4-6

Working Group on Civil Liability and Industrial Accidents
Focal points: Rainer Enderlein, Tel: 917 23 73 & Serge Ludwiczak, Tel. 917 31 74

Web site:
http://www.unece.org/env/civil-liability/welcome.html

4(pm)-
8 (am)

Working Party on Brakes and Running Gear, 51^st session
Focal point: Juan Ramos Garcia, Tel: 917 19 98

6
(3 pm)

Briefing by Executive Secretary to Missions
Focal point: Susan Bartolo, Tel: 917 14 69

Room XI.

11

Informal Ad Hoc Expert Group on Customs Transit for Rail based on the SMGS Consignment Note
Focal Point: Poul Hansen, Tel.: 917 32 58

The meeting will study the views of interested countries and international organizations concerning the establishment of a Customs transit system for rail transport amongst the Contracting Parties to the SMGS Agreement based on the Draft Conventions on International Customs Transit Procedures for the Carriage of Goods by rail TRANS/2001/10. Based on the recommendations of the participating experts, the meeting will finalize the draft Convention on Customs Transit for Rail based on the SMGS Consignment Note.
Web site: http://www.unece.org/trans/bcf/welcome.html

11

Team of Specialists on Entrepreneurship in Poverty Alleviation
Focal points: Larissa Kapitsa, Tel: 917 42 21 &
Antal Szab, Tel. 917 24 71

The main objective of this meeting is to establish a formal group of experts who will discuss the ways and means of offsetting negative impacts on economic transition of last decade and put forward the recommendations of work programme for practical implementation.

11-12

Team of Specialists on Internet Enterprise Development
Focal point: Daewon Choi, Tel: 917 24 74

This executive session will focus on new strategy and work programme to be undertaken in 2002-03 in view of the work accomplished over the last year. Special emphasis will be given to e-assessment projects,
e-regulatory framework development, e-government
and e-work.

11-12
Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic

SPECA Project Working Group on Energy and Water resources (PWG-Energo), 8^th session
Focal point: Peter Tsyba, Tel: 917 58 26

11-13
Warsaw, Poland

Ad Hoc Working Group on the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment
Focal point: Wiek Schrage, Tel: 917 24 48

The fourth meeting negotiating the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment to the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context will be held in Warsaw, Poland. This meeting will be preceded by a Seminar on Public Participation in Strategic Environmental Assessment (10 February 2002). Web site: http://www.unece.org/env/eia/welcome.html

12-13

Round Table on Industrial Restructuring in European Transition Economies: Experience to Date and Prospects
Focal point: Iouri Adjoubei, Tel: 917 24 88

The round table will consider the practical ways of overcoming the barriers for advancing industrial restructuring in the process of economic transition in the 1990s and will recommend work programme to be undertaken by the Team of Specialists on Industrial Restructuring to be established at the conclusion of the round table.

12-15

Working Party on Customs Questions affecting Transport, 100^th session
Focal point: Poul Hansen, Tel: 917 32 58

The Working Party will review the status of the 14 United Nations Conventions in the field of border crossing facilitation, which are administered by the Working Party. In particular, the Working Party will consider and possibly adopt a new annex on efficient border crossing procedures to the International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods, the status of the Conventions on Temporary Importation of Private and Commercial Road Vehicles, a new Convention for Customs transit by rail and the progress in the current revision of the TIR Convention as well as a large number of issues relating to the application of the TIR Customs transit procedure.
Web site: http://www.unece.org/trans/bcf/welcome.html

12 &15

Team of Specialists on Women's Entrepreneurship
Focal point: Ewa Ruminska-Zimny,
Tel: 917 16 98

The first meeting of the Team of Specialists on Women's Entrepreneurship will identify key areas of its work based on presentations from countries and sub-regions and the results of the First Forum of Women Entrepreneurs (OPA/AC.21/6). The meeting will also evaluate proposals for Team activities. The meeting will elect the chair and deputy chairs of the Team and will adopt the plan of work for 2002-2003.

13 (am)

Expert Meeting on Quality Management Systems
Focal point: Antal Szab, Tel: 917 24 71

13 (pm)

Meeting of the CEI Working Group on SMEs
Focal point: Antal Szab, Tel: 917 24 71

13

Workshop on E-regulatory Framework for Transition Economies
Focal point: Daewon Choi, Tel: 917 24 74

This first UNECE workshop on e-regulation will explore the methodology and building blocks of e-regulatory issues with special reference to EU enlargement countries and other developing and transition economies. Scholars, government officials and the representatives from EU, OECD, WIPO and UNCITRAL will assess the current status of e-regulation and future directions in this newly emerging area. Recommendations will be issued on the future work programme to be undertaken by the Working Party on Industry and Enterprise Development in collaboration with the Team of Specialists on Internet Enterprise Development.

