Regional Commissions Development Update
Fourth Issue - July 1998
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Regional Commissions Development UpdateFourth Issue - July 1998 |
IN THIS ISSUE
Joint initiatives on the financial crisis
Activities of the Commissions: ECE /ESCAP / ECLAC / ECA / ESCWA
Regional commissions calendar: ECE / ESCAP / ECLAC / ECA / ESCWA
Recent publications : ECE / ESCAP / ECLAC / ECA / ESCWA
Like a tripod, work of the United Nations depends on three legs - global, country-level and regional. This is how the institutional expression of the vision of the Charter developed during the organization's formative years. The emergence of a multi-polar global economy since the 1980s — transforming regions as the engines of growth — have, if anything, added further rationale to the obvious comparative advantage of the UN regional presence. In the economic and social fields, this is exemplified by the regional commissions of the United Nations.
The regional commissions play a dual role. They are at once regional expressions of the United Nations that implement certain functions in support of the Organization's global mission, and an integral part of the institutional landscape of their respective geographical areas. This unique situation represents one of the Commissions' strength. Yet, it is precisely their dual role that has come under the searchlight, as expressed in the General Assembly resolution 52/12B which called for the review of "the core competencies of the regional commissions vis-a-vis the global bodies and other regional intergovernmental bodies ..." Even so, there is recognition that the regional commissions perform many other core functions that are not replicated by other bodies. What are they? How have such functions been exercised? And how does the work of the regional commissions aid their respective regions?
Besides norm-setting and technical cooperation, the regional commissions serve:
Fostering regional cooperation and integration is a major function of the regional commissions. Reflecting their regional specificities, the commissions contribute to regional integration in various ways. Some remain the main forums for setting technical standards to buttress regional cooperation. Others are engaged in providing support to drafting evolving protocols on various aspects of regional cooperation. And, still others contribute to strengthening the subregional economic groupings through capacity building efforts. These are the functions that the regional commissions are well endowed to undertake by virtue of their multisectoral orientation. Indeed, despite the emergence of various regional groupings, the commissions remain catalysts for regional integration of developing countries and countries with economies in transition.
The advocacy role of the regional commissions is an essential component of the United Nations activities in support of regional economic and social development. The comparative strengths of the commissions in playing this advocacy role are that they are non-political forums and their assistance is unconditional; they promote regional cooperation; and, in some regions, they are the only forums that bring together all member countries. Their advocacy function has three components: identifying and highlighting the major economic and social development challenges and opportunities in their regions; promoting measures and actions for implementing various regional strategies and initiatives, including eliciting support of the international community for that effort; and providing a platform for articulating common positions on regional and international economic and social policy issues. The regional commissions' convening powers — the ability to bring together policy makers, civil society and the private sector to dialogue on various development issues — is an important part of facilitating regional development
The role of the regional commissions as forums for articulating regional perspectives on global issues has been exemplified in various decisions of the General Assembly. For instance, the Assembly has called upon the regional commissions to lead the efforts at the regional level in the preparation for, and follow-up to, the global conferences/summits which have been held in the recent years.
In responding to the needs of their member States, the regional commissions will continue to make creative adjustments. Such adjustments will result in strengthening partnerships and cooperative arrangements between the regional commissions and global and regional organizations, all of which are dedicated to promoting and sustaining regional and international cooperation for development.
The reform process is expected to lead to a new relationship with the global entities and intergovernmental bodies. It will result in more cohesiveness and complimentarities of the work of the United Nations in the economic and social fields.
K. Y. Amoako
Executive Secretary of ECA
Current Coordinator of the Regional Commissions
An Expert Group Meeting organized by DESA in cooperation with the regional commissions on "What have we learned one year into the developing countries' financial crisis?" will be held on 21-23 July 1998 in Headquarters.
ESCAP, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, organized a high-level seminar on the "National and International Dimension of Managing Capital Flows" in Bangkok on 15-16 June 1998. (For more details, please see ESCAP activities)
Also, ESCAP and ECE, in their respective Economic Surveys, both published recently, have also provided analysis of the impact and implications of the Asian financial crisis.
The Tashkent Declaration on the Special Programme for Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) was signed by the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as by the Executive Secretaries of ECE and ESCAP, in Tashkent on 26 March 1998, on the occasion of the Summit Meeting of the Interstate Council of the Central Asian States.
SPECA is a joint undertaking of the Central Asian States, ECE and ESCAP, aimed at having the Central Asian countries acting together to address issues of common concern. The programme will support the Central Asian republics in developing their cooperation, creating incentives for economic development and integration into economies of Europe and Asia. Turkmenistan is expected to join at a later stage.
The launching ceremony is expected to take place in Tashkent in the next few months.
Ministerial Conference on "Environment for Europe" held in Aarhus, Denmark
On 23-25 June 1998 in Aarhus, Denmark, 52 Ministers of Environment plus 1100 participants of countries of the ECE region met for the fourth "Environment for Europe" Conference. The most important achievement of this Conference was the adoption and signature of three legal instruments: the Convention on Environmental Rights and two protocols to the Air Pollution Convention — one related to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and another one related to heavy metals.
