In order to respond to the actual needs expressed by its member States, the
Commission established in December 2005 a new subprogramme on economic cooperation
and integration, attributed to a new UNECE Committee on Economic Cooperation
and Integration. The first session of the Committee is expected to take place
in Autumn 2006.
The objective of the subprogramme is to promote a more conducive policy,
financial and regulatory environment for economic growth, innovative
development and higher competitiveness of enterprises and economic activities
in the UNECE region.
In order to achieve its objective, the subprogramme will address key
aspects of economic development and integration and focus mainly on
countries with economies in transition. It will deliver policy advice,
facilitate policy dialogue and exchange experience and best practice as
well as develop relevant guidelines. To this end the subprogramme will
facilitate application of the experience gained, lessons learned and best
practices conducive to economic growth and innovative development, and
will elaborate on this basis recommendations aimed at creating a policy,
financial and regulatory environment which will contribute to economic
development, investment and innovation.
Work under the subprogramme will be demand driven, will focus on specific
topics and, subject to the multi-year work programme of the Committee
on Economic Cooperation and Integration, will aim at strengthening
the competitiveness of member States’ economies by: (i) promoting the knowledge-based economy
and innovation; (ii) facilitating the development of entrepreneurship and
the emergence of new enterprises; (iii) facilitating effective regulatory
policies and corporate governance, including those in the financial sector;
and (iv) promoting public-private partnerships for domestic and foreign investment,
as well as intellectual property rights.
In support of this work the secretariat – building inter alia on relevant
work carried out by other organizations and institutions, as well as contributions
mobilized from external experts, advisers and decision-makers, in particular
those from countries with economies in transition – will undertake applied
economic analysis, collect lessons learned and experience gained, prepare
case studies and elaborate proposals and options for policy debate among member
States and other stakeholders.
The results of this work would be considered
by thematic groups of experts and time-bound task forces, involving
representatives of governments, international organizations, business associations
and other stakeholders, which would provide a platform for exchanges of national
policy experiences and identification of best practice. Subsequently, these
outputs would be brought to the attention of the Committee on Economic Cooperation
and Integration, which would serve as a forum for policy dialogue
among member States and elaborate relevant policy recommendations, guidelines
and standards. The results of work carried out under the subprogramme would
be broadly disseminated to all interested stakeholders.
These results would
also serve as the basis for technical cooperation activities organized
by the secretariat, such as policy advisory services and capacity-building
workshops, with a view to assisting member States, upon their request,
and particularly countries with economies in transition, including emerging
market economies, in the adaptation and application of best practice and in
implementation of guidelines, standards and policy recommendations emanating
from the Committee.