UNITED

NATIONS

Distr.

GENERAL

ECE/TRADE/250/Rev.1

9 May 2000

ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

COMMITTEE FOR TRADE, INDUSTRY AND

ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT

Fourth session

21-23 June 2000

PROVISIONAL AGENDA FOR THE FOURTH SESSION

to be held in the Palais des Nations, Geneva,

starting at 10:00 on Wednesday, 21 June 2000

FORUM - On Monday and Tuesday 19-20 June 1999, the Committee for Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development will hold its annual forum. The topic this year is Electronic Commerce for Transition Countries in The Digital Age. For further information, see annex I.

DOCUMENTS - Documents for the Committee session will be distributed by mail and will also be posted on the Committee's web site: http://www.unece.org/trade/

PRESENTATIONS OF SPECIAL INTEREST: Presentations which may be of special interest are highlighted by boxes in the explanatory notes to the agenda.

ACCESS - Security at the Palais des Nations has been significantly increased and personal badges are needed to have access. The procedure for this is accelerated if the Trade Division receives the names of delegates in advance. For further details, see annex II.

GE.00-

1.	Adoption of the agenda	ECE/TRADE/250/Rev.1

2.	Election of officers

3.	Matters arising from the fifty-fifth

session of the Economic Commission

for Europe

4.	Trade analysis:

(a)	Review of recent and prospective	TRADE/2000/2

trade trends, policies and problems	Economic Survey

(b)	Matters arising from the 2000 Forum	ECE/TRADE/251

TRADE/2000/18

TRADE/2000/18/Add.1

TRADE/2000/19

(c)	Review of major aspects of	TRADE/2000/3

multilateral trade negotiations of

special interest to transition

economies

5.	Trade Facilitation	TRADE/2000/4

TRADE/2000/17

TRADE/CEFACT/2000/32

TRADE/R.650/Rev.2

6.	Agricultural quality standards	TRADE/WP.7/1999/7
TRADE/2000/5

7.	Standardization policies	TRADE/WP.6/1999/18

TRADE/2000/6

8.	Trade and investment promotion	TRADE/WP.5/1999/13

TRADE/2000/7

TRADE/WP.5/1999/4

9.	Industry and enterprise development:

(a)	Enterprise development	TRADE/2000/21

(b)	Development of small and medium-sized	TRADE/2000/9

enterprises

(c)	Enterprise development activities	TRADE/CHEM/GE.1/2000/7

with an emphasis on the chemical

industry

(d)	Enterprise development activities	TRADE/STEEL/GE.1/2000/6

with an emphasis on the steel

industry

(e)	Strategic directions for enterprise	TRADE/2000/8

development	E/ECE/1347

10.	Seminars and workshops	TRADE/2000/10

11.	Operational activities and extrabudgetary	TRADE/2000/11

activities in support of the work programme	TRADE/2000/12

TRADE/2000/20

12.	Regional advisory activities with a special	TRADE/2000/13

presentation on SECI and the OSCE Economic

Forum

13.	Activities of the Commission's other	TRADE/2000/14

principal subsidiary bodies

14.	Programme of work, 2000-2002	TRADE/2000/15

TRADE/2000/15/Add.1

E/ECE/1372

15.	Other business

(a) Role and strategic direction	TRADE/2000/16

of the Committee

(b) Dates of the next session and

theme of the Forum

16.	Adoption of the report

* * *

ANNOTATIONS

Introduction

1.	The provisional agenda for the fourth session of the Committee for Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development has been drawn up by the secretariat in consultation with the Bureau on the basis of the decisions and programme of work adopted by the Committee at its third session held in June 1999.

2.	The provisional timetable has been proposed by the Bureau. The afternoon session of Friday, 23 June will approve the draft report of the fourth session.

3.	At its third session, the Committee decided to hold its year 2000 Forum on "Electronic Commerce for Transition Economies in the Digital Age". A preliminary agenda for this event can be found in annex I. The first two days of the Committee session will be dedicated to the Forum and the subsequent two and a half days to the regular session:

a.m.	p.m.
Monday,	19 June	CTIED Forum
Tuesday,	20 June	CTIED Forum
Wednesday,	21 June	CTIED regular session
Thursday,	22 June	CTIED regular session
Friday,	23 June	Informal meetings	Adoption of report

4.	The fourth Committee session will, therefore, formally begin at 10:00 on Wednesday, 21 June 2000.

5.	It should be recalled that to enter the Palais des Nations delegates must obtain security badges at the Villa Les Feuillantines, which is located near the Palais gate at the Place des Nations (see annex II). By registering in advance, delegates will find their badges already prepared for them at the Villa. The registration form can be found in annex II.