The European Community and 35 countries signed the regional Convention on Environmental Rights. As a result of the previous "Environment for Europe" Conference, ECE had negotiated a regional convention on environmental rights to guarantee access to environmental information, public participation in environmental decision-making, and access to justice in order to protect the right of everyone to live in a healthy environment. The new, wide-ranging Convention spells out the public authorities' duties towards the public at large and covers such areas as water, air, soil, chemicals, human health, land-use planning, genetically modified organisms, etc. Its provisions lay down specific requirements in terms of openness and transparency, setting an example for strengthening democracy throughout the ECE region and beyond.
The involvement of NGOs in the negotiations has been without precedent and has helped give the convention the shape that it has today. At the Aarhus Conference itself NGOs did, moreover, organize a half-day session on public participation. Ms Mary Robinson, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, delivered the keynote address.
On the occasion of the Conference, 32 Parties to the ECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution and the European Community signed two new protocols to the Convention: one on heavy metals, the other on persistent organic pollutants or POPs.
ECE experts first started looking into the problems associated with heavy metals and POPs in 1990. Both are known to be a threat to our health and our environment. Heavy metals can cause blood disorders and affect vital organs such as the liver and the kidneys. The ongoing accumulation of heavy metals is also a considerable stress factor for the forest ecosystem and for tree vitality. POPs may have a detrimental effect on physical and intellectual development, and may damage the immune system. They are also thought to cause birth defects and reduce male sperm counts.
The Protocol on Heavy Metals targets three particularly harmful substances: lead, cadmium and mercury. The Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants focuses on a list of 16 substances:
Pesticides: aldrin, chlordane, chlordecone, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), mirex, toxaphene, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) (incl. lindane);
Industrial chemicals: hexabromobiphenyl, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs);
By-products or contaminants: dioxins, furans, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
On the last day of the Conference, ministers adopted the Aarhus Conference Ministerial Declaration. The Declaration underlines that signing of the Aarhus Convention reflects the remarkable progress achieved in the process towards democracy in Europe. It underlines that the East-West Pan-European process must be continued and intensified. The role played by the NGOs in the "Environment for Europe" process and their constructive contribution was considered as a major step forward in the cooperation among Governments and NGOs. The next "Environment for Europe" Conference will be in 2002 in a Newly Independent State (NIS) country.
ECE, WHO and UNEP join hands to address the problems of safe water
Leaking pipes, cuts in water supply, contaminated drinking water and water-borne disease are, unfortunately, still common, and are becoming more so, even in the so-called developed world. The water pipes in most European cities predate World War II, and these ageing pipes are wasting huge quantities of a scarce natural resource. In all, some 120 million Europeans still do not have access to safe drinking water.
ECE estimates that in the region as a whole, the direct cost in terms of clean water that is unaccounted for is around $10 billion a year. Apart from their economic cost, ageing pipes also have a direct effect on health. In the United Kingdom, for instance, part of the pipe system is still made of lead. This lead contaminates tap water to such a degree that the country is not in a position to meet WHO water quality guidelines. Bringing its water supply system up to scratch would cost £8 billion ($12 billion). Even in a country like Hungary, which has modernized its system in recent years, more than 10 per cent is over 50 years old.
To remedy this situation, ECE joined forces with the World Health Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme and others to cut pollution, improve the quality of aquatic ecosystems, and protect human health and safety. The first intergovernmental meeting to draw up their agreement took place in Budapest 11-13 February 1998, and the agreement will be submitted for adoption at the Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health to be held in London in 1999.
How sustainable is our way of life
Economic growth, demographic changes, higher purchasing power, and increased mobility have led to an excessive consumption of land for transport. As a result, some symptoms of unsustainable development have appeared. For instance, in Riga (Latvia), there were 109 cars per 1000 inhabitants in 1989; today there are 163. In Cracow (Poland), 53,000 new cars were registered in 1996. Can Riga and Cracow handle the traffic jams created by this recent surge in private car use? What can the local population do to reduce air pollution in the Polish city? Are bicycles a realistic alternative for getting around in Lyons (France)? What can Apeldoorn (Netherlands) teach us about making people's habits more environmentally benign?
These were some of the topics on the agenda of a workshop, sponsored by ECE and the Government of Austria, which took place in Vienna, 2 - 4 February 1998. For the first time in this region, all the major stakeholders gathered in an attempt to provide consumers with better information and opportunities for making consumption more sustainable. The results of their meeting were also presented to the above-mentioned Ministerial Conference "Environment for Europe" in Aarhus, Denmark, 23-25 June 1998.
The ECE Workshop on Performance Indicators was held in Eloise, France, 10-13 June 1998. The objective of the workshop was to develop a practical methodology for measuring performance in order to facilitate self-evaluation, foster good management practices and improve the preparation of the programme budget. The workshop succeeded in defining selected indicators for assessing output delivery and quality, as well as results, from an end-user perspective. These performance criteria and indicators have been developed according to main types of ECE activities and will result in a greater transparency in ECE's work.
