COOPERATION AND PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER REGIONAL INSTITUTIONS DISCUSSED BY ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE
23 April 1997
Efforts to streamline and make more effective policies and programmes
carried out in cooperation with other European regional institutions were reviewed
this morning by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) as
it continued its fiftieth anniversary session.
This year's four-day series of meetings has been dedicated to taking stock
of the state of European economic integration and progress, and to devising a
practical and efficient role for the ECE in the future.
Yves Berthelot, the ECE's Executive Secretary, said it was important for
activities of regional bodies in the economic area to be developed in a
comprehensive and transparent way, and suggested that the relations between
ECE and OSCE be formalized.
Speakers representing ECE member States stressed that under an ECE
restructuring programme approved by consensus on Tuesday the needs of
countries undergoing transition to market economies and the special circumstances
of countries in the Mediterranean basin should continue to receive special
attention. They said that cooperation and partnerships with other regional
institutions should be aimed at making assistance provided to such countries still
more comprehensive, efficient, and effective. Joint seminars for training of
experts in such fields as environmental protection, transport facilitation, and
removal of obstacles to trade were suggested. Also proposed was the signing of
a memorandum of understanding or an exchange of formal letters with the OSCE
to ensure transparency and practicality in the cooperation between the two
institutions. Joint programmes or conferences to increase foreign investment in
transition countries also were advocated.
The discussion ranged not only over the issues of cooperation with the
OSCE and matters related to transition and Mediterranean countries, but also dealt
with extending and improving operations and coordination with non-governmental
organizations and with businesses. Country representatives urged repeatedly that
more be done to spur development of small- and medium-sized enterprises, which
were characterized as the building blocks of emerging market economies. Advice
on helping such businesses and on devising policies to encourage and stimulate
their creation was cited as a primary role that could be played by the ECE,
especially in cooperation with other institutions that had complementary areas of
expertise.
The Commission will reconvene at 3 p.m. to review the work of the ECE and
its various subsidiary bodies.