THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OPENS THE CEREMONIES OF THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE
15 April 1997
(21- 24 April 1997, Council Chamber, Palais des Nations, Geneva)
On 21 April 1997, Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations,
will inaugurate the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Economic
Commission for Europe (UN/ECE). More than twenty of the fifty-five Member
States will be represented at the Ministerial level. The fiftieth anniversary meeting
of the Commission will adopt a Ministerial Declaration and Plan of Action providing
extensive reform of the Economic Commission for Europe. These two documents
should be a milestone of a new era for the UN/ECE. The reform, the first one of
this type in the United Nations, will change both the intergovernmental and the
secretariat structures as well as the work programme.
Two round tables will be held during the session. The first one is entitled:
"Building cohesion in Europe: technical answers to a political aspiration" and the
second one "ECE: forging partnerships between governments, enterprises and
non-governmental organizations".
Among the high level personalities who will attend this exceptional session,
the presence of the following Ministers should be noted: Mr. Vahan AVANESSIAN,
Minister of Economy of Armenia; Mr. Jan PEETERS, Secretary of State for Security
and Environment of Belgium; Mr. Valentin DOBREV, First Deputy Minister for
Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria; Mr. Cyril SVOBODA, Deputy Minister for Foreign
Affairs of the Czech Republic; Mr. Svend AUKEN, Minister of Environment of
Denmark; Mr. Jaak LEIMANN, Minister of Economic Affairs of Estonia;
Mr. Mikhael UKLEBA, First Deputy Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia;
Mr. Károly LOTZ, Minister of Transport, Telecommunication and Water
Management of Hungary; Ms. Patrizia TOIA, Under-Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs of Italy; Mr. Guntars KRASTS, Minister of Economy of Latvia;
Ms. Andrea WILLI, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Liechtenstein;
Mr. Vincas BABILIUS, Minister of Economy of Lithuania; Mr. George VELLA,
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Environment of
Malta; Mrs. Anneke van DOK VAN WEELE, Minister for Foreign Trade of the
Netherlands; Mr. Mihai POPOV, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of
Moldova; Mr. Dumitru BRAGHIS, Deputy Minister of Economy and Reforms of the
Republic of Moldova; Mr. Dariusz ROSATI, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland;
Mr. Lazar COMANESCU, Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Romania; Mr. Eugeni YASIN, Federal Minister of the Russian Federation;
Mr. V. FORTOV, Minister of Science and Technology of the Russian Federation;
Mr. Ján FOLTÍN, State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak
Republic; Mr. Marjan SENJUR, Minister for Economic Relations and Development
of Slovenia; Mrs. Vojka RAVBAR, State Secretary for Trade Policy of Slovenia;
Mr. Franz BLANKART, Secretary of State, Federal Department for Public Economy
of Switzerland; Mr. Ljubomir FRCKOSKI, Minister of Foreign Affairs of The former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Mr. Volodymyr KHANDOGII, Deputy Minister for
Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and Mr. Olexander S. YAREMENKO, Deputy Minister
of Economy of Ukraine.
The programme of the fiftieth anniversary session of the ECE
Adoption of the Ministerial Declaration and Plan of Action (E/ECE/1347 & 1354)
These two documents have been the subject of intensive negotiations during
these last months. They define in detail the elements of the reform of the UN/ECE
and its secretariat. Eight major principles have governed this reform. These
principles range from the focusing of UN/ECE activities on those areas where it has
recognised expertise and proven advantages, to the increased involvement of the
business community in activities of the UN/ECE. In their Declaration, Ministers will
commit themselves to applying this reform and strengthening the Commission as
an instrument for economic cooperation, peace and stability in the region.
Press Conference: "Is eastern Europe back on track?"
Mr. Yves Berthelot, Executive Secretary of the UN/ECE, and
Mr. Paul Rayment, Director of the Division for Economic Analysis and Projections,
will hold a press conference to launch the Economic Survey of Europe. The
central theme of this Press Conference will be "Is eastern Europe back on track?".
It will be held on Friday, 18 April 1997 at 11.30 a.m. in Room III.
Round tables
- A round table on the theme "Building cohesion in Europe: technical
answers to a political aspiration" will start on Monday, 21 April 1997 at 4 p.m. in
the Council Chamber. This round table is open to the public;
- A second round table on the theme "ECE: forging partnerships between
governments, enterprises and non-governmental organizations" will start on
Tuesday, 22 April 1997 at 3.30 p.m. in the Council Chamber. This round table is
open to the public. Non-governmental organizations are particularly encouraged to
attend.
The UN in your daily life
This colourful and lively pamphlet shows how the United Nations, and more
particularly the UN/ECE improves the daily life of hundreds of millions of people
throughout the region.
Internet
A demonstration of the UN/ECE Home page will be available in Room I, next
to the Council Chamber.
Exhibitions (21 April to 4 May 1997)
An exhibition on the achievements of the Commission entitled: "The UN in
your daily life: the Economic Commission for Europe" will be on display at door 6.
An exhibition of paintings will take place in the area outside the Council
Chamber. The artist, Mrs. Marianne Bertschinger, will exhibit 55 landscapes, each
representing one country of the UN/ECE's region.
A third exhibition will show works of UN/ECE artists which will demonstrate
that the creativity of UN/ECE staff is not limited to their daily assignments. This
exhibition will also take place in front of the Council Chamber on the first floor.