UN Centre Acts to Remove Barriers to International Trade: The Partnership Network Now Includes All Regional Commissions
The UN Centre for the Facilitation of Procedures and Practices for Administration, Commerce and Transport (UN/CEFACT) met on 16-17 March 1998 to address some of the key questions raised at an earlier seminar on Trade Facilitation held by WTO in Geneva on 9-10 March 1998. During the meeting, UN/CEFACT adopted the following new measures:
A new recommendation for the UN Location Code was also approved, widening the scope of the Code and increasing the speed of approval of new codes. UN/LOCODE is used worldwide by the tourism and shipping industries, as well as by IATA and EUROSTAT to identify trade locations.
UN/CEFACT is unique in that its participants include government, business and trade representatives from ECE and UN member States from all regions of the world, as well as representatives of other intergovernmental organizations. UN/CEFACT has set up a network of partnerships with secretariats of UNCTAD and with ESCAP, ECLAC ECA and ESCWA.
High-level seminar on the National and International Dimension of Managing Capital Flows
Economic shock may spill over globally, says Thailand's Deputy Premier. Secretary-General warns of social strife, breakdown of law and order and loss of self-esteem The Asian economic shock may spill over globally "and menacingly, more than anything the world has ever seen in the past 40 years, and for the first time, a financial crisis in developing economies could cause a deep impact on the capital markets in the industrialized world." This was warned by the Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, H. E. Mr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, in his keynote address to the high-level seminar on the National and International Dimension of Managing Capital Flows, which was organized through inter-agency collaboration in Bangkok on 15-16 June 1998.
At the initiative of the UN Secretary-General, ESCAP, the Asian Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank collaborated to bring officials from finance ministries and central banks to consider the formidable challenges in managing large scale capital flows that reform, liberalization and greater openness have ushered in. The main objective of the seminar was to promote a better understanding of policy responses required to deal with large scale capital flows.
In his message to the Seminar, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said: "We must remember that beyond this is the threat of social strife, breakdown of law and order and loss of self-esteem. Macro aggregates do not capture the trauma that individuals and families must undergo as a result of crises of this nature."
The agenda for discussions at the Seminar included: (a) Overview of the crisis in the East/South-East Asia and selected policy implications; (b) The Asian crisis: macro-economic developments and policy lessons; (c) Financial sector reforms in Asian economies affected by the crisis; (d) Sound practices to facilitate development of the financial sectors in the Asian developing countries (e) Private capital flows to Asian developing countries: past trends and future prospects; (f) Corporate governance in East Asia: a framework for analysis.
The participants stressed that the restoration of confidence should be the top priority so that the influx of international capital can resume. Recovery and growth are best achieved through macro-economic stabilization policies, coupled with structural reforms, particularly through liberalization of trade and financial markets. It was also felt that the movements of money and capital could not be left entirely to market forces, and that there was a need for a frame-work of supervision designed to prevent a recurrence of the present crisis without hampering further liberalization of the economies.
Over 100 representatives from 29 countries of the Asian and Pacific region as well as representatives from other Untied Nations bodies and specialized agencies attended the two-day seminar.
Greater regional economic cooperation was needed to safeguard against more economic turmoil and to develop human resources so that countries can avoid "using people as cheap labour to fuel Asia's growth machine." This was the message that ESCAP sent at the conclusion of its 54th session.
"The welfare of the people must be the centre of our development strategy," Thailand's Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai said at the inauguration of the Commission on 20 April 1998. Referring to his statement at the 1995 Social Summit in Copenhagen, he told delegates, "this was true then and is even more relevant now."
The Commission adopted six resolutions— five of them to enhance regional programmes in the social sector: Strengthening support for persons with disabilities; Mobilization of human and financial resource for further implementation of the population and development goals; Promotion of the 1999 International Year of Older Persons; Implementation of the Manila Declaration for Action on Social Development; and Strengthening the role of the family in social development.
A resolution known as the Bangkok Declaration on Strengthening regional cooperation for Industrial and Technological Development, and the Regional Plan for Industrial and Technological Development was adopted. It calls for concerted efforts in improving inter- and intra-industry trade and investment-related technology transfer, and it accords priority to market-based industrial policies.
The Commission recognized the growing importance of ESCAP in promoting trade particularly for smaller economies. It expressed concern that the increasing use of non-tariff measures was impairing greater market access. It called for the suppression of any upsurge in protectionism and urged full implementation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Plan of Action of Least Developed Countries.
More than 400 delegates, including 25 ministers and deputy ministers from over 45 member and associate member countries, including 16 observer countries as well as representatives of United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, intergovernmental organizations and NGOs participated in the session.
