Technical cooperation is an important supporting instrument for implementing
the UNECE core programme of work. Technical cooperation activities are carried
out by UNECE in accordance with the priorities set by its respective intergovernmental
bodies as well as decisions taken by the Commission. In particular, they follow
the UNECE Technical Cooperation Strategy, endorsed by the Commission at its
2004 annual session, which outlined the main principles, goals and objectives
of the UNECE technical cooperation work, taking into account the geopolitical
changes in the UNECE region resulting from EU enlargement, evolving priorities
of its member States as well as challenges related to the implementation of
goals and objectives emanating from recent United Nations conferences and summits,
including the Millennium Development Goals.
The prevailing ways and means employed for the implementation of the
UNECE technical cooperation services are capacity building workshops,
seminars, study tours, and training aimed at assisting recipient countries
to adopt and implement international legal instruments, norms, standards
and regulations, as well as other policy advisory services carried out
at the request of interested countries.
An important advantage of UNECE is that its mandate combines, within the
framework of one institution, analytical, normative and technical cooperation
functions. This allows not only the direct translation of intergovernmentally
agreed norms and standards into technical cooperation activities aimed at
assisting countries in their implementation, but also to have a «hands-on» in-house
experience of the realities in the field which is of great value for analytical,
policy development and norms setting work. Another way in which UNECE adds
value to technical cooperation activities carried out by other international
organizations in the region is its focus on cross-border and subregional issues.
Major achievements in 2005
In 2005 UNECE technical cooperation activities focused on the following
priority areas:
- Trade facilitation with an emphasis on economies in transition and
emerging market economies, including through e-commerce;
- Integration of economies in transition and emerging market economies
in European transport and electric power networks with a special
emphasis on the land-locked countries;
- Promotion of the efficient use of energy and water resources;
- Promotion of rehabilitation and protection of the environment;
- Support for the development of the e-economy and the information
society, inter alia through efficient use of ICTs;
- Promotion of the development of statistical tools for monitoring
progress towards development goals and good governance;
- Promotion of SMEs and business/producer associations, as well
as support to women’s entrepreneurship.
The UNECE technical cooperation activities are carried out in cooperation
with other international organizations and institutions, both within
and outside the UN system, as well as various subregional organizations
and initiatives such as the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative
(SECI), Stability Pact, Central European Initiative (CEI), CIS, and
Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC). UNECE also has a shared responsibility
with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and
the Pacific (UNESCAP) to provide technical assistance to the Central Asian
countries within the framework of the UN Special Programme for the
Economies of Central Asia (SPECA).
SPECA was launched in 1998 by the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan with the objective of supporting the Central
Asian States in developing their cooperation, and creating incentives
for economic development and integration into the economies of Europe
and Asia. Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan later joined the Programme.
Following the UN Secretary-General’s initiative, the Executive Secretaries
of UNECE and UNESCAP during 2004-2006 conducted consultations with
the Governments of the SPECA Member States on strengthening the Programme.
In the course of 2005, UNECE and UNESCAP, on the basis of progress
achieved and problems encountered over the past years, elaborated, in consultation
with Governments, a range of proposals to make SPECA more relevant
to the current requirements of its Member States. These proposals include
organizational reforms, new working methods, improved and more
stable funding, as well as possible new areas of cooperation.
On 25-27 May 2005, the Government of Kazakhstan, in cooperation with UNECE
and UNESCAP, organized in Astana an international Conference on subregional
economic cooperation in Central Asia and the future role of SPECA. This
conference benefited from the participation, in addition to all SPECA Member
States, of representatives of other interested countries, international
and regional integration and cooperation organizations, as well as multilateral
and bilateral donors. It discussed the set of the SPECA reform proposals
that was eventually approved by the Special meeting of the SPECA national
coordinators, in particular the Work Plan in support of SPECA for 2005-2007.
The Plan includes projects in the following areas: transport; water, energy
and environment; trade development; statistical capacity-building; and
ICT for development. As part of the follow-up to the Astana Conference,
meetings of SPECA Project Working Groups on Energy and Water Resources
and on ICT for Development took place in November-December 2005, along
with a preparatory meeting for a SPECA Working Group on Gender and Economy.
For the first part of 2006, plans are being made for meetings on Project
Working Groups on Transport, Trade and Statistics. SPECA Governing Council
and the first session of SPECA Economic Forum are expected to meet in Baku
in June 2006. In addition a SPECA Network of Economic Research Institutions
is in the process of being set up.
Technical cooperation activities are financed from the UN Regular Budget
(mainly the Regular Programme for Technical Cooperation and the UN Development
Account), extrabudgetary resources, usually contributed to trust funds,
as well as various ad hoc and in kind contributions. The resources made
available under the Regular Programme for Technical Cooperation in 2004-2005
(about US$ 3 million) were distributed between the Subprogrammes on Environment,
Transport, Statistics, Sustainable energy, Trade development, and Industrial
restructuring and enterprise development.
Extrabudgetary resources spent in 2005 were about US$ 8 million on 52
trust fund projects, about 50 per cent were spent within the Subprogramme
on Environment and about 19 per cent within the Subprogramme on Transport.
More than 70 advisory missions were undertaken in 2005 at the request
of interested countries to provide policy advice and implement capacity
building activities.
More detailed information of specific technical cooperation activities as
well as main achievements can be found in other chapters of this
Report.