UNUnited Nations Economic Commission for Europe

Press Releases 1997

[Index]

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE HOLDS ROUND-TABLE DEBATE ON "FORGING PARTNERSHIP"

23 April 1997

Assistance to Transition Countries Discussed;
Economic Survey of Europe Presented; Officers Elected

"Forging partnerships between Governments, enterprises, and NGOs (non-governmental organizations)" was the topic of a round-table discussion this afternoon as the Economic Commission for Europe continued its fiftieth anniversary session.

Members of the Commission also were presented with the ECE secretariat's annual Economic Survey of Europe, elected new officers, and held a general discussion on improving methods for helping "transition countries" -- countries of the former Soviet bloc now in the process of establishing market economies.

The Commission will reconvene at 10 a.m. Wednesday, 23 April, to continue review of the Organization's methods for assisting transition economies. Also to be discussed are ECE cooperation and partnership arrangements, including programmes under way in the Mediterranean region.

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Election of officers

The Commission elected Peter Naray, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the United Nations Office at Geneva, as its new Chairman. Elected to serve as Vice Chairpersons were Eveline Herfkens, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands; Michael Bartolo, Permanent Representative of Malta; and Mykola Maimeskul, Permanent Representative of Ukraine. E. Wallin of the Permanent Mission of Sweden was chosen Rapporteur.

Mr. Naray said in a brief address that following adoption this morning of the ECE's declaration on strengthening economic cooperation and of its reformed programme of work, the Commission's course was clear -- to implement these documents and so effectively carry out the reforms.

Presentation of the Economic Survey of Europe

Paul Rayment, acting Director of the ECE Division for Economic Analysis and Projections, introducing the Economic Survey of Europe, said that the ECE region in 1996-1997 is characterized by uneven economic performance and prospects:

modest economic recovery in western Europe; a return to significant growth in the Baltic states; slowing growth in eastern Europe; and a deepening slump in the Russian Federation. (For more details see press release ECE/GEN/97/4.)

Round table on "ECE: Forging partnerships between Governments, enterprises and NGOs"

Participating in the round-table were Dariusz Rosati, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland; Svend Auken, Minister for the Environment of Denmark; Niculai Pavlovschi, Vice President of the Romanian National Gas Corporation; Claude Haegi, Counsellor of State and President of the Foundation for Economic Development of the Regions of Europe; Philippe Levy, Chairman of the Swiss Office for Trade Promotion and Adviser to the Group Executive Board of Société Générale de Surveillance; and Andrei Svinarenko, Deputy Minister of the Economy of the Russian Federation.

Among the issues raised were how countries were to choose between differing advice offered by various international organizations and private agencies; and if there were useful national models or "systems" for fostering development of small- and medium-sized businesses.

Methods of the Commission designed to assist countries in transition

Among the remarks offered during the discussion of methods for helping transition countries were those of Yves Berthelot, the ECE's Executive Secretary, who told the Commission that one useful process was the holding of expert seminars and various programmes through the Commission's subsidiary bodies. Experts who participated learned from the meetings themselves and also could form networks and so share hard-earned knowledge and experience, he said.