ESCAP organizes the Second Asia-Pacific Intergovernmental Meeting for Youth
The second Asia-Pacific intergovernmental meeting for youth was organized by ESCAP in Bangkok from 1-5 June 1998. The special theme of the meeting was "Elimination of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and youth in Asia and the Pacific". More than 200 representatives reviewed the situation of youth in respect to education, health, employment and participation. The region is home to over 600 million youth, (60 per cent of the world's youth population), which is defined by the UN as between 15-24 years of age.
Other cooperating organizations for the meeting included; the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs in New York, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, the Christian Conference of Asia and the United National Population Fund.
ASPAT'99 Will Bring "New Vision for 21st Century" to Asia-Pacific. MOU signed between Republic of Korea and ESCAP
The Eighth Asia-Pacific International Trade Fair (ASPAT '99) will be held in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, from 13 to 17 October 1999. The theme for the Fair, to be held on the eve of the new millennium, is "A New Vision for the 21st Century". The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the organization of the Trade Fair was signed by Mr. Eun-Sang Kim, the President of Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), commissioned by the Government of the Republic of Korea, and Mr. Adrianus Mooy, Executive Secretary of ESCAP.
ASPAT'99 will provide an excellent opportunity to encourage business contacts among ESCAP member countries and to introduce to them North-East Asian markets. Participants can exchange experience in seminars and business forums which are hoped to promote intra-regional trade and investment flows. The Fair will focus on four categories of product groups: information technology products; electronic goods; automotive parts and accessories; and general consumer goods such as textile products, sporting and recreational goods.
The objective of ASPAT'99 is to promote trade and investment in the region to enhance industrial and technological development and to speed up the restructuring of the economies in the ESCAP region. The Fair is also expected to boost the trade and investment prospects of particularly disadvantaged economies in transition, least developed countries, and the Pacific islands.
The Human Development Centre, a community-based organization working in the Klong Toey slums of Bangkok, has been selected as the winner of 1997 ESCAP HRD Award. The $20,000 cash award was sponsored by the Republic of Korea and it was presented to the Centre during the fifty-fourth session of ESCAP on 20 April 1998. The ESCAP HRD Award was established by ESCAP to encourage exemplary achievement in human resources development. The special topic for the 1997 Award was: "Empowering the Urban Poor."
An independent international jury selected the Human Development Centre as the winner of the Award because of its innovative programmes dealing with the diverse and immediate issues confronting urban communities. HDC had also been successful in working effectively with local authorities in dealing with urban issues. The approach of HDC could be a model for replication in other cities in Asia and the Pacific.
The Human Development Centre carries out various programmes in basic education, health care, and community development. Over the past 25 years, it has developed a kaleidoscope of community- based service activities comprising kindergarten schools, vocational training centres, community health care centres, women's groups, savings and loan schemes, and shelters for street children and people living with HIV/AIDS. United through common goals, people of various religions work together in an environment respectful of each others' traditions and beliefs. A Catholic priest, Father Joseph Maier, is Director of the Centre.
To Celebrate Fifty Years of Achievement in Development, ESCAP Organizes Cartoon Competition
 | An exhibition of one hundred cartoons, selected in a cartoon competition to commemorate the 50th anniversary of ESCAP, was held at the UN Conference Centre in Bangkok from 16-22 April, 1998.
The cartoon competition was organized jointly by the United Nations Information Services (UNIS) and the Japan Foundation and with the support of Thai Airways International. It was open to all established leading professional cartoonists from the ESCAP region. First, second and third prizes were awarded, respectively, to Heng Kim Song of Singapore; Adam Lee of Singapore; and Thi-Wa-Wat Pattaragulwanit of Thailand. Ten runners up included entries from Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. Entries in the cartoon competition examined UN issues, such as the environment, development, poverty alleviation, trade, transport and communications and other areas of ESCAP's involvement. The organizers said it was fascinating to see how much creativity there was in the entries. Many cartoonists used their native arts to express their views. The most popular subject seemed to be the environment and the current economic climate. The selection committee included representatives of the Japan Foundation, the Far Eastern Economic Review and the former President of the Cartoonist Association of Thailand. |
ECLAC's 27th Session Calls for Improvement in the Efficiency, Efficacy and Transparency of Public Finances
ECLAC ended its Twenty-seventh session, held in Aruba, on 16 May 1998, with the adoption of a resolution supporting the Commission's proposals on fiscal policy. In the "Aruba Resolution", delegates underlined the greater macroeconomic stability and improvements in public finances achieved in the region as a result of the adjustments carried out following the crisis of the 1980s. But, the resolution warns, "efforts to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of public expenditure have proven to be insufficient". For these reasons, the resolution supports ECLAC's proposals to encourage what it calls "the fiscal covenant" in the region, understood as a sociopolitical consensus allowing the achievements of adjustment to be consolidated and its failings overcome, while increasing social equity and strengthening democracy.
This covenant implies five basic challenges: consolidating the fiscal adjustment now in progress; increasing the productivity of public management; enhancing the; transparency of fiscal actions, promoting the goal of social; equity in public revenue and expenditure; and encouraging the development of democratic institutions.
