In 2004 in response to relatively weak economic growth
prospects in the UNECE region as a whole, the UNECE secretariat
refocused the UNECE entrepreneurship programme on its key
generic elements. The programme is designed to impact favourably
economic growth, productivity and employment in the UNECE
region as a whole with particular attention on emerging market
economies.
There is considerable evidence to suggest that renewed focus
on entrepreneurship could be key in addressing economic growth
and employment issues in the UNECE region. The UNECE entrepreneurship
programme could be a driving force not only in structural change but also
in opening new growth avenues and in supporting desirable rates of economic
growth, productivity and employment in the region.
The increasing subcontracting and outsourcing by the large
information and communication technology companies have raised
serious concerns in developed market economies, despite the fact
that as a whole this trend could create tangible benefits for both
developed market economies and emerging market economies and
add to the growth and spread of Internet enterprise development in
the UNECE region. UNECE is promoting Internet enterprise development
through encouraging the adoption and implementation of
e-Business standards, and favourable governmental regulation. The
preliminary phase of the Internet Repository Project, which should
foster enterprise development in particular in emerging market
economies, was launched.
The lack of an internationally accepted framework for the
definition, methodology and measurement of corporate governance
acts as a drag on required improvements in the relationships between
corporate management, shareholders
and public authorities. The
UNECE has successfully addressed some
of those key issues contributing to a better
understanding of corporate governance
in the UNECE region. In February
2004 UNECE held a Round Table of
experts from leading world financial corporations/
companies, who reviewed
progress in the corporate governance
area in the UNECE market economies.
New valuable insights were provided on
methodologies used in the assessment
of corporate governance, its measurement
and relationships with the insurance
industry and financial markets
institutional framework.
A major forum on Public-Private
Cooperation in Industrial Restructuring
was organized in Almaty, Kazakhstan in
November 2004, focusing on issues of
public-private partnership in fostering
restructuring.
In the area of investment promotion,
a number of successful activities in
intellectual property rights (IPR), land
for development, and public-private
partnership (PPP) were undertaken in
2004. Three Advisory Groups undertook
major events in 2004. The Advisory
Group on IPR held its sixth annual session
in September 2004, the UNECE PPP
Alliance held its third meeting in
September 2004 in Barcelona within the
framework of the World Urban Forum,
while the Real Estate Advisory Group
(REAF) organized the Third Land for Development Forum in December
2004; these all provided major
related policy guidelines and recommendations.
Under Regional Advisory services, a number of activities on
small and medium-sized enterprises, quality management and
selected aspects of entrepreneurship, with a particular focus
on emerging market economies were undertaken in 2004.
Major challenges for 2005 include paying greater attention
to enterprise development, investment promotion, fostering of
ICT development in the framework of knowledge-based economy, industrial
restructuring and entrepreneurship. More emphasis will also be placed on
economic development as called for in the Millennium Declaration, including
above all entrepreneurship and related enterprise development fostering
knowledge-based economy across the UNECE region. In the course of its activities
in 2005, the UNECE will contribute to innovative analysis and policy dialogue
on key enterprise
development and investment promotion issues in line with the
recommendations of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.