Press Release
ECE/GEN/00/25
Geneva, 5 May 2000
Economic
Commission for Europe Concludes its Fifty-fifth Session
Cross-sectoral and intersectoral concerns: Update on developments
with the participation of the Chairpersons of the Principal Subsidiary Bodies (PSBs) was the topic for discussion this morning at the Economic Commission for Europe’s
fifty-fifth session. Also on the agenda was Contributing to global debates and events,
and the Report on the work of the Group of Experts on the Programme of Work. The
debate included reactions from Governments, representatives of the OSCE, the Council of
Europe, sub-regional groupings, initiatives and programmes. Yves Berthelot, the Executive
Secretary of the UN/ECE, introduced the first two topics, whereas the Chairman of the
Group of Experts on the Programme of Work introduced the third topic under discussion.
Ambassador Harald Kreid, Chairman of the Economic Commission for Europe, chaired the
meeting.
Mr Berthelot, in his introduction to the first topic, said that the
issue under consideration within document E/ECE/1377 was perfectly clear. It dealt with
cross-sectoral issues, which required discussion this year, as well as describing the work
that had been done. Those involved in the work of the PSBs needed to be consulted. The
Commission was asked to endorse the congratulations for the work done by the PSBs in the
various areas, notably that of transport, environment and health.
The Chairpersons of the PSBs were then invited to comment.
Mr Blanc, the Chairman of the Committee on Sustainable Energy, said
some thought had been given to new activities involving a number of sectors. There were
two strong linkages that could be developed: the cross-sectoral relationship between
energy and the environment; and energy and transport. There was a need to move away from
thinking, and towards action. Work would begin with the Bureau. Relations with the
business community were progressing, and cooperation was the daily habit - and had indeed
aided in the production of the report under consideration. Some activities could only
continue if the major areas of the private sector were involved from the ground up.
Mr Longva, the Chairman of the Conference of European Statisticians
(CES), said statistics in themselves were a cross-sectoral activity, and their importance
had been enormously increased over the last years. Various techniques had added to their
integration into many areas and sectors. On the global level, but concentrating on Europe,
the CES had found itself at the centre of the coordinating work going on within the
UN/ECE. Involvement with the business community had however moved very little forward. In
one area, that of promoting equal access to information on statistics, the CES was very
advanced.
Mr Zetter, the Chairman of the Committee on Human Settlements (CHS),
said much of the last few days had been devoted to the preposition that economic
regeneration needed to be home grown, and this was at the heart of the CHS. There was a
change to the attitude to development, and the "Robin Hood" approach was no
longer so highly regarded. There was a much more accurate focus on technical issues. The
involvement of the business community had been enhanced consistently by various
sub-organizations. The private sector was interested in what was taking place in the
economies in transition, and cooperation was thus enhanced. A lot of SME activity was
financed by loans made on personal property. An evaluation process of the works done by
the CHS had been set up. The UN/ECE required a manner for attracting political attention
and financial interest.
Ms Bergquist, the Chairman of the Timber Committee (TC), said the TC
was eager to take on new challenges, to form new partnerships both within the UN/ECE and
with the outside community, so as to further serve the member countries of the UN/ECE.
Timber was vital to the economy and economic development of a number of countries, and it
was vital for these countries to have contact both with the UN/ECE and with many other
countries and organizations. Trade, transport, energy and environment were all
cross-sectoral issues in which the TC had much interest. There was much cross-sectoral
work being implemented and fulfilled thanks to the active participation of the business
community.
Mr Feher, the Vice-Chairman of the Committee for Trade, Industry and
Enterprise Development (CTIED) said the objectives of the CTIED were clear. Cross-sectoral
work was done in cooperation with other organizations, including UN/CEFACT. The CTIED had
a broad scope of interest, and this was reflected in its work, and its special interest in
the economies in transition. Examples of work done with the participation of the private
sector were numerous. Trade, industry and enterprise development were all issues of vital
importance and interest for the transition economies. Contacts with the governments of
such countries had been established, and had proved fruitful. Intersectoral activities
were progressing satisfactorily with the implementation of several projects.
