UNITED

NATIONS

E

Economic and Social
Council	Distr.
RESTRICTED

ECE/TRADE/231

27 July 1999

Original: ENGLISH

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

COMMITTEE FOR TRADE, INDUSTRY AND

ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT

Third session

7-10 June 1999

REPORT OF THE THIRD SESSION

HIGHLIGHTS

At its third session, the Committee for Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development (CTIED):

-	Considered how it could contribute to post-conflict recovery in south-east Europe (paragraphs 11-15)

-	Endorsed the conclusions of the May 1999 international workshop on Implementation and Use of International Standards which contain recommendations for reducing divergencies between international, regional and national standards which can create barriers to trade (paragraph 30)

-	Approved the establishment of an ad hoc team of specialists to study the relationship between international standardization and regulations as a means of reducing technical barriers to trade (paragraph 32)

-	Approved new terms of reference and a new name for WP.5, now the Working Party on International Legal and Commercial Practice (paragraph 39)

-	Approved the establishment of an advisory group on the protection and implementation of intellectual property rights for promoting investment (paragraphs 39-42)

-	Approved the establishment of an expert advisory group to consider possible revisions to the European Convention on International Commercial Arbitration of 1961 (paragraphs 39-42)

-	Approved the strategic directions for its work in enterprise development and a new cross-sectoral work programme (paragraphs 44-47)

-	Endorsed a broad set of principles governing relations with the business community (paragraph 52)

-	Approved a proposal for establishment of a roster of "associate regional advisers" (paragraphs 57-58)

-	Welcomed the publication of its first guide in the series "Trade Investment Guides" (paragraph 67)

-	Approved the establishment of a network of national "multiplier"/contact points for promoting its work (paragraph 69)

- Adopted the programme of work for 1999-2001 (paragraph 63)

-	Agreed to organize a major round table prior to its next meeting in June 2000 on "Electronic Commerce and its Implications for International Trade in the UN/ECE Region" (paragraph 71).

GE.99-

1.	The Committee for Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development held its third session from 7 to 10 June 1999. The session included a Round Table on "The Polish Experience of Transition - Accomplishments and Problems" on 7 June.

2.	Representatives of the following countries participated: Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America and Uzbekistan.

3.	The session was attended by representatives of the European Community.

4.	Also in attendance were representatives of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Centre for the Facilitation of Procedures and Practices for Administration, Commerce and Transport (UN/CEFACT), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the following intergovernmental organizations: the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). The following non-governmental organizations were represented: the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC); the International Alliance of Women; and the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA).

5.	Representatives of Vietnam participated under Article 11 of the Economic Commission for Europe's terms of reference.

6.	Observers present at the invitation of the secretariat included representatives of the Centre for the Advancement of Women and Zonta International Development.

Item 1 - Adoption of the agenda

7.	The Committee adopted the provisional agenda (ECE/TRADE/230).

Item 2 - Election of officers

8.	Mr. M. Vilchez-Barros (Spain) was elected Chairman, and Messrs. Y. Beletsky (Russian Federation) and G. Fehér (Hungary) were elected vice-chairmen of the Committee.

Introductory remarks

9.	The Deputy Executive Secretary of the UN/ECE, Ms. D. Hübner, opened the proceedings. She assessed the major directions of work of the Committee, paying special attention to its role in providing a regulatory framework for enterprises, fostering entrepreneurial initiative, harmonizing trade procedures and technical regulations, and setting agricultural standards. She also welcomed the enhanced cooperation of the Committee with other international organizations and sub-regional organizations.

10.	Mr. Fehér, the retiring Chairman of the Committee, outlined major issues to be handled by the Committee in the next year, in particular, the Committee's possible contribution to the economic reconstruction of the countries in south-east Europe and its resource implications, the implementation of strategic directions for the enterprise development programme and the establishment of any new advisory groups. He also noted the successfully completed work on prioritization of the Committee's activities which had been well received by the Commission and which the Committee would review again at its next session in the year 2000.

