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