Mr Schreiber, the Vice-chairman of the Committee on Environmental
Policy (CEP), said that environmental and ecological issues were now integrated in the
majority of policies. New initiatives were expected. Focus would be made on various
intersectoral issues, which would ensure work within the separate UN/ECE branches.
Cooperation was most important in the new world of sustainable development that was being
developed. The PSBs needed to all work together, since this was the only way to achieve
the goal and to work fruitfully. The connection with business and trade was very clear and
was proving of great value. There was a need to attract a political commitment from
governments, which would ensure financial revenue.
The Chairman then commented that he had received a good impression from
the speakers that their respective PSBs had made an important contribution to the overall
work of the Commission. Most had substantial contacts with the business community, and the
information derived therefrom should be spread throughout the organization. All also had
to work cross-sectorally, and this was an element which should be strengthened over the
next years. From the presentation it also appeared that PSBs had a more direct access to
decision makers, which was also a distinct advantage. Their work was not limited to the
area of the UN/ECE, but had natural connections to the global processes taking place
within the UN. The floor was then opened to delegations for comment.
The Representative of Portugal on behalf of the EU said that in general
terms the EU felt the work of the UN/ECE contained two fundamental parts - an internal one
and an external one. Both had been considerably altered since 1992. The selection of
options and the efforts undertaken had had positive results. From the internal point of
view, the way in which PSBs reacted and cooperated so as to use resources more
appropriately should be noted. The work in transport and the environment was commended, as
was the recent extension into health, in cooperation with WHO. The EU clearly supported
the intentions of the work of the Committees on Transport and the Environment, and on
Energy. The needs of the member States of the UN/ECE were very varied, and it required all
its experience and savoir-faire in cooperating with other organizations so as to provide
aid for the economies in transition. The great diversity of areas in which the UN/ECE
worked had brought about the consideration that it was important to involve NGOs and the
business sector within its work. However, these links could be improved. The EU would like
regular information on these issues.
The Representative of the United Kingdom said relations with the
business community would grow in importance over the next few years.
The Representative of the United States of America made various
suggestions as to the text regarding the business community, and said cooperation with
this community should be encouraged.
The Representative of Switzerland spoke of intersectoral work made
within the UN/ECE in the field of transport, environment and health, as important work
that was whole-heartedly supported by Switzerland. The document provided an interesting
analysis of work done by the UN/ECE in this field. The cooperation had been stepped up,
and this path should be continued upon. A number of questions still arose, on for example
the various principles that should be the guidelines for this work. Switzerland would like
a clearer picture of criteria used to define this sort of cooperation. All should be done
in accordance with clearly defined objectives, established by the Commission. There was a
need to do something to ensure that cooperation was based upon ethical bases and criteria,
since this would promote the cooperation itself.
The Representative of Ukraine commended the information contained
within the document. Ukraine was actively involved in the work undertaken by the UN/ECE in
carrying out intersectoral activities, notably in the energy areas. This could be expanded
into the countries in transition. The proposal regarding the need to attach priority to
the activities of the UN/ECE in the countries in transition was supported.
The Representative of the Czech Republic said issues of cooperation and
involvement of the business community in the UN/ECE region were strongly supported, since
everything done by the Commission influenced to certain degrees the business communities
in these countries. The UN/ECE should continue to attract the attention of this sector and
encourage them to be more involved in the work done. There were many opportunities for
future work and participation of the business community in environmental areas, and there
was much interest in this field.
The Representative of Spain said the document was supported
whole-heartedly, but required regular information as to the involvement of the business
community, since the information contained within the document was insufficient. The
statement made by the EU was supported. Specific criteria needed to be developed for
assessment of these matters.