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

Documentation: TRADE/INFORMAL/1999/12	Request from the Commission for Input on Operational
Activities: Note from the Secretariat

11.	The Chair drew attention to the Commission's request for subsidiary bodies to consider how their current work might be re-oriented and projects developed under their existing mandates to contribute to post- conflict recovery in south-east Europe.

12.	The Deputy Executive Secretary then described the UN/ECE's participation in both the Stability Pact's planning process and the planning process of the United Nations for the post-conflict situation in south-east Europe. She noted the capacity of the UN/ECE to contribute through three mechanisms: sub- regional organizations such as the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI), technical assistance to individual countries and through the regular work programme. This was followed by a report from the secretariat on SECI and the effects of the conflict on its work. In addition, the secretariat presented preliminary proposals for areas where the Committee's activities could contribute to post- conflict recovery (see TRADE/INFORMAL/1999/15). These proposals were noted by the Committee.

13.	A long, informative discussion followed in which particular emphasis was given to the need to develop appropriate institutional infrastructure in support of the private sector in south-east Europe and the possible role of the UN/ECE and the Committee in doing so. The need for comprehensive coordination among the complex matrix of donors and contributing and executing organizations was also highlighted.

14.	The Committee then mandated its Bureau to follow up on this activity and to coordinate with beneficiary countries and other countries willing to contribute to the reconstruction efforts. It further requested that the Committee's principal subsidiary bodies identify, for the Bureau, activities under existing mandates which could contribute effectively to recovery in the Balkan region. It was further pointed out that once the activities to be undertaken by the UN/ECE were at a more advanced stage of planning, the secretariat would develop the trust fund(s) and other mechanisms required for accepting donor contributions.

15.	The Director of the Trade Division reviewed other matters arising from the fifty-fourth session of the Commission, referring to the request for principal subsidiary bodies to look at operational activities within their mandate and to identify needs and financing for them. In this regard, the Committee noted the proposal put forward by the secretariat (TRADE/INFORMAL/1999/12) concerning operational activities and requested that the Bureau also follow up on this with the secretariat and the Commission.

Item 4 - Trade analysis

4(a) Report on the Round Table on the Polish Experience of Transition

Documentation:	TRADE/INFORMAL/1999/2-7 (Papers presented at the Round Table on 7 June 1999)

16.	The secretariat reported to the Committee on the outcome of the Round Table. Several delegations commented favourably on the relevance of the problems discussed for other transition economies and on the liveliness of the debate.

17.	The Committee then requested that the secretariat prepare the proceedings of the Round Table for publication and ensure its widest distribution in transition economies of the region.

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

Documentation:	Economic Survey of Europe

TRADE/1999/1	Survey of Recent Developments in Intraregional Trade Related Cooperation

TRADE/INFORMAL/1999/13	EU Enlargement: Consequences for Third Countries,

Project Proposed by Republic of Belarus

18.	A representative of the secretariat described recent and prospective trends in trade, trade payments and foreign direct investment in the region, based on information contained in the Economic Survey of Europe, 1999, No.1. The Committee noted with interest this report.

19.	Another member of the secretariat introduced the "Survey of Recent Developments in Intraregional Trade Related Cooperation" and pointed out that it included references to websites that could be consulted for further information which was routinely updated. He further suggested that the next survey be on the activities of international organizations that promote foreign direct investment in transition economies. The Committee noted this document and approved the proposal for the topic of the next survey.

20.	The Committee also noted document TRADE/INFORMAL/1999/13, which had been submitted by Belarus. When adopting the report, the delegation of Belarus stressed the importance of this topic (the effects of European Union enlargement on third countries) for its country and for other countries in the region and asked for follow-up action within the UN/ECE.

