First Issue November 1996
Indeed, beyond the usual topics that make up the on-going discussions on reform (including the inter-governmental machinery as well as the Secretariat) the regional commissions have occasionally been singled out as areas of the Organization whose usefulness and functioning merit revisiting. Some governments, on the other hand, have argued that the regional commissions should be partially sheltered from the current budgetary restrictions that affect he United Nations.
Be that as it may, four types of arguments have been put forth to question the role of the regional commissions, and which merit some comments.
First, that the United Nations should concentrate on global
cooperation, leaving the field of regional cooperation to other intergovernmental organizations that have been established at the regional level. Few would doubt today the merits of regionalism, both in its own right and due to its potential to contribute to strengthen multilateralism or global Governance. At the same time, it is generally recognized that although regional arrangements can strengthen global economic governance, the wrong kind of regionalism can weaken it by contributing to the fragmentation of the world into "blocs." The fact that the United Nations is the only multilateral Organization that also has a regional expression (i.e., the regional commissions), offers the unique possibility of being able to reconcile regionalism with globalism. In other words, one of the roles of the regional commissions is to try and insure that regional arrangements complement and contribute to global governance, and to assist in preventing that said arrangements become an obstruction to multilateralism.
Further, there is little reason for the regional commissions to duplicate what other intergovernmental organizations undertake at the regional level, especially if there is a reasonable cooperative effort among them. Seen on its own merits, the core historical activities of the Organization in this regard, and especially of the regional commissions, can continue to play an important role in the future. This would be the case in such areas as support of TCDC, offering technical services to other regional and subregionalsecretariats that service integration movements, promoting cooperation in numerous activities where national or multinational efforts make sense (trade facilitation, transportation, common standards, fostering scientific research and technological development, to name just a few), and acting as a conduit to transmit regional concerns to global fora as well as bringing global concerns to a regional fora.
Second, and related to the above, that the regional commissions have no clear mission within the U.N. system. Actually, there should be no ambiguity at all about the mission of the regional commissions, given their closer geographical proximity to their respective constituencies and their more frequent interaction with their member governments. The analytical activities that the regional commissions undertake are unique in that, in general, they approach their work in a multidisciplinary manner, from the regional perspective and usually based on empirical observations in the field. These analytical activities are judiciously combined with operational activities. In addition, regional commissions can greatly assist the Organization in integrating topics in the economic, social and political spheres, and in "building bridges" between economic and social policy makers, since they deal with a broad spectrum of both public and private agents.
Third, that the additional layer that the regional commissions entail within the Secretariat's structure contributes to overlapping and duplication. It is of course true that there are risks of overlapping and duplication within the United Nations System, given the numerous departments that tackle diverse issues from slightly different vantage points. However, this danger is not inherent to the link between regional commissions and Headquarters. It should not be difficult to have clear policy guidelines as to "who does what" within the system. In fact, the regional commissions have some clear comparative advantages system-wide. These include: collecting, ordering and interpreting statistics and indicators; providing the system's technical assistance (placing advisors in the regional commissions rather than at Headquarters), and undertaking certain analytical activities that include monitoring of events and action-oriented research.
Finally, that their efficiency and effectiveness leaves much
to be desired. There is little reason to believe that regional commissions differ from the rest of the Organization in terms of organizational and management aspects. All are engaging in major efforts to develop a more efficient and effective Secretariat through a more streamlined organization, cost-saving measures, rigorous programming, training, improving horizontal and vertical communication between staff, and enhancing responsibility and accountability of individual staff members and organizational units. Admittedly, more can be done, but it is interesting to note that in recent initiatives launched by the Secretary-General's Efficiency Board, the response of the regional commissions was as far-reaching as that of any department within the system.
For all of the above, it is clear that, whatever the outcome of United Nations reform to adapt the organization to the needs of the twenty-first Century, there will be an important role to play for the regional commissions. Indeed, it is more than likely that said role, if anything, should be enhanced in the interest of making the United Nations ever more relevant.
Gert Rosenthal
RC Newsletter: Cote d'Ivoire has been a leading member of ECA and of ECOSOC. Over the years, your country has been associated closely with the work of the regional commissions in general and of ECA in particular. How do you evaluate them?
Amb. Gervais: My country, Côte d'Ivoire, attaches the highest importance to economic development. Within that framework, we value the contributions of the regional commissions in general, and those of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in particular. One of our key national objectives is to achieve regional economic integration, which imparts special significance to our relationship with ECOWAS and the West African Monetary Union on the one hand, and with ECA on the other.
RC Newsletter: Your interest in the regional commissions was no doubt enhanced by your deep involvement in ECOSOC matters, more particularly as its current President. How do you view the interactions between ECOSOC and the regional commissions? Are they adequate?
