I am convinced that we have much to offer to these important subregional initiatives, particularly in terms of expertise relating to norms standards and best practice.

Energy efficiency will continue to be a key pillar of our work. A global consensus appears to be growing among experts and policymakers that energy efficiency is the most effective and non-controversial method of mitigating energy security risks and, above all, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The UNECE efforts to promote the formation of an energy efficiency market in Eastern Europe have therefore to be vigorously pursued.

Another challenge is to implement the milestone decision to reform the “Environment for Europe” Process (EfE). Ministers invited our Committee on Environmental Policy to develop by the end of 2008 a consultative plan for EfE reform so that it can be endorsed, at a political level, by UNECE at its next session in the first quarter of 2009. We welcome a reform of this nature, and indeed after six Ministerial Conferences it is very timely.

Promoting the application of the Aid-for-Trade concept to transition economies is another task ahead of us. Aid-for-Trade is primarily a political process looking to obtain high-level support for the inclusion of trade in national development plans and to facilitate the funding of related activities, particularly in terms of capacity building. In this respect, Ministerial regional reviews have already been held in Asia, Africa and Latin America. UNECE plans to play a catalytical role in applying such an approach to the Eastern part of the region, bringing together a coalition of concerned United Nations entities (such as UNDP and UNCTAD), non-UN institutions (such as EBRD and ADB) and country groupings (such as EurAsEC, RCC and SPECA), with the overall support of WTO.

Being part of the global efforts of the United Nations for better delivery at the country level is also an emerging direction for UNECE work. Along this line, as outlined in a UNECE senior management retreat which took place in November last year, we will strive towards strengthening the plugging of our work into national development strategies, particularly by bringing the transboundary and regional integration dimension into these strategies. This should be reflected in the “One UN programmes” which are being established in a number of countries with transition economies. Albania is a pilot country in this respect and we have been part of an interagency mission whose objective was to strengthen and support, in a coordinated way, the trade aspects of the One UN programme for this country.

In conclusion, with two full years now behind us since the start of the implementation of the UNECE reform process, I perceive that we are operating at an increased level of intensity. This results from an amplified demand for our services which demonstrates confidence from the beneficiaries of our outputs as well as a much appreciated recognition of the value added we bring, both sectorally and as an organization. However, there is no room for complacency if we want to rise to the challenge of meeting the new demands from our member States. Thanks to a dedicated and competent staff, I am convinced that we are in a position to pursue this intensive work and deliver results, thus ensuring that we continue to fulfil our mission and facilitate a better future for the people of our region.