The Representative of Poland said the document was most interesting,
and fully subscribed to what was said on behalf of the EU. The UN/ECE was recognized for
its ability to offer a region-wide forum for discussion of social and economic issues and
to act as an interface between governments and NGOs. Poland had advocated such discussions
for a long time, notably the society problems arising from the transition process within
that region of Europe. The UN/ECE was a well-placed organization to deal with the problems
of transition. The cross-sectoral and business links were endorsed.
The Representative of the Russian Federation was glad to see the growth
of the intersectoral and cross-sectoral aspects of the work of the UN/ECE, and their
occurrence in a more regular and systemic manner. This kind of formal work was very
important, and should be continued in future. The efforts on coordination on regional
issues with other organizations were appreciated. Studies on the emergence of new
activities attracting the attention of the business community to the work of the UN/ECE
should be continued. Criteria should be established regarding contacts with the business
community.
The Representative of Moldova said the business sector and the foreign
direct investors should play an important role in the reconstruction of the transition
economies. These actors had greatly benefited to the Republic of Moldova. A lot of
aspiration for future cooperation was placed within this field. However, the UN/ECE should
establish a real effective form of cooperation with the business community within the
area, and should establish an effective mechanism for this.
Mr Berthelot then commented that the problem with relations with the
private sector was an issue that had also been discussed in New York, with the production
of some guidelines. Inspiration could be drawn from this. The comment of the
Representative of Spain regarding the participation of enterprise was appropriate.
However, delegations needed to find suitable participants for the forging of such links.
Patrice Robineau, Senior Adviser to the Executive Secretary, then
commented upon the debate, saying he was glad that cross-sectoral and intersectoral issues
were advancing in a positive manner throughout the UN/ECE. However, many new linkages
could be made. It was important that, at each meeting, intersectoral activities be
reviewed, so that the work could be implemented appropriately. This, however, needed to be
rooted in the PSBs. Delegations should make use of their professional contacts to help the
UN/ECE. Some NGOs had also a role to play in their area. Forums should be open to
enterprises and businesses who could be given a form of consultative status. However, the
participation of SMEs should not be ignored. There was a need to distinguish between
questions which could be taken up by the experts, and those that should be taken up by the
PSBs, in view of the respective constituency and the type of business community each PSB
was in contact with.
The Chairman then closed that agenda item, after noting that there was
support for the cross-sectoral activities of the PSBs and for cooperation with the
business sector as outlined in the document; and the Commission addressed the following
agenda item, Contributing to global debates and events.
The Executive Secretary introduced the topic, recalling that the
requests for contributions on global activities were good for the Commission, and the
awareness of the problems facing the transition economies should be made more global.
There were numerous other requests that required the time of the UN/ECE, so there was a
need to prioritize and to determine what could be taken up on the regional level, and what
on the global level.
The Chairman then opened the floor to the debate on this issue.
The Representative of Portugal for the EU commended the work done by
the UN/ECE secretariat with the member countries and other regional institutions. All this
was very useful in contributing to global debates and events. The EU supported the
conclusions made in the document. The EU believed that involvement in all kinds of
regional debate was very useful so as to be able to contribute on a global level. When,
for example, ECOSOC made a decision on such regional matters affecting the UN/ECE, then an
appropriate budget should be allocated. The UN/ECE was getting more and more involved in
areas that were not necessarily within its mandate, and human and financial resources were
limited. The possibility of strengthening the Office of the Executive Secretary should be
looked into. Priorities needed to be made so as to function effectively on a global level.
The Representative of the Russian Federation said the document gave a
detailed reflection of the enormous amount of work done by the secretariat. The UN/ECE was
a unique forum within the framework of the European region. But now, it, like the other
regional commissions, was increasingly carrying out the function of making contributions
to other events that were outside this framework, and were within that of the UN as a
whole. This showed how well the UN/ECE had done its work. The level of cooperation that
had been achieved was applauded.
The Representative of Canada welcomed the efforts of the UN/ECE to
contribute to global events and debates, and recognized that this imposed an increased
burden upon its resources and staff. Canada looked forward to working with other UN/ECE
partners in global events and debates, notably in the case of Beijing +5.
