In recognition of the pressing need of most transition economies to boost their private sector, representatives of some 25 member States of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) met in Geneva on 21 March to introduce a new UNECE work programme for industrial restructuring and enterprise development.

The programme, to be carried out through the UNECE Working Party on Industry and Enterprise Development, will further shift the UNECE’s focus towards cross-sectoral enterprise development and industrial restructuring, with some of the traditional sectoral programmes being phased out.

This new UNECE Working Party comprises government representatives who deal with industry and enterprise development issues in their countries. The Working Party coordinates and guides the work of a number of task-oriented teams. Chairing the Working Party this year is the Director General of the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, Ms. Krystyna Gurbiel.

Included in the new programme is the dissemination of best practices in business advisory, counselling and information services. In view of the importance for enterprises and entrepreneurs to have access to such professional advice and information, a Team of Specialists will prepare a publication which will describe how these services are organized in around 25 member countries.

Another programme, on entrepreneurship and poverty, will address the salient poverty problems in transition economies through promoting and supporting entrepreneurship. A Team of Specialists will focus its work on vulnerable groups including women, youth, the disabled and ethnic minorities.

The programme of work will also include a series of activities on trade and enterprise finance, women’s entrepreneurship and a number of subregional initiatives.

The ongoing work of teams in areas such as business incubation and Internet enterprise development will continue to expand, with new activities being added. Specifically, member countries have recommended that the UNECE cooperate with the European Commission on benchmarking the management of business incubators, an exercise already carried out in the EU member States.

The UNECE will promote the use of the Internet as a tool for developing new business and facilitating existing processes through, for instance, a series of subregional conferences under the theme "e-Transition for all".

The UNECE Team of Specialists on Contaminated Metal Scrap will produce guidelines on how to manage radiation protection aspects of recycling metallurgical scrap.

For more information, please contact:

Mr Mika Vepsäläinen
Secretary of the Working Party
Trade Division
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
Palais des Nations, Office 429-1
CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland

Tel: +41 22 917 3197
Fax: +41 22 9170178
E-mail:   [email protected]

 Ref: ECE/TRADE/01/02