Amb. Gervais: I think, they are. But, they must be improved. The regional commissions, including ECA, are important subsidiary bodies of ECOSOC. Therefore, they must have more substantive involvement with ECOSOC. For instance, ECA is a very important body for Africa and it must be able to contribute to issues of importance to the international community that have a bearing for African development. I wish to stress, in particular, ECA's potential for contributing in the analytical works on human resources development as well as in training Africa's manpower in the period ahead.
RC Newsletter: In the substantive session of ECOSOC, you had chaired an informal briefing meeting by the Executive Secretaries for the delegations, preceding the discussions on the item on regional cooperation. Many delegations welcomed your initiative. What are your views? What further improvements can be made?
Amb. Gervais: Yes, the informal briefing was very satisfactory. I was pleased that all the Executive Secretaries were able to exchange views and information with the delegations on various issues on that occasion. I wish to stress that there must be more opportunities for free and open interactions between regional commissions and ECOSOC. Being located near the field, being closer to where the action is needed, the commissions can bring a unique perspective in the debates on a wide range of economic and social issues of concern to ECOSOC. That is why I value their participation, including on issues of coordination and relationships with the Bretton Woods Institutions. They are ideally positioned to do so. For their part, the commissions must also be more forthcoming to enable more focused dialogue and exchange of information with ECOSOC on their activities within their respective regions. They must also strengthen their cooperation and learn more from each other, from their successes and failures. They should also bring their problems to the attention of ECOSOC. The choice is for them to become either more dynamic through such exchanges, or to become weaker by remaining introspective. I will, therefore, encourage my successor (as president of ECOSOC) to continue the practice of this informal briefing and to expand it.
RC Newsletter: As you know, the regional commissions are in some way unique among UN system's organizations. They are intergovernmental bodies, while also serving as the regional arm of the United Nations in the economic and social fields. Are these roles compatible?
Amb. Gervais: Yes, they are very compatible. The regional commissions are well placed to collect information, because they are right on the spot. They can distill country experiences, facilitate learning between neighboring countries, and serve as link between global concerns and country operations. Interregional cooperation can also be advanced by them.
RC Newsletter: The regional commissions have long been mandated to grow as organizations having both the analytical and operational capacities, being mutually supportive of each other. How do you view these roles in the context of the changing needs of the various regions, especially of the developing countries?
Amb. Gervais: In the changing world of today, regional integration has become the main issue challenging our capacities. The developed countries have mostly achieved integration of their economies with their respective regions. The success of Europe in economic integration is outstanding. Asia and some other developing regions are making strides. Africa is trying. The regional commissions must provide active support and assistance to strengthen this process. Likewise, promoting regional economic integration among the African countries is the most critical challenge for ECA. The commissions must support this cause in every possible way. In this regard, the regional commissions are well placed for the exchange of experiences and sharing of information. But, in doing so, they must also subject themselves to better coordination.
RC Newsletter: In the context of the on-going reform and restructuring of the United Nations, as well as those of the regional commissions themselves, what advise do you have for the latter?
Amb. Gervais: The advice I can give is everything I have said so far. The changing needs of the developing countries dictate that the regional commissions must also adapt themselves to meet the new requirements. However, to be able to do so, the commissions too need support, financial and otherwise. Speaking as an African, we are pleased with the new directions being pursued by ECA under its new leadership. This process must continue, so that ECA can adapt better to the changing circumstances.
RC Newsletter: Netherlands enjoys a unique position as far as the regional commissions are concerned. It is a full member in three of the five commissions, ECE, ESCAP and ECLAC, and maintains an observer status with the fourth one, ECA. How do you see this?
Mr. Hamburger: Indeed, Netherlands' situation is unique which has evolved over time. Our membership in ECE is natural, dictated by geography; while our membership with ESCAP and ECLAC is rooted in our historical association with those regions. As for our ties with ECA, Africa enjoys a special development priority for us. For many developing countries, especially in Africa and Asia, we have sizeable programmes for development cooperation. And, we see the regional commissions as useful vehicles to promote development and development cooperation.
RC Newsletter: When you came to New York as a delegate to the United Nations, what struck you most as far as the regional commissions are concerned?
Mr. Hamburger: Most of all, the low profile of the regional commissions. Whenever regional commissions figured in the discussions, basically in ECOSOC, very little interactions did otherwise take place. Evidently something was wrong, perhaps partly because the reports submitted did not enable easy accessibility to the work and contributions of the regional commissions. The informal briefing meeting with delegations at the last ECOSOC session marked a welcome departure from past
practices. This should continue. In future, discussions should be conducted more in the spirit of dialogue, and definite arrangements should be made for more issue-based dialogue with the regional commissions. On their part, the commissions should facilitate meaningful dialogue by providing more focussed documentation, clearly identifying the priorities, and including short, transparent recommendations.