The Representative of the United States of America commended the UN/ECE
for its work on the Regional Preparatory Meeting on Beijing +5. The Meeting enhanced
communication between Governments and NGOs, and the document that was adopted was
forward-looking and action-oriented.
Ms Bridel, the Representative of the Working Group on Women for the
UN/ECE Region, thanked the Commission for the work it had done over the last years. The
conclusions adopted at the preparatory meeting for Beijing +5 were appreciated. The
UN/ECE as regional arm of the UN had proved to be very effective. In this case, it was
hoped the secretariat would receive the appropriate funding to finally fully implement the
gender mainstreaming that it had advocated.
The Representative of Norway said this was an important issue, and the
UN/ECE had proved to be an effective regional arm of the UN in several cases. The
statement of the EU on the role of the UN/ECE within the UN and the resource implications
of this were fully agreed with.
Mr Berthelot thanked the delegates for their kind words on the work
done by the UN/ECE and their recognition of its achievements.
The Chairman concluded from this debate that the Commission wished to
register its support for the conclusions made at the Year 2000 review of Beijing +5.
The Commission had agreed to hold a meeting on Ageing, so as to develop a regional
strategy on the global Strategy on Ageing. The offer of Germany to host such a conference
was appreciated and accepted, and the framework for the preparations for this meeting as
suggested in the secretariat paper was adopted. The financial contributions by Germany for
the preparation for this meeting and the meeting itself were commended.
The agenda item was concluded, and the Report on the work of the
Group of Experts on the Programme of Work was then begun.
The Chairman of the Group of Experts on the Programme of Work
introduced the topic. There had been good collaboration between the secretariat and the
Group. Biennialization had been discussed, and it was concluded that it would not be in
the interest of ECE to biennialize its sessions, but that the format of work should be
re-modelled, for which there were some suggestions. Changing the format of the sessions
would not necessarily change the quality of the work done. There was a need to determine
exactly what the member countries required from this Group. The agenda was constantly
growing, and suggestions for change were seen as constructive.
The Representative of Portugal on behalf of the EU, said the Group of
Experts had been established in accordance with the Plan of Action, and had made an
important contribution to the work of the Commission. The EU suggested that the Group of
Experts be allowed to continue to give thought to improving the format of the annual
session, and the recommendations contained in the document were supported.
The Representative of the Russian Federation endorsed the words of
commendation and gratitude expressed to the Group of Experts. The work of the Group had
produced commendable results for further work of the Commission. The Group was a useful
mechanism that should be retained, since it could consider many other issues and ideas. It
was the only mechanism allowing countries, during the inter-sessional period, to examine
the work of the Commission as a whole. The suggestions contained in the document were
appreciated.
The Representative of the United States agreed with the recommendations
on the annual meeting made in the document. He suggested that the reports of PSBs be made
every two years.
The Chairman then concluded the debate, saying that the Group of
Experts had some food for thought and would take on board the various proposals made. The
Commission then endorsed paragraph 8 of the text, containing the recommendations of the
Group of Work.
The Commission then adjourned, to reconvene that afternoon, when it
would elect the Officers, pursue other business, and adopt the report.
The Economic Commission for Europe concluded its annual meeting this
afternoon, by addressing the final agenda topics of Election of Officers, Other
Business, and Adoption of the Report. The Ambassador of Turkey was Chairman,
until the election of the new Chairman.
Yves Berthelot, Executive Secretary of the UN/ECE, introduced the
election process. Ambassador Harald Kreid was elected as Chairman with 23 in favour,
16 abstentions, none against, and one blank ballot. Mr Berthelot then
congratulated Ambassador Kreid for his election as Chairman of the UN/ECE, since the
Ambassador was most competent and had great knowledge of the topics in hand. Ambassador
Kreid thanked Mr Berthelot, as well as all those who had supported his candidacy.