In a second resolution, the meeting approved the reform programme currently being carried out by ECLAC as part of the broader process of the same kind in the UN as a whole, especially by improving "the indicators for evaluating the activities of the Commission in terms of performance, productivity and impact." The Commission also accepted the invitation of the Government of Mexico to hold the next session in that country in the year 2000.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) to Latin America and the Caribbean reached a record US $50 billion in 1996, according ECLAC's 1997 Report on Foreign Investment. FDI flows to the region continued to register a sustained increase, despite the severity of Mexico's financial crisis and economic disturbances coming from Asia. For the first time in several years Brazil is the favourite for foreign investors, capturing 25% of FDI inflows entering the area.
Between 1990 and 1996, the region received 31% of the international FDI flows to developing countries. One new aspect of globalization is the progressive orientation of these capital flows to the developing world, whose participation in annual totals increased from 14.9% to 37.8% in 1996. The bulk of these investments is still concentrated in ten economies.
ECLAC also reports that Latin American investment abroad quadrupled between 1995 and 1997 compared to the figure for 1990. During 1997, these investments should have reached US$6.6 billion, mainly due to purchases of privatized state companies and of private sector enterprises. The trend shows "a growing confidence among the region's private sector in the liberalization process, and the opening and integration of local economies," says the ECLAC report.
Chilean companies have been the most active in foreign investment abroad, accounting for 46.7% of intra-regional investment flows. More than 40% of Chile's foreign investment went to Argentina and 10% went to Peru, demonstrating Chile's in-creasing economic integration with its neighbors. Electricity companies were major participants, buying capital assets as part of the privatization processes.
Although ECLAC does not provide technical assistance for its member States on human rights matters, it is committed to the work of the United Nations in this area. The most direct link between ECLAC's activities and human rights is in the field of economic, social and cultural rights, as part of its proposal known as `Changing Production Patterns with Social Equity'.
In this regard, ECLAC recently published a research report "The Equality of the Moderns. Reflections on Achieving Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Latin America", in collaboration with the Interamerican Institute of Human Rights (IIHR). The main purpose of the study is to offer a region-wide evaluation of the situation of these rights and ways in which citizens can accede to them.
In the broader context of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (10 December, 1948-98), ECLAC has also programmed a meeting on economic, social and cultural rights, to be held during the second half of this year.
The report proposes a set of indicators appropriate for measuring such rights and their progress in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its suggests that research be concentrated in three of these indicators in particular— labour productivity, monetary income and education— all of which are concerned with critical aspects of social inequality and for which compatible information exists.
The PROPOSAL is a joint ECLAC/ OAS programme aimed at encouraging governments to raise the quality of the design and implementation of social policy through applied research, training and technical assistance. The original agreement, signed in October 1989, was for a two-year period, but it has been renewed repeatedly since 1991.
The research carried out by PROPOSAL has generated important methodological contributions to social programmes and projects. For example, the development of the Cost Impact Analysis (CIA) has allowed for a more rational allocation of resources, reducing the cost per impact unit in basic health and primary education in some of the countries in the region.
For over a quarter of a century ECLAC/CELADE and UNFPA have successfully worked together in research, technical assistance and training activities in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Recently this collaboration has involved two projects: a regional one on population and development policies, and a global one on training. The first is to assist countries along the lines of the ICPD Plan of Action through the development of methodological instruments and training. The second is to research ways of integrating population variables with social and economic development policies and programmes, with an emphasis on social equity. This includes training workshops on information tools for population and development issues, regional courses and preparatory activities of ICPD + 5.
Since 1990, CELADE has contributed to the UNFPA Global Programme of training on Population and Sustainable Development. CELADE created the original design and consolidated the Spanish version of the programme, and from 1990 to 1995 over a hundred professionals from Latin America and the Caribbean were trained. Since 1996, the University of Chile has been in charge of delivering the Spanish version of the programme, while CELADE contributes in academic and logistical terms.
During the Commission 27th session, ECLAC celebrated its 50th anniversary with greetings from four Presidents of countries of the region, memories and anecdotes from the past, and homage rendered to the pioneering importance of the institution in the economic and social life of the region. The Chilean Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Mladinic, spoke on behalf of ECLAC's host country, which organized the celebration. Abandoning his prepared speech, Mladinic recalled ECLAC's importance for economists of his generation as an alternative during the era in which authoritarian governments imposed rigid limitations on what could be studied and taught in many of their universities.
ECLAC was founded in 1948, after an initiative led in the United Nations by Chile, as the third of the UN's five regional commissions. At its inception, it was exclusively concerned with the countries of Latin America; later, its mandate was extended to the nations of the Caribbean.
ECLAC's Internet site has been named one of the five best in the region by the US business magazine, Latin Trade, winning outright in the category "best organized site". In its feature, "Top 5 Websites", the January 1998 edition of the magazine said that the ECLAC had been chosen "for its wealth of information on Latin America and the Caribbean" and because its design is "simple and user friendly". The site is in Spanish and English, with most materials available in both languages.