Item 5 - Trade facilitation

Documentation:	TRADE/CEFACT/1998/27	Report of the Fourth Session of the Centre for Facilitation of Procedures and Practices for Administration, Commerce and Transport

TRADE/CEFACT/1999/18	Support of Trade Facilitation Measures and UN/EDIFACT Implementation in selected	Eastern European Countries

TRADE/1999/2	Facilitation of International Trade Procedures

TRADE/INFORMAL/1999/11	Presentation to the WTO Committee on Trade and Development on Electronic Commerce for Transition and Developing Countries, 4 June 1999

Report of the fourth session of the Centre for the Facilitation of Procedures and Practices for Administration, Commerce and Transport

21.	The Chairman of the UN/CEFACT Steering Group, Mr. R. Walker, informed the Committee that UN/CEFACT had now fully completed the migration from the old WP.4 structure to its new structure which contained six working groups and two ad hoc working groups. Further, he explained that owing to the restructuring of its activities, and the widespread implementation of its results, UN/CEFACT had attained an international recognition previously not achieved. In particular, UN/CEFACT was being consulted regularly by the WTO in view of the fact that trade facilitation issues were being considered by WTO members for possible inclusion in the next round of multilateral trade negotiations and had also been placed high on the agenda of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

22.	He also mentioned that a revision of the 1994 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to coordinate the work between the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the UN/ECE had been signed in 1998 by all three organizations. The new MoU had been expanded to cover all standards work related to electronic business and to include greater participation from organizations representing the user community.

23.	The Committee then endorsed the report of the fourth session of UN/CEFACT (TRADE/CEFACT/1998/27). The Committee also requested that the secretariat prepare a working document for consideration by the Committee's other subsidiary bodies on the possibilities for closer linkages between UN/CEFACT and them.

24.	Delegations expressed their support for the trade facilitation activities and their concern that some of the countries most in need of assistance in this area were unable to participate in the work owing to financial constraints. In this context, the delegation of the Russian Federation suggested that workshops and seminars should be organized in countries in transition in order to raise awareness about these issues. The Regional Adviser on Trade Facilitation also explained that to support the dissemination of trade facilitation information, considerable efforts had gone into the establishment of Internet World Wide Web sites, as well as information that could be accessed on diskette or CD-ROM.

25.	The Regional Adviser on Trade Facilitation introduced document TRADE/CEFACT/1999/18, which summarized the positive experience of FITPRO, the national trade facilitation body of the Czech Republic, in providing technical assistance to selected eastern European countries in support of trade facilitation measures and the United Nations Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport (UN/EDIFACT). This project was made possible by a grant from the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade. The first two beneficiary countries, Latvia and Ukraine, were already implementing UN/ECE Trade Facilitation Recommendation 4 by setting up their own national "PRO Committees" to support trade facilitation work in their countries.

26.	The delegation of the Czech Republic thanked the Trade Division for its cooperation in implementing this project. The Czech Republic also supported the decision of UN/CEFACT to expand its activities to address the wider issues of electronic business rather than confine itself to electronic data interchange and the UN/EDIFACT standard.

27.	The Director of the Trade Division informed the Committee that she had given a presentation on the UN/ECE's electronic commerce activities in support of transition economies (TRADE/INFORMAL/1999/11), to the WTO Committee on Trade and Development on 4 June 1999.

28.	The Committee then noted these last two documents.

Item 6 - Technical harmonization and standardization

6(a)	Working Party on Technical Harmonization and Standardization Policies

Documentation:	ECE/TRADE/INFORMAL/1999/14	Summary of Decisions taken at the ninth session of the Working Party on Technical Harmonization and Standardization Policies

29.	The Chairman of the Working Party on Technical Harmonization and Standardization Policies (WP.6), Mr. C. Arvius (Sweden), reported on the discussions and the main decisions taken during the ninth session of the Working Party on 17-19 May 1999 (document ECE/TRADE/INFORMAL/1999/14).

