THERE ARE NO EASY ANSWERS TO DIFFICULT QUESTIONS
8 April 1997
Can ECE be a neutral platform for a fruitful and productive dialogue
between Governments and the private sector?
Is the involvement of the private sector in UN activities justified and can
it be beneficial for both parties?
What are the basic requirements for a successful transition to a market
economy?
What can the countries in transition do to attract foreign direct
investment?
What lessons can the countries in transition learn from western multinationals?
How can industrial restructuring ensure the success of the transition
process?
Answers to these questions are provided in a new publication
entitled Sustainable Industrial Development (United Nations publication,
Sales No. E.97.II.E.4), issued to mark the Jubilee Anniversary Session of the
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE). The publication
also covers other pertinent issues such as the development of human
resources, the necessary legal framework, and the facilitation of international
trade.
The publication draws on the findings of the Round Table Conference
on Cooperation for Sustainable Industrial Development, held during the fifty-first session of ECE and chaired by Percy Barnevik, Chairman, ABB Asea
Brown Boveri. Other panellists included top managers of major international
companies and high ranking government officials of selected countries in
transition.