Regional development activities

The regional commissions were established by the General Assembly to serve as the main regional centres for economic and social development. They operate at a level between global United Nations entities and country operations. As such, the regional commissions promote regional initiatives and strategies, contribute to in-depth studies of various issues and support intergovernmental initiatives to elaborate norms, standards and legal instruments. In addition, regional commissions are a forum for dialogue for subregional groupings and help prepare regional positions to world conferences and summit meetings held by the United Nations (see fig. 14).

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