13-14
Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic

Regional Coordinating Committee of SPECA, 3^rd session
Focal point: Peter Tsyba, Tel: 917 58 26

13-15

Joint ECE/Eurostat Work Session on Electronic Data Reporting
Focal point: Jana Meliskova, Tel: 917 41 50

It will be the first meeting on electronic data reporting (EDR) in statistics. The Work Session will explore organizational issues and policies to offer new services based on EDR to respondents. It will discuss security, confidentiality and privacy questions related to the EDR as well as EDR metadata requirements. Web site: http://www.unece.org/stats/documents/2002.02.edr.htm

14-15

Third Meeting of the ECE Task Force on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement
Focal point: Albena Karadjova Tel: 917 23 45

The Task Force is expected to continue work on drafting guidelines for environmental compliance and enforcement.

14-15

TIR Administrative Committee, 32^nd session
Focal point: Martin Magold, Tel: 917 24 53

The TIR Administrative Committee, the highest administrative organ representing all 63 Contracting States and the European Community to the TIR Convention is convened at least twice a year and is serviced by the ECE secretariat. At its spring session, the Committee will review the activities of its executive organ, the TIR Executive Board (TIRExB), provide guidance for all work to be undertaken under the present Phase III of the TIR revision process and adopt amendment proposals and comments to the text of the TIR Convention, 1975.
Web site: http://www.unece.org/trans/bcf/welcome.html

14-15

Working Party on Industry and Enterprise Development, 3rd session
Focal point: Daewon Choi Tel: 917 24 74

This 3^rd session will address the ongoing and new work programme for 2002-03 with special emphasis on five main activities of major concern for transition economies: industrial restructuring, SME quality management, youth entrepreneurship and poverty alleviation, women entrepreneurship and digital economy development. Creation of new teams of specialists to carry out tasks entrusted will be discussed along with the recommendations on best practices for implementing relevant policies based on applicable economic instruments. It also aims to develop a series of pilot projects on the linkage between old economy and knowledge-based new economy, a key challenge for transition economies in the forthcoming decade.

18-19

Legal Working Group (LWG) of the UN Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT)
Focal point: Mario Apostolov, Tel. 917 11 34

The meeting will discuss a deliverable (UN trade facilitation recommendation) on Online Dispute Resolution (ODR), a recommendation on cross-border recognition of electronic signatures and a Trading Partner Agreement (TPA).

18-20

Working Group on Genetically Modified Organisms
Focal point: Jeremy Wates, Tel: 917 23 84

The second meeting of the Aarhus Convention Working Group on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) will continue to discuss the application of the Aarhus Convention to GMOs in order to prepare a draft decision for the first meeting of the Parties to the Convention.
Website: http://www.unece.org/env/pp/gmo.htm

18(pm)-21

INLAND TRANSPORT COMMITTEE
Focal point: Helmut Lehmacher, Tel: 917 24 34

The ITC will consider a number of technical, economic, administrative and organizational questions related to infrastructure and regulatory aspects of road, rail, inland water and combined transport. Web site:
http://www.unece.org/trans/main/itc/itc_age.html

25-28

UN/CEFACT Steering Group (CSG)
Focal point: Mario Apostolov, Tel. 917 11 34

The meeting will discuss the restructuring of the working group structure of UN/CEFACT.

26 (pm)-
28 (am)

Working Party on Noise (GRB),
36^th session
Focal point: Jan Jerie, Tel: 917 24 22

Besides the final review of the proposal for draft Regulation limiting the rolling sound emission of tyres, GRB will continue its consideration of the vehicle noise test methods proposed to improve Regulation No. 51. Also considered shall be a technical update to Regulation No. 59, concerning replacement exhaust silencers.
Web site: http://www.unece.org/trans/main/wp29/wp29wgs/wp29grb/grbage.html

28-1 March

Bureau of the EMEP Steering Body
Focal point: Henning Wuester, Tel. 917 23 63

The Bureau will review the progress in the work of the Cooperative Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Long-range Transmission of Air Pollutants in Europe (EMEP) and plan further work. It will review the state of contributions by Parties to the EMEP Protocol and discuss future budget requirements.

28-1 March

Working Group on Environmental Monitoring
Focal point: Mikhail Kokine, Tel: 917 23 47

Preparation of 3rd pan-European assessment report on the environment. Monitoring of air pollution, waste and hazardous chemicals. Indicators. Remote sensing. NIS assessment reports. Web site: http://www.unece.org/env/europe/

28-1 March
Bled, Slovenia

Open-ended meeting of the Bureau of the Aarhus Convention
Focal point: Jeremy Wates, Tel: 917 23 84

The Meeting will discuss the preparations for the first meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention, scheduled for October 2002 in Italy. The discussions will provide input to the second preparatory meeting which will take place in Geneva, 22-24 May 2002.
Website: http://www.unece.org/env/pp/bureau.htm