RC Newsletter: How useful do you find the works of the various
regional commissions in the service of the member countries?
Mr. Hamburger: The regional commissions' activities are diverse, and each one has developed a certain character of its own. For instance, ECLAC's analytical work is well-known, while ESCAP is a more focused operational adviser for development. They have a clear role to play in future as well, but they have to be careful and avoid duplication with other organizations and bodies within the UN system and outside. I think, the regional commissions have a natural comparative advantage for conducting analytical work, providing policy advice, undertaking norm-setting initiatives, and facilitating exchange of relevant experiences. It is always possible to learn from neighbors. ECE has done useful work in some of these aspects. For some regional commissions,
especially for ESCAP, its forum role is also very important since there is no other region-wide organization. In respect of regional execution, the commissions must be careful not to spread too thin and avoid competition for country-level projects.
RC Newsletter: How do you view the ongoing reform of the commissions and do you think, as a consequence, they will become more effective by the year 2000?
Mr. Hamburger: One should not have fixation about the year 2000. Four years are not too long. Important though is the recognition that regional commissions must change in order to stay relevant and useful. It is in the interest of regional commissions to develop clear priorities and sharper focus keeping in view the evolving needs and challenges, and their comparative advantage. Otherwise, support will fade away.
RC Newsletter: How do you expect their roles to evolve in the changing context?
Mr. Hamburger: The regional commissions have been conducting their own review and reform exercises, in consultation with their respective membership. Some of them, for instance ECE and ECA, have advanced quite a bit in the directions desired by their membership in setting new priorities and better organizational structures. In terms of contributions of the member countries in this exercise, the Netherlands gives precedence to the views of the regional members. The regional commissions need to define their roles not only in the context of the changing priorities in their respective regions, but also in respect of their position in the overall UN system. They are the regional arm of the United Nations in the economic and social fields, and they have the potential to enhance that role to truly become UN's regional centres, provided they are efficient and can render value-added services.
ECE
In recent weeks, "restructuring" has been the key word within the Economic Commission for Europe as well as among representatives to the Commission who have met frequently over the last few months with the objective of refocussing the Commission's activities. All programmes have been reviewed in depth, down to each
single item of the 267 elements composing the work programme of the Commission. Based on this review, a revised and more focused programme of work has been tabled by the Chairman of the Commission and the Executive Secretary. This restructuring, if adopted by the Commission, would mean fewer and more focused programme elements. The number of principal subsidiary bodies of the Commission would be substantially reduced, as would the number of working parties and the number of meetings. Broad agreement on the major elements of the proposal is expected by December 1996. Formal endorsement will be made at the Commission's fifty-second Jubilee Session in April 1997, at which time the Commission will also adopt a Declaration on the strengthening of economic cooperation in Europe.
ESCAP
ESCAP has set April 1997, its 50th anniversary year, as the target date for completion of the strategy for overall reform of the largest of the UN Regional Commissions, made up of 51 full members and nine associate members.
In July 1996, the Executive Secretary of ESCAP invited all staff to attend a seminar to debate in-house priority-setting for ESCAP's development work. The basis for discussion was the progress report prepared by the Working Group on ESCAP Reform established by the Executive Secretary in January 1996 to keep the reform process going.
As part of the reform process, member countries were invited earlier this year to respond to a questionnaire prepared by the Secretariat on how they view the programme priorities of the Commission. Throughout the process, the Advisory Committee of Permanent Representatives has remained closely involved in the consultations.
The review process confirms that the thematic, interdisciplinary approach is the best in coping with new development challenges and to help with issues and concerns. However, the review revealed that the current themes might be too broad as they focus on wide objectives with limited means to achieve them, rather than identify programming frames.
In a parallel exercise, under the efficiency review undertaken by the UN Secretariat, eighteen projects have begun at ESCAP, including better planning of commission meetings and its agenda with a shortening of the length of the meetings; a readership survey to determine which ESCAP publications are most in demand; and, the use of electronic communication to ESCAP members for better gathering and dissemination of information.
ECLAC
As part of ECLAC's on-going process of reform, an ad hoc working group held its first meeting at ECLAC's headquarters in Santiago from 29-31 July, for a focused and in-depth consideration of the priorities of the
Commission's work programme. Thirty one of ECLAC's 41 members plus two asssociate members participated actively, under the Chairmanship of Costa Rica, in its capacity as Chairman of the Presiding Officers of the twenty-sixth session.