Latin Trade underlines the fact that the site "contains one of the main statistical series on economic and social trends in the region". The ECLAC site has become one of the most authoritative sources for journalists, researchers, governments, academics, companies and members of the general public interested in the development of the region.
 | The Secretary-General is seen here inaugurating the Addis-Ababa UN Conference Centre. The Secretary-General attended an ECA Conference (28 April - 1 May 1998) entitled "African Women and Economic Development: Investing in our Future," organized by ECA on the occasion of its 40th anniversary.
(Photo courtesy of DPI) |
ECA Celebrates 40th anniversary by Focusing Africa's Attention on Women's Economic Empowerment and Inaugurating its new Conference Centre
"It can no longer come as a surprise to anyone, including the men of Africa, that gender equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development and building good governance." This was remarked by Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, in Addis Ababa speaking at the end of a four-day conference, from 28 April to 1 May 1998, titled "African Women and Economic Development: Investing in our Future", organized by ECA on the occasion of its 40th anniversary.
Designed with a view to evolving concrete outcomes within the context of ECA's work programme, the Conference was notable for the lack of conventional speechifying. Instead, the Conference revolved around action-oriented plenary and working group sessions that examined in detail the gamut of inadequacies in Africa's systems, resulting in the contributions of 50 per cent of the continent's population being undervalued, even ignored.
The four themes of the Conference were:
During his visit to Ethiopia, Mr. Annan inaugurated the Addis Ababa UN Conference Centre. In his inaugural speech, Mr. Annan indicated the strong role that regional organizations are expected to play, stressing that the Conference Centre was an important tool in the mission of ECA to "enhance its relevance on the continent by convening action-oriented conferences and outreach activities."
The Executive Secretary of ECA, Mr. K.Y. Amoako, spoke about the five fundamental developments which are creating new opportunities of historic dimensions for social development in Africa. These are: information and communication; health systems; more responsive governance; more opportunities for partnership; and gender advocacy.
The first regional follow-up to last year's Global Knowledge Conference in Toronto, Canada, "Global Connectivity for Africa", brought together more than 400 stakeholders, including some 30 African Ministers of Communications, to discuss improved access to national networks, lower prices for international calls and the broadening of access to information.
The conference, which took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2-4 June 1998, was hosted by ECA. In addition, to ECA, it was sponsored by the World Bank Group, the Information for Development Program the International Telecommunication Union, the African Development Bank ) and the Government of the Netherlands. The WorldSpace Corporation, Siemens, Teledesic, RASCOM and Iridium cosponsored from the private sector.
The three-day conference examined a wide range of cable and satellite projects, and, recognizing the increased choice of technology currently available, called for systematic reviews of sector policies and regulatory arrangements in order for the continent to take advantage of the situation.
The gathering underscored the need for cementing partnerships within the region, and in that context, ECA expressed its willingness to provide regular forums for African Communications ministers to meet and maintain the momentum on the positive dialogue to date, as well as to monitor progress in the development of the African Information Society Initiative (AISI). AISI is a far-reaching blueprint towards a development-serving African Information Society, put together by the Commission in 1996 and endorsed, among others, by ECA's Conference of Ministers, African Communications Ministers, the Organization of African Unity and the Summit of the Eight in Denver.
Prior to the conference, the African Communications Ministers met in Addis Ababa on 1 June 1998 and developed a plan aiming at making 50 million lines available within the next five years. The efforts of the ministers, which began at the Africa Telecom '98 conference in Johannesburg, South Africa in May 1998, were commended, and participants called on Heads of States to fully endorse this initiative.
Substantial progress has been made in developing World Wide Web sites at ECA under a project inspired to find a cost-effective means of disseminating information worldwide. This project was started in February 1997 when the ECA Web site (http:// www.un.org/depts/eca) was activated at UN headquarters. ECA now boasts three Web sites, viewed online by millions of Internet users. The other two home pages are those of the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) (http://www.bellanet.org /partners/aisi) and the UN Special Initiative on Africa (UNSIA) (http://www.un.org/ depts/eca/sia).
ECA Web site:
The Major Meetings and Events on Africa (MMEA) Web site (http://www.un.org/depts/eca/ events), a project of the Addis Ababa secretariat of SIA, aims to include information from UN agencies, the Bretton Wood Institutions, OECD/DAC, regional institutions, major foundations, research, academic centres in and outside Africa, as well as other relevant public and non-governmental organizations. This database of information will provide a reliable and easily accessible common reference tool for planners and participants alike. The information contained therein will enable agencies working on Africa to better coordinate planning of their meetings and facilitate the networking and catalytic role of the renewed ECA. This site is currently available via the ECA Home Page.
ECA's Development Information Services Division is hard at work developing an Intranet (internal ECA Internet), with the goal of dramatically improving internal communication, thereby enhancing programme delivery. An Extranet, which is a private, restricted Wide Area Network allowing other UN agencies to share information with ECA and vice versa, is also in the planning stages.
