Restructuring in transition economies
ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE
(Fifty-third session, 20-23 April 1998)
5 April 1998
The fifty-third session of the United Nations Economic Commission
for Europe (UN/ECE) has this year three major parts: the UN/ECE Spring Seminar; the
opening discussion and the more traditional part related to administrative matters.
The UN/ECE Spring Seminar will start on Monday, 20 April 1998,
at 10 a.m. in room VII of the Palais des Nations. It will basically focus on Enterprise
and Bank Restructuring in the Transition Economies.
The following topics are going to be discussed: Enterprise and
bank restructuring: progress, problems and policies (presented by Mark Schaffer,
Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh); Banking sector reform in the transition economies -
a central banking perspective (presented by Elmar Koch, Bank for International
Settlements, Basle); Case studies of restructuring in Russia (presented by
Evgeny Gavrilenkov, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Moscow) and Kazakhstan and
Uzbekistan (presented by Yelena Kalyuzhnova, Centre for Euro-Asian Studies, University
of Reading); Czech Republic (presented by Pavel Mertlik, Institute of Economics of
the Czech National Bank); Slovenia (presented by Ivan Ribnikar, University of
Ljubljana); Eastern Länder of Germany (presented by Alexander Eickelpasch,
DIW, Berlin). A number of eminent discussants will also take part in the presentations.
The opening day's discussion on Tuesday, 21 April 1998 will constitute a major
highlight of this Commission session. At 10 a.m., a first debate will focus on the Vulnerability
of transition economies to external shocks: strategies for restructuring enterprise and
bank sectors. The panellists are: Marek Belka, former Minister of Finance and
currently Adviser to the President of Poland; Bernhard Molitor, Chairman, OECD
Economic Development and Review Committee; Marjan Senjur, Minister of Economic Relations
and Development, Slovenia; and Bernard Snoy, Director, EBRD. As a conclusion to the first
debate, there will be a discussion with introductory remarks by Rubens Ricupero,
Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and
Milijove Panic, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
The second debate in the afternoon of the opening day will address
the opportunities and challenges of the Euro for non-EU members. The moderator will
be Bernhard Molitor and the discussion leaders Igor Mitukov, Minister of Finance of
Ukraine; Sergey Alexashenko, First Deputy Chairman, Central Bank of Russia; Joly Dixon,
Director of International Economic and Financial Affairs, DGII, European Commission,
Brussels; Massimo Russo, Special Adviser to the Managing Director, IMF.
These two debates will have the UN/ECE Economic Survey of Europe as background document.
The third part of the Commission on Wednesday, 22 and Thursday, 23
April will be devoted to operational activities of the UN/ECE and cooperation with
sub-regional groupings; cooperation with NGOs; and the implementation of the reform
process.
The Bureau of the Commission is currently composed as follows:
Mr. Peter Náray (Hungary), Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Michael Bartolo
(Malta), Mr. Mykola Maimeskoul (Ukraine), and Ms. Eveline Herfkens (Netherlands) as
Vice-Chairpersons.
A new Bureau will be elected at the end of the session.
The Seminar as well as all sessions of the Commission are open
to the public.
For further information please contact:
Information Unit
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE)
Palais des Nations, Room 370
CH - 1211 GENEVA 10, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 917 44 44
Fax: +41 22 917 05 05
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.unece.org