30.	He spoke, in particular, about the international workshop on Implementation and Use of International Standards, organized in conjunction with that session and about the Workshop's conclusions, which had been adopted by the Working Party. The Committee agreed on the importance of the issues raised and endorsed the Workshop's conclusions, as found in annex I. The Committee also decided to recommend to the Commission that it request UN/ECE subsidiary bodies to implement the Workshop recommendation that calls for organizations engaged in international standard-setting activities to establish mechanisms for monitoring the extent to which their standards and recommendations are transposed into national standards and recommendations by members (in this case, by UN/ECE member States).

31.	Delegations expressed support for the activities of the Working Party in the area of technical harmonization and commended its work aimed at studying the progress of reforms in transition economies in standardization-related areas. The Committee further commended the Working Party on its successful cross- sectoral initiatives with working parties 5 and 7, UN/CEFACT and the Ad hoc Group of Experts on the Chemical Industry.

32.	The Committee noted the summary of decisions taken by the Working Party at its ninth session and approved the Working Party's proposal to establish an ad hoc team of specialists to examine the relationship between international standardization and regulations. The purpose of the team would be to examine the possibilities for reducing non-tariff barriers to trade within the region by limiting the content of related regulations to the essential requirements for meeting regulatory objectives and using cross references to international standards as the preferred means for setting out detailed requirements.

33.	The Committee welcomed close cooperation between the Working Party and private-sector companies and associations. The Committee also requested that the secretariat prepare a working document for consideration by the Committee's other subsidiary bodies on the possibilities of closer linkages between WP.6 and them.

6(b) Working Party on Standardization of Perishable Produce and Quality Development

.

Documentation:	TRADE/WP.7/1998/9	Report of the Fifty-Fourth Session of the Working Party on Standardization of Perishable Produce and Quality Development

TRADE/1999/3	Working Party on Standardization of Perishable Produce and Quality Development: Note by the secretariat

34.	The Vice-Chair of the Working Party on Standardization of Perishable Produce and Quality Development (WP.7), Mr. David Priester (United States), gave an overview of the results of its November 1998 session, as well as of the sessions of its specialized sections on early and ware potatoes and meat which had taken place since then. In addition, he reported on cooperation with the European Union and various international organizations (the OECD and the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission) and informed the Committee of the new Internet World Wide Web site created by the secretariat, which contains the texts of the standards, as well as information on meetings (http//www.unece.org/trade/agr/welcome.htm). The Committee then endorsed this report of the fifty-fourth session of the Working Party.

35.	The Chair of the Committee, Mr. Vilchez-Barros, who also serves as Chair of the Working Party, informed the Committee of the efforts being undertaken to promote UN/ECE commercial produce standards internationally to increase their use and avoid duplication which can occur when existing work is not known:

-	Spain would provide unofficial translations of UN/ECE standards into Spanish to promote their dissemination in Latin America.

-	The Working Party had been represented at an expert group meeting on agricultural standards organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). For this meeting, ESCWA had translated 25 UN/ECE standards into Arabic and these were currently being examined by Governments for adoption as ESCWA standards.

-	Contacts had also been established with the other United Nations regional commissions (for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia and the Pacific).

36.	The delegation of the European Community, speaking also on behalf of the 15 EU Member States, stated that the Community continued to place high priority on UN/ECE work on agricultural standards. The European Community further proposed that the Committee for Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development consider a possible transfer to the UN/ECE of the work being done by the OECD on interpretative brochures for UN/ECE standards. The delegation invited the secretariat to prepare a working document to define the modalities for undertaking this work, including a clear description of the costs (extra personnel, production of the brochures) and how these costs might be financed. This document should be prepared in time for discussion at the next session of the Specialized Section on Coordination of Standardization of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables from 25 to 28 October 1999 and for consequent consideration by the Working Party, which will meet from 3 to 5 November 1999. The delegation of the United States supported this request. The Committee then approved the request for this study.