Ambassador Somol and Ambassador Sungar relinquished their service in
the Bureau. Ambassador Kreid thanked them professionally and personally for their valuable
contributions to the work of the Commission. Ambassador Spomenka Cek of Croatia and
Ambassador David Peleg of Israel were then elected to the posts of Vice-Chairpersons
by acclamation.
Mr Berthelot then took the floor to speak to the two outgoing
Vice-Chairpersons, thanking them for their advice, and the work they had done during their
time in the Bureau. He then welcomed the two new Members, and expected that they would
enrich the work done over the next year.
The Ambassador of Georgia continued as Vice-Chairperson, re-elected by
acclamation. The Executive Secretary thanked the Ambassador of Georgia, and said how much
he had enjoyed working with him, and how much he had enjoyed his work.
The Commission then moved to the following item, Other business.
The Representative of Portugal took the floor on behalf of the EU, and
expressed support for the information activities undertaken by the UN/ECE, notably its
website. The site required more frequent updating, in more languages, however it was most
valuable and useful.
He then paid tribute to Mr Berthelot and all the work he had done over
the last years in the UN, and in his post at the UN/ECE since 1993, since when he had
helped many countries through the process of transition. His work was much appreciated by
many countries, and his work of reform in the UN/ECE should not be neglected. He had
initiated a process of reflection as to how the UN/ECE could continue to meet the
challenges of today, whilst continuing to respond to the challenges of the future. His
work was commended, and it was recalled that he was the one that saw the merits of
sub-regional programmes such as SPECA. His honesty and accessibility had been much
appreciated, and had been instrumental in creating the deep trust existing between member
countries and the secretariat. His departure left the UN/ECE in a good shape, and he was
very greatly thanked by all present, in agreement with the Representative of Portugal.
Support was also given to Danuta Hübner, Deputy Executive Secretary, who would be taking
over his job.
The Representative of France said the Representative of Portugal had
expressed the feelings of all, and his words were fully endorsed. The Representative of
France took the floor since he had known Mr Berthelot for 20 years, and felt great
friendship for him. Mr Berthelot reflected the type of diplomacy required in his very
personality, and had brought a lucid vision of the historic changes that had taken place
over the last decade.
The Representative of Ukraine welcomed the Chairman in his new post,
and fully endorsed the statement made by the EU, thanking Mr Berthelot for the extensive
work he had done in working for the interests of the UN/ECE over the last seven years. He
had enriched the role of the UN/ECE as an economic body working within a pan-European
context. But the Commission needed to move on forward, and the Representative took the
advantage to welcome Ms Hübner and assured her of his whole-hearted support.
Mr Berthelot then took the floor to thank those who had expressed their
views with the very moving applause and warm words. He was most touched, and most
grateful.
The agenda item was then concluded.
After adjourning for consideration of the report, the Commission
reconvened, and changes made to the draft report were discussed. The Rapporteur introduced
the final changes to the draft report. The Chairman said that a segment on strategic
reflection should be added. Comments would be made by the member countries, to be agreed
upon at a later ad hoc meeting of the Commission. The Chairman thanked the
Rapporteur, and proposed that the draft report be adopted as verbally amended by the
Rapporteur.
The Representative of the Russian Federation then raised two points
concerning the text, suggesting further changes to be introduced at a later date.
The Representative of Poland then submitted a proposal to reconsider
one question - that the session next year not coincide with the celebrations of the 1st of May. The Chairman considered this a valid point, and suggested this be taken into
consideration.
The Chairman thanked the delegations for their contributions during the
meeting, which had been successful in all its stages. However, this did not mean that the
meeting should not be thought upon and changes and improvements sought for the ways and
means in which next year’s meeting should be held. He then adjourned the meeting.
For further information please contact: UN/ECE Information Unit, Palais
des Nations, Room 356, CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, Tel: +(41 22) 917 44 44, Fax: 917
05 05, E-mail: [email protected], Website: http://www.unece.org