EXPLANATORY NOTES

Item 1 - Adoption of the agenda

6.	In accordance with the Commission's rules of procedure, the first item on the provisional agenda is the adoption of the agenda (ECE/TRADE/250).

Item 2 - Election of officers

7.	At its third session, the Committee elected Mr. M. Vilchez-Barros (Spain) Chairman, and Messrs. G. Fehér (Hungary) and Y. Beletsky (Russian Federation) its vice-chairmen.

Item 3 - Matters arising from the fifty-fifth session of the Economic Commission for Europe

8.	The secretariat will report orally on the discussions held at and the decisions adopted by the Commission at its fifty-fifth session, to be held in May 2000. If necessary, extracts from the report of that session will be made available as a conference room paper.

Item 4 - Trade analysis: review of recent and prospective trade trends, policies and problems, including matters arising from the year 2000 Forum

(a)	Review of recent and prospective trade trends, policies and problems

9. The secretariat will present its "Trade Policy Review" paper (TRADE/2000/2) for comment and discussion. As agreed at the previous session of the Committee, the paper will survey the activities of international organizations to promote foreign direct investment in transition economies.

10.	The secretariat will introduce the latest edition of the Economic Survey of Europe, which reviews current economic developments in the ECE region.

A short presentation will be given on the special section in the Economic Survey of Europe which reviews various aspects of 10 years of reform in transition economies

(b) Matters arising from the 2000 Forum

11.	Under this agenda item, the Chairman of the Forum on Electronic Commerce for Transition Economies in the Digital Age to be held on 19 and 20 June will report on the discussions held and the conclusions drawn by the Forum. The Committee will also have before it the Proceedings of the 1999 Round Table on the Polish Experience of Transition (ECE/TRADE/251).

(c)	Review of major aspects of multilateral trade negotiations of special interest to transition economies

12. The Committee will have before it a note by the secretariat on the major aspects of multilateral trade negotiations of special interest to transition economies(TRADE/2000/3).

13.	Delegations are welcome to present brief reports on relevant developments and problems in their countries. If such reports are made available sufficiently in advance (i.e. at least two weeks before the meeting), they will be reproduced by the secretariat. Reports may be submitted by regular post or by e-mail to CTIED@unece.org

Item 5 - Trade Facilitation

14.	The Committee will have before it the report of the sixth session of UN/CEFACT (TRADE/CEFACT/2000/32) and a note by the secretariat on progress achieved and suggestions for closer linkages between the United Nations Centre for the Facilitation of Procedures and Practices in Administration, Commerce and Transport (UN/CEFACT) and other subsidiary bodies (TRADE/2000/4). During its March 2000 meeting, UN/CEFACT decided to request a change in its name to the "Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Commerce(UN/CEFACT)" as well as changes to its "Mandate, Terms of Reference and Procedures." The Committee will be asked to approve these changes as outlined in TRADE/2000/4 and ECE/TRADE/R.650/Rev.2.

15.	The secretariat will present a report on cooperation between the United Nations Regional Economic Commissions in the area of trade facilitation (TRADE/2000/17).

Item 6 - Agricultural quality standards

16.	The Committee will have before it the report of the eleventh session of the Working Party on Standardization of Perishable Produce and Quality Development (WP.7) (TRADE/WP.7/1999/7) and a note by the secretariat (TRADE/2000/5) summarizing progress achieved.

Item 7 - Standardization Policies

17.	The Committee will have before it the report of the ninth session of the Working Party on Technical Harmonization and Standardization Policies (WP.6) (TRADE/WP.6/1999/18) and a note by the secretariat (TRADE/2000/6) summarizing progress achieved and containing suggestions for closer linkages between the Working Party and other subsidiary bodies.

Item 8 - Trade and investment promotion

18.	The Committee will have before it the report of the forty-eighth session of the Working Party on International Legal and Commercial Practice (WP.5)(TRADE/WP.5/1999/13) and a note by the secretariat (TRADE/2000/7) summarizing progress achieved. Also before the Committee will be the final report of the November 1999 WP.5 Forum on New Competition Laws and Their Implications for Business in Central and Eastern Europe (TRADE/WP.5/1999/4).