A fund to support African Women's development was launched on 1 May 1998, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to initiate action on instituting women-centred community-based social insurance schemes to guarantee women's access to basic social services. An initial amount totalling UN$ 105,000 was contributed by 12 NGOs and individuals. This initiative will go a long way toward realising the goals of the just-ended Conference mentioned above on African Women in Development to invest in Africa's future.
ECA's Executive Secretary, Mr. K. Y. Amoako called for a new and more determined approach to African regional integration to improve the lot of the continent's 600 million population and gain access to the world market. His remarks were made during the annual symposium of the African Development Bank held in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, on 26 May 1998.
Mr. Amoako quoted from a recent study that said "the current African integration arrangements have probably little to contribute to the region's development". He pointed out that one of the visible effects of this lack of integration is that intra-African trade now stagnates at around seven per cent and that no regional group has achieved up to ten per cent in trade among its components states. Mr. Amoako suggested regular consultations, removal of political stumbling blocks, the establishment of an advisory body of African experts on integration and the strengthening of the secretariat of the African Economic Community Treaty to accelerate integration.
 Secretary-General Inaugurates ESCWA Headquarters |
Secretary-General Kofi Annan inaugurated the permanent headquarters of ESCWA
at the newly-constructed UN House in Beirut's city centre on 20 March 1998.
Speaking to the 270 guests at the inauguration ceremony, Mr. Annan described the
return of ESCWA to Beirut after a 17-year absence as a "homecoming"
and a "symbol of the peace, stability and peaceful coexistence of cultures
that has come back to Lebanon." At the end of the ceremony, the
Secretary-General unveiled the commemorative plaque to be placed at the entrance
of the UN House.
(Photo courtesy of DPI) |
ESCWA assesses the Arab Women's education, health and employment situations as improving, but political participation still low
ESCWA's Survey of Economic and Social Development, 1996-1997, estimates that in 1995, around 34 per cent of the female population (15 years and above), compared with 17 percent of the male population, were still illiterate in the region. However, women's overall health indicators, including maternal and infant mortality, fertility and life expectancy at birth, have generally improved.
In 1994, the latest year for which data were available, women in the ESCWA region represented 15 per cent of the total labour force of men and women aged 15 and above. Arab women occupy less than 3 per cent of the seats in the Parliaments in the region.
In order to address the challenges of integration of Arab countries into the multilateral trading system of the World Trade Organization (WTO), ESCWA, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), organized a Preparatory Meeting of Arab countries for the Second WTO Ministerial Conference in April 1998, with the participation of the Leagues of Arab States (LAS).
At present, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia are members of WTO. Algeria, Jordan, Oman, Sudan and Saudi Arabia are seeking membership. Iraq, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic, among others, are still considering their position. Most Arab countries, however, are seeking full participation in the new trading system at a time when they still have not completed their structural adjustment programmes.
In pursuit of the WSSD goal to eradicate poverty, ESCWA adopted a multidisciplinary approach in 1994, to address the poverty issues in the ESCWA region in three distinct and inter-related aspects:
ESCWA study reveals significant improvement in tourism in the region, also underlines vast potentials
In the first half of the 1990s, the performance of the tourism sector in the Western Asian region improved. Its growth in the region (especially in Egypt, Jordan and Palestine) also increased, reflecting the effect of several important economic policy changes and an improved political climate, particularly after the signing of the Oslo agreement in 1993 between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel, and the Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty in 1994.
These findings are contained in the latest ESCWA Survey of Economic and Social Developments. It was pointed out that more attention was also given to the development of this sector in the Gulf region, particularly in Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. An improved political climate, coupled with improved tourism infrastructure and government support contributed to the acceleration of tourism growth in the region. This economic diversification is an attempt to lessen the region's heavy dependency on the exports of crude oil.
ESCWA underscores the need for integrated follow-up to global conferences
ESCWA launched a flagship project on integrated follow-up to global conferences in the ESCWA region. This project identifies cross-cutting issues in all recent UN global conferences and is based on on-going activities of UN agencies concerned. It provides a multidisciplinary interagency framework for follow-up action. Follow-up to four global conferences is being further pursued in 1998-1999 through the following four regional Preparatory Meetings:
These conferences will culminate in the Arab Conference on Integrated Follow-up to Global Conferences (open date in 1999).
ESCWA will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of its establishment next year. The event will be specially marked during the 20th ministerial session of the Commission scheduled for April 1999 in Beirut, and will be preceded by a number of accompanying activities.
The last of the regional commissions to establish an Internet presence, ESCWA launched its website on 16 February 1998. Feedback has ben extremely positive, and ESCWA plans to further expand and develop the website are ongoing.
