UNUnited Nations Economic Commission for Europe

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Adapting to a Changing European Architecture

UNECE wraps up its sixty-first session

Geneva, 23 February 2006 -- The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) concludes today its sixty-first session (Geneva, 21-23 February 2006) which essentially focused on the implementation of the UNECE Reform.

The UNECE “is an organization that has traditionally been proactive in terms of moving with the dynamics of change” stressed Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, in his message to the Commission. “Confronted with a changing European architecture, you are adapting yet again. I know that member States and the secretariat will join forces to work for effective implementation of this round.”

“Today, the challenge of the UNECE consists in making its member States rediscover the advantages of dialoguing, of adopting common conventions and regional integration, this at a moment when multilateralism is going through an unprecedented crisis,” stressed Ambassador François Roux, the Chairman of the Commission.

“Member States would have not gone through the Reform process if they did not believe in what UNECE has done and its potential for the future. Our challenge now is to implement the Reform. It is a challenge for both the member States, and for us, the secretariat,” said Marek Belka, the UNECE Executive Secretary, at the outset of the Commission session.

A new sectoral committee

During the first part of the Commission the seven chairs/vice-chairs of the Sectoral Committees briefed the Commission on the implementation of the UNECE Reform within their sectors, also outlining existing and planned cooperation with partner organizations and highlighting the achievements and challenges.

The Executive Secretary presented the process leading to the establishment of a new work programme on Economic Cooperation and Integration. He also mentioned that the first meeting of this new Committee was tentatively scheduled for the Autumn of 2006.

A panel of four representatives of the member States engaged in an exchange of views on the future role of UNECE and in particular on the priority issues to be addressed by the new work programme on Economic Cooperation and Integration.

UNECE in the Development Assistance Committee’s (DAC) List of Main International Organizations

The Commission further emphasized the importance of technical cooperation for implementing the UNECE’s core activities and noted that the General Assembly has underlined the need to strengthen the links between the normative and operational work of the United Nations.

For historical reasons the UNECE, which until the early 1990s had no member States which were eligible for technical assistance from the international community and bilateral donors, was not, unlike other Regional Commissions, included in the Development Assistance Committee’s List of Main International Organizations, contributions to which by donors may be reported as Official Development Aid (ODA). At its last session in 2005, the Commission encouraged OECD and other donor organizations to better utilize UNECE’s potential in delivering technical assistance in their development aid efforts.

At this session, the Commission urged its members who are also members of the DAC to support the inclusion of the UNECE on the Development Assistance Committee’s list of main international organizations.

The Commission also adopted its revised Rules of Procedure, and provisionally adopted its revised Terms of Reference pending their endorsement by ECOSOC.

Belgium elected as Chair of the next Commission session

As provided for in the Work Plan on UNECE Reform, the Commission is chaired by the representative of the country elected by the Commission for the period of the biennium. The Chair is assisted by two vice-chairs who are representatives of two countries elected at the same session. Since the biennial cycle will begin in 2007, the Commission decided to elect the Chair and Vice-Chairs for a period of one year.

The Commission elected Belgium as Chair of the sixty-second session. Croatia and Ukraine were elected Vice-Chairs of the sixty-second session.

For further information, please contact:

UNECE Information Service
Palais des Nations
CH - 1 211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Phone: +41 (0)22 917 44 44
Fax: +41 (0)22 917 05 05
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.unece.org/

Ref: ECE/GEN/06/P05