19.	The Chairman of the Advisory Group on Arbitration of the Working Party on International Legal and Commercial Practice and the secretariat will report orally on progress being made on the revision of the European Convention on International Commercial Arbitration.

Item 9 - Industry and enterprise development

(a)	Cross-sectoral enterprise development activities

20.	The Committee will have before it a report on enterprise development activities undertaken since the last session (TRADE/2000/21).

(b)	Development of small and medium-sized enterprises

21.	Under this sub-item, the Committee will have before it a report on the activities of the secretariat in this area (TRADE/2000/9).

(c)	Enterprise development activities with an emphasis on

the chemical industry

22.	The ad hoc Group of Experts on the Chemical Industry will submit the report of its third session (TRADE/CHEM/GE.1/2000/7).

(d)	Enterprise development activities with an emphasis on the steel

industry

23. The ad hoc Group of Experts on Steel will submit the report of its third session (TRADE/STEEL/GE.1/2000/6).

(e)	Strategic directions for enterprise development

24.	The Committee will have before it a note by the Chairman (TRADE/2000/8) on the strategic directions of the cross-sectoral programme of work, including the future of sector-specific activities. The Committee is required to make a decision about future work on the basis of the 1997 Plan of Action (E/ECE/1347).

Item 10 - Seminars and workshops

25.	Under this sub-item, the Committee will have before it a report on the activities of the secretariat in this area (TRADE/2000/10).

Item 11 - Extrabudgetary activities in support of the work programme

26.	The Committee will have before it a note by the Bureau and the secretariat (TRADE/2000/11) concerning operational activities of the Committee's subsidiary bodies, identifying needs and financing for them. It will also have before it a report by the secretariat on recent developments in extrabudgetary activities in support of the work programme and, in particular, the work in countries in transition (TRADE/2000/12).

Item 12 - Regional advisory activities with special presentations on SECI and the OSCE Economic Forum

27.	The Committee will have before it a report by the secretariat on recent developments in the regional advisory activities in support of the countries in transition (TRADE/2000/13).

28.	The secretariat will also report on the progress achieved so far in establishing a roster of experts for UN/ECE regional advisory activities.

Item 13 - Activities of the Commission's other principal subsidiary bodies

29.	The Committee will have before it a paper by the secretariat on trade and investment related activities of other principal subsidiary bodies (TRADE/2000/14).

Item 14 - Programme of Work, 2000-2002

30.	The Committee will have before it a draft programme of work (TRADE/2000/15) prepared by the secretariat as well as a proposal from the Bureau on priorities (TRADE/2000/15/Add.1) as requested by the Commission (ECE/TRADE/1372). Should the decisions taken by the Commission at its fifty- fifth session require amendments to the draft programme of work, a conference room paper will be prepared indicating such changes.

Item 15 - Other business

(a) Role and strategic direction of the Committee

31.	The Committee will have before it a note by the Bureau (TRADE/2000/16) containing ideas on the role and strategic direction of the Committee.

(b) Dates of the next session and theme of the Forum

32. The secretariat notes that the dates of the fifth session of the

Committee are provisionally set for 12-15 June 2001 and that the Committee is expected to agree on a theme for the 2001 Committee forum or round table. Four alternative topics have been proposed:

(i)	Experiences of New Transition Economy Members in the World Trade Organization (WTO)

(ii)	The Role of the Service Sector in Trade, Investment and Enterprise Development in Transition Economies

(iii)	The Role of the Committee for Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development (CTIED) in Trade Policy.

(iv)	Trade and Environment

Item 16 - Adoption of the report

33.	In accordance with established practice, the Committee will adopt its report on the basis of a draft prepared by the secretariat.

* * * * *

Annex I

PRELIMINARY AGENDA

19-20 June 2000

FORUM ON

ELECTRONIC COMMERCE FOR TRANSITION COUNTRIES

IN THE DIGITAL AGE

1.	The Internet and Electronic Commerce: Opportunities for Enterprise Development

2.	The Internet and Enterprise Development: Opportunities for Transition Economies

3.	Electronic Commerce in the UN/ECE Region: the Role of International
Organizations

4.	Best Practices in Electronic Business

5.	Electronic Commerce and Investment Promotion

6.	Future Directions for Electronic Commerce

7.	Concluding Remarks and Recommendations

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