37.	The Director of the Trade Division said that the secretariat would undertake the study requested but that it was of the highest importance to the UN/ECE not to jeopardize its excellent institutional relationship with the OECD. She then invited member States to keep the OECD and its secretariat informed of their requests to the UN/ECE, as well as of further developments. The delegation of the European Community noted that they had already, repeatedly, stated their opinion on this matter in OECD meetings and would continue to do so. The delegation of the United States said that they would keep the OECD secretariat informed on this issue.

Item 7 - Trade and investment promotion

7 (a) International contract practices in industry

Documentation:	TRADE/WP.5/1998/11	Report of the Forty-Seventh Session of the Working Party on International Contract Practices in Industry

TRADE/1999/4	International Contract Practices in Industry: Note by the secretariat

TRADE/1999/5	Final Paper on the Forum on Enforcing and Protecting Intellectual Property Rights in the Countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the CIS

TRADE/1999/6	Developing Partnerships between Governments and Enterprises for the Use of Intellectual Property Rights to Increase Investment

TRADE/1999/7	Revision of the European Convention on International Commercial Arbitration

TRADE/1999/20	Draft Mandate and Programme of Work: Advisory Group on the Protection and Implementation of Intellectual Property Rights for Promoting Investment

38.	Mr. David Winter (United Kingdom), Chairman of the Working Party on International Contract Practices in Industry (WP.5), reported on the previous session of the Working Party, including its Forum on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights in the Transition Economies of Central and Eastern Europe and the CIS (26 October 1998), and the activities of its sub-groups, the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Group and Real Estate Advisory Group (REAG)

39.	On behalf of the Working Party, the Chairman submitted the following specific proposals to the Committee for its approval:

(a) The adoption of a new name for WP.5 (Working Party on International Legal and Commercial Practice) and new terms of reference, as found in the annex to document TRADE/WP.5/1998/11;

(b) The establishment of an Advisory Group on the Protection and Implementation of Intellectual Property Rights for Promoting Investment;

(c) The creation of an expert advisory group to consider possible revisions to the European Convention on International Commercial Arbitration of 1961.

40.	He further informed the Committee that the Working Party would organize its next Forum on "Business Implications of New Trends in Competition Law, with reference to state subsidies" (provisional title). He announced that the Office for the Protection of Competition of the Czech Republic had agreed to host the meeting in Brno, Czech Republic, at the end of 1999.

41.	Many delegations expressed their strong support for the Working Party and its various sub-groups. With regard to the proposed Advisory Group on the Protection and Implementation of Intellectual Property Rights for Investment, the Committee welcomed the cooperation in this activity with WIPO, the WTO, the European Union and the International Chamber of Commerce. The Committee also welcomed cooperation with the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) regarding the proposed advisory group on international arbitration.

42.	The Committee approved all three of the above proposals, as well as the subject of the proposed Forum, and the holding of that Forum, together with the annual WP.5 meeting, in Brno. It also endorsed the report of the forty-seventh session of the Working Party (TRADE/WP.5/1998/11).

7 (b) Liaison with other organizations, and the organization of seminars and workshops

Documentation:	TRADE/1999/8	Liaison with other international organizations

TRADE/1999/19	Seminars and Workshops Related to the Work of the CTIED

43.	The Committee noted these documents for information. However, the delegation of the European Community pointed out that document TRADE/1999/8 could have better reflected the ongoing, multi-layered coordination and cooperation between the Committee, its secretariat and the European Commission.

Item 8 - Industry and enterprise development

8(a)	Cross-sectoral enterprise development activities

Documentation:	TRADE/1999/9	Enterprise Development in Transition Economies: A Compilation of Programmes of International Organizations

TRADE/1999/10	Strategic Directions for Enterprise Development

TRADE/1999/10/Add.1	Proposed Activities in Enterprise Development

TRADE/1999/10/Add.2	Proposed Activities in Enterprise Development: Draft Activity Outlines

44.	The Vice Chair, Mr. Fehér introduced the proposed framework for work in cross-sectoral enterprise development as set out in documents TRADE/1999/10, TRADE/1999/10/Add.1 and TRADE/1999/10/Add.2. These had been prepared in full consultation with the member countries, for adoption by the Committee. The strategic directions take into account the information found in document TRADE/1999/9, "Compilation on enterprise development programmes of international organizations", which had been requested by the Committee at its second session in June 1998. This last document was noted by the Committee.

