5 February 1999
ECE/TRADE/99/2
SECI's FIRST TWO YEARS:
POSITIVE PROGRESS IN THE BALKANS
Eleven southeast European countries meeting in
Geneva this week agreed unanimously to renew their efforts to
improve the region's infrastructure and dismantle excessive
bureaucracy that encourages corruption and discourages private
investment.
SECI, the Southeast European Cooperative
Initiative, is the framework in which countries from and around
the former Yugoslavia are working together. Despite past and
present troubles, this intergovernmental initiative has been
making steady progress by setting reasonable short-term
objectives and focusing on results. Meeting at the
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE), the
Initiative's participating States and supporting institutions
declared SECI's first two years a success and agreed to continue
the Initiative.
SECI was launched in December 1996 based on an
agreement between the United States and the European Union,
brokered by American Ambassador Richard Schifter. Erhard
Busek, former Vice Chancellor of Austria, was named SECI
Coordinator. UN Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE), headed
by Executive Secretary Yves Berthelot provides technical
assistance to SECI. The "troika" formed by these three
individuals has served as the catalyst to SECI's activities.
The SECI participating States are Albania,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, the
Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovenia, the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, and Turkey. An invitation to participate
in SECI was initially extended to the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia but withdrawn in light of events in the country. SECI
supporting States include Austria, Italy, the Russian Federation,
Switzerland and the United States of America.
Operating on a modest budget, Dr. Busek
characterised SECI as "help for self-help." While the
project activities may lead to proposals for financing from
international financial institutions, SECI's real objective is to
develop conditions that will make southeast Europe more
attractive to private investors. "There simply isn't enough
public money to pay for all of the problems that need to be
addressed in the region," according to Ambassador Schifter.
Each of the eight projects undertaken by SECI
is hosted by one of the participating States. One project hosted
by Greece dealt with delays at border crossings. The project
group developed a USD 70 million proposal to the World Bank that
has led to the Bank adopting a new regional approach to lending.
Ten of the eleven countries have established "PRO
Committees," with representatives of public and private
sector institutions discussing how to simplify procedures
at the borders. A memorandum of understanding has also been
initialled that will eliminate quotas on goods-moving vehicles,
harmonise road tariffs and encourage the use of "green
lorries" with reduced emissions.
Other SECI projects deal with issues in water
pollution, energy efficiency, cooperation among securities
markets and steps to stimulate small and medium-sized business
development.
The UN/ECE has enabled SECI to avoid creating
additional administrative overhead, while utilising a forum in
which all SECI participating and supporting States are equal
members. The European Commission, the World Bank and the European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development are among the
international institutions supporting SECI's project activities.
Executive Secretary Berthelot noted that
"the SECI projects bring countries around the table to
discuss address issues that are of regional interest and are
results oriented." The projects also aim to achieve these
results in a relatively short (1-2 years) period of time.
The SECI National Coordinator for Hungary,
Ambassador Istvan Balogh, summarized the underlying spirit of
SECI when he said, "All the countries of the region should
be aware of their own share of responsibility in creating the
necessary basic conditions for economic cooperation, the way to a
better, more prosperous future."
For further information contact:
Mr. Will Keenan
Regional Advisor
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE)
Palais des Nations
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Tel: +41-22 917 2793
Fax: +41-22 917 0037
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.unece.org/seci/