The ad hoc working group was set up in pursuance of ECLAC's resolution 553 (XXVI), adopted at its last session held in San Jose in April 1996. The resolution established an ad hoc working group, open to all members, to define, in consultation with the Secretariat, priorities for the Commission's work programme, taking into account the development priorities of the region and budgetary considerations. The same group
is to work with the Secretariat in recommending strategic directions for ECLAC's future activities.
During the three days meeting, an in-depth examination was made of all the elements contained in the 11 subprogrammes which make up ECLAC programme of work. Each was assessed in terms of its relative priority,
and classified in one of four categories, with rankings from most to least relevant. As a result of this exercise, some adjustments were introduced in the relative priorities of ECLAC's work programme for the biennium 1998-1999. Further, a highly constructive discussion took place regarding future directions of the work progamme and the role of ECLAC in supporting the countries of the region in meeting their own development objectives.
At the closing session, the Executive Secretary noted the broad participation, the high level of the delegations, and the dedication they had brought to their work. He applauded the highly effective spirit that had characterized the entire meeting and informed that the results would be transmitted to Headquarters for ECOSOC's review. He further indicated that he found this new modality of consultations between the Secretariat and its member Governments a harbinger of a closer working relationship as the reform process evolved.
Finally, the Report of the meeting of the ad hoc working group (LC/G.1942 of 13 September, 1996) was presented by the Chairman of the Presiding Officers of the twenty-sixth session and by the Executive Secretary of ECLAC to the New York-based delegations of member countries of ECLAC, in a meeting held at the UN Headquarters on 25 October 1996.
ECA
The "renewal of ECA" to serve Africa better was enthusiastically endorsed by the thirty-first session of the Economic Commission for Africa, held in Addis Ababa, in May 1996. The guiding principle in formulating this new strategic direction of ECA was excellence, cost effectiveness and partnership with the objective of (a) sharpening the programme focus, (b) use of more new technologies in operations, (c) further fosters Africa's growing pluralistic forces, particularly the private sector and the civil society, (d) consensus building, and (e) increasing accountability.
The process of reform at ECA has been marked by extensive consultations with the staff, high-level independent African experts drawn from governments, the private sector, academia and the civil society, as well as the Bureau of the Commission. The commission's partner organizations and agencies, both within the UN system and outside including the donor agencies, were also consulted.
The outcome of this process was the adoption of a new programme orientation for the next six years to 2001 which focuses on five major themes: facilitating economic and social policy analysis; ensuring food security and sustainable development; strengthening development management; harnessing information for development; and promoting regional cooperation and integration. In addition, there are two cross-cutting issues, namely, gender and capacity building. To effectively exploit its comparative advantage, ECA is gearing up to enhance its role as a think-tank performing analytical and advocacy functions on African socio-economic development with policy makers in Africa and abroad, as a convener of stakeholders on key issues in Africa's development, and as a launcher of networks, a leader in expanding access to information, and a builder of capacities in development.
To achieve the new objectives, existing modalities are being reformed in several ways including: reduced meetings, fewer and improved reports and revitalized publications, and new networking arrangements to strengthen partnerships. This will be accomplished through, for example, increased fellowships and exchanges in a range of fields with agencies of the UN system, African universities and research institutions, bilateral donors, and civil society groups in Africa; increased interactions with member States; more effective technical support, including use of country representatives; and enhanced South-South cooperation.
A new restructured secretariat will be in place effective 1 January 1997 to implement the new programme orientation. The secretariat's efficiency and professional capacity are being enhanced through training of manpower, streamlining of procedures, and modernizing information infrastructure.
ESCWA
ESCWA initiated its reform in 1994, following a process of intense consultations with the member States and within the secretariat on the programme priorities and emerging issues in the region. Some of the major features of the reform at ESCWA can be highlighted as follows:
a) Programmatic aspects: Five interdisciplinary subprogrammes replaced the fifteen sectoral subprogrammes; multidisciplinary task forces are operational among the various divisions covering subjects such as poverty, impact of GATT/WTO, impact of the peace process on different sectors, integrated follow-up to global conferences, integrated provision of regional advisory services.
b) Legislative aspects and relations with member States: Establishment of four intergovernmental committees on statistics, social development, energy and natural resources; activation of the Consultative Committee of Ambassadors of ESCWA member States and high level officials of the host country and the convening of its meeting biannually.
c) Organizational aspects: The secretariat structure has been restructured to decrease the number of substantive divisions to five.
EDITORIAL
Relevance of the United Nations Regional Commissions
Executive Secretary of ECLAC
Current Coordinator of the Regional Commissions
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Interview with the President of ECOSOC, H. E. M. Jean-Marie Kacou Gervais
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Interview with the Chairman of the Second Committee, Mr. Arjan P. Hamburger
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