45.	One delegation raised the question of whether this Committee was the appropriate venue for consideration of the environmental aspects of the chemical industry. They also raised the question of the omission of the concept of competition from the framework document (TRADE/1999/10) on the Strategic Directions for Enterprise Development.

46.	After discussion, the Committee adopted the framework for the programme of work on enterprise development (TRADE/1999/10) and decided to maintain the present structure of supervision whereby the Committee itself directly supervises the work on enterprise development.

47.	The Committee then requested that the programme be implemented according to the views and needs expressed by the Committee and within the limits of the existing budgetary and personnel resources. It then mandated the Bureau to make the decisions necessary to implement the programme with assistance from the secretariat, bearing in mind both the relevance of the Round Table on "Electronic Commerce and its Implications for International Trade in the ECE Region", which the Committee wished to have organized immediately prior to its session in June 2000, and the need to integrate the Internet Business Development project in the framework of the Round Table.

48.	The Committee also noted a proposal from Kazakhstan for a programme on Internet Enterprise Development. This proposal was to be considered by the Bureau in the context of implementation of the overall programme on cross-sectoral enterprise development.

8(b) Development of small and medium-sized enterprises

Documentation:	TRADE/1999/11 Report on SME Promotion in Countries in Transition by the
Regional Adviser on Entrepreneurship and SMEs

49.	The Regional Adviser presented the work that the UN/ECE is carrying out in the area of promoting small and medium-sized enterprises. The Committee noted this information.

8(c) Enterprise development activities with an emphasis on the chemical industry

Documentation:	TRADE/CHEM/GE.1/1999/7	Report of the Second Session of the Ad hoc Group of Experts on the Chemical Industry

50.	The Committee endorsed the report of the second session of the Ad hoc Group of Experts on the Chemical Industry.

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

Documentation:	TRADE/STEEL/GE.1/1999/6	Report of the Second Session of the Ad hoc Group of Experts on Steel

51.	The Committee endorsed the report of the second session of the Ad hoc Group of Experts on Steel.

Item 9 - Cooperation with the business community

Documentation: TRADE/1999/12 Cooperation with the Business Community

52.	The Committee noted document TRADE/1999/12 and endorsed a broad set of principles governing relations with the business community, as spelled out in paragraph 38 of that document. It further requested that the Bureau take those principles and develop them further, taking into consideration any guidance provided by the Commission and the General Assembly.

Item 10 - Extrabudgetary activities in support of the work programme

Documentation:	TRADE/1999/13 Extrabudgetary Activities in Support of the Work

Programme

53.	The secretariat presented a report on the extrabudgetary activities implemented by the secretariat during the last year. In particular, it reported on the extrabudgetary activity "Capacity building to improve trade finance and investment prospects for the Russian timber sector". It was noted that the lessons learned, as well as many of the outputs from this activity, could be transferred to and used in other sectors. The Committee expressed appreciation for the excellent work being done and strongly welcomed the involvement of the private sector in the project. The delegation the United Kingdom offered assistance in providing wider publicity to encourage still further private-sector participation, in particular for the forthcoming congress to be held, as part of this activity, in St. Petersburg.

54.	The delegation of the Russian Federation expressed satisfaction with the work accomplished under this activity. In the light of comments made during the Committee's Round Table on 7 June, which reflected needs in a large number of transition economies, the delegation also suggested that food processing was another sector where such an extrabudgetary activity could be very beneficial.

55.	The Committee noted the information in this report.

Item 11 - Regional advisory activities

Documentation:	TRADE/1999/14 Regional Advisory Activities

ECE/TRADE/INFORMAL/1999/17	Proposed establishment of a roster of Associate
Advisers to supplement ECE Regional Advisory	