The address of ESCWA's homepage is www.escwa.org.lb
June
29 Seminar on Agricultural Statistics for Central and East European Countries (St. Petersburg, Russian Federation) (until 3 July)
August
31 Working Group on the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (until 4 September)
September
14-16 Committee on Human Settlements
28- Committee on Environmental Policy (until 2 October)
28- Timber Committee (until 1 October)
October
7-9 Committee on Sustainable Energy
21-23 Working Party on Customs Questions affecting Transport
June
18-19 The Year 2000 (Y2K) Problem in Computers and Strategic Issues for National Statistical Offices
open RICAP subcommittee on poverty alleviation, third session (1 day)
open Expert group meeting on impact of globalization on women (3 days)
August
18-20 Meeting on TCDC and tripartite cooperation in trade and investment between Northeast and Southeast Asia
open First subregional training workshop on environment statistics (Macau), (2 weeks)
September
open Expert group meeting on strengthening of credit institutions for rural poverty alleviation (5 days)
open Regional meeting on plan of action on ageing for Asia and the Pacific (Macau), (4 days)
October
13-16 Policy seminar on impact of globalization on population change and poverty in rural areas
August
7 II International Course on the Design of policies and Evaluation of Projects on "Citizen Safety" (until 4 September)
17 XXI Regional Course on Demographic Analysis (until 18 December)
September
25-30 V International Course on Local Project Formulation and Evaluation
October
30 VI International Course on Economic Reform and Strategic Management of Public Policy (until 4 December)
open Third Joint OAS/ECLAC Meeting on Statistical Matters
open Eleventh session of the Regional Council for Planning
open Tenth Conference of Ministers and Heads of Planning of Latin America and the Caribbean
open 27th meeting of the Presiding Officers of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean
July
open Seventh Session of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance
August
31 National workshop on NGO/CSO organizational development, resource mobilisation, and financial management
September
22-24 Ad-hoc group meeting on Integrated Information System for Decision makers
October
18-22 Ad-hoc expert meeting on improvement of intra-African trade statistics with emphasis on the use of statistical software package
open Regional Conference on Globalization and Regional Economic Integration in Africa
September
23-25 Regional Preparatory Meeting for the Arab Conference on the Follow-up to the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD)
October
open Regional Preparatory Meeting for the Arab Conference on the Follow-up to the UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II)
For information on publications of the Regional Commissions, or for any other matter relating to the newsletter, please contact:
Regional Commissions New York Office (RCNYO)
Room S-3127, United Nations
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212 (963-6905, Fax (212) 963-1500
ECE: www.unece.org/welcome.html
ESCAP: www.unescap.org
ECLAC: www.eclac.cl
ECA: www.un.org/Depts/eca
ESCWA: www.escwa.org.lb
Regional Commissions Development Update: www.un.org/Depts/rcnyo/cover.htm
Provides basic data on the development of steel production and consumption and trade of raw materials etc. in European countries Canada, the US and Japan.
The Bulletin reviews main developments in the region in the areas of foreign trade, external finance developments and capital flows. This publication will be published in three issues a year: April, July and December.
The recommendations in this publication provide guidance and assistance for those involved in planning the content of their population and housing censuses.
This study focuses on the following areas: normative standards on gender equality in international law in national constitutions and international monitoring, and the special problems of women and violence.
This publication reviews the achievement at the national and regional levels in Asia and the Pacific, and examines how the achievement links to the global effort.
Presents articles on development planning; energy supply; trade between developing countries and East European countries; and individual country reports on economic performance and prospects.
An in-depth study of the transformations which have taken place in the Cuban economy during this decade.
This publication pays special attention to the structural aspects of income distribution, the composition of employment and the intergenerational transmission of job and educational opportunities.
Substantive document presented at the Commission's XXVII session, dealing with fiscal administration, public finance and its relationship with political institutions and presenting some policy guidelines.
Compendium of Intra-African and Related Foreign Trade Statistics, 1998
This first publication emphasizes intra-African trade and includes trade data broken down by economic and other groupings in Africa.
This is a compilation of gender-disaggregated data on the status of women in 53 African countries, containing selected indicators in some areas of concern in the Beijing Platform for Action.
This is a flagship publication whose main thrust is a gender perspective on post conflict reconstruction. The report covers issues such as the socio-economic and gender dimensions of conflict and gender, governance and the law. The report annexes statistical references and indicators on the status of women in Africa.
Compendium of Social Statistics and Indicators - Fourth Issue (Sales No.: 97.II.L.11)
The main areas of this publication include population, human settlements, education, income and expenditure, and criminal justice throughout the region.
Arab Women 1995: Trends, Statistics and Indicators (SALES NO.: 97.II.L.12 ISBN: 92-1-128187-3)
This publication recommends policies and measures in the areas of demographic distribution, health conditions, education, employment and women's participation in public life through the 1970s and 1980s.
Transboundary water resources in the ESCWA region: utilization, management and cooperation
This study identifies major shared regional surface and groundwater basins, and suggests guidelines for development of transboundary water resources.
Regional Commissions Surveys
SALES NO.: G-98.II.E.1 ISBN:92-1-116689-6
SALES NO.: E-98.II.F.59 ISBN:92-1-119815-1
Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean (2 diskettes included)
SALES NO.: 97.II.G.2 ISBN:92-1-121220-0
SALES NO.: E-98.II.L.3 ISBN:92-1-128194-6