UNUnited Nations Economic Commission for Europe

Press Release

[Index]

ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES OF THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

Second session of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Integration
Geneva, 5-7 December 2007

Geneva, 4 December 2007 -- What is driving at present the internationalization of business activity in the UNECE region? What is the role of SMEs, mature and emerging multinationals for the diffusion of innovation in the region? What are the main obstacles to wider and deeper internationalization of business activity in the UNECE region preventing countries and enterprises benefiting from this internationalization? These issues will be addressed by a panel made up of high-level policymakers and representatives of the business community, which is held under the auspices of the UNECE Committee on Economic Cooperation and Integration.

The session will also review key outputs of teams of specialists and networks of experts that contribute to a better understanding of competitiveness and innovation in the UNECE region. These include comparative reviews on ‘Financing Innovative Development‘, ‘Creating a Conducive Environment for Higher Competitiveness and Effective National Innovation Systems as well as synopses of best practice on ‘Intellectual Property, its Protection and Commercialization’, ‘Policy Approaches to Reducing Barriers to Entrepreneurship’ and ‘ Promoting Good Governance in Public Private Partnerships’. On the basis of these policy recommendations, a particular focus of the Committee will be to promote their dissemination and launch relevant capacity-building programmes in the ‘catching-up’ economies.

During the meeting, a web-based virtual platform for information exchange developed by the UNECE secretariat will be presented. This innovative tool serves to facilitate the dissemination of information and communication among the teams of specialists and other associated experts between sessions of the Committee.

The session will commence in the Palais des Nations, Geneva, Salle XVI on Wednesday, 5 December at 10.00 am.

For further information, please contact:

Geoffrey Hamilton, Secretary to the Committee
Chief, Cooperation and Partnerships Section
UNECE Economic Cooperation and Integration Division
Palais des Nations, Office 468
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Phone: +41 (0) 22 917 2838
Fax: +41 (0) 22 917 0178
E-mail: [email protected]

or

Iouri Adjoubei
UNECE Economic Cooperation and Integration Division
Palais des Nations, Office 447
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Phone: +41 (0) 22 917 4421
Fax: +41 (0) 22 917 0178
E-mail: [email protected]

Website: http://www.unece.org/ceci/docs/secondsession.html

Ref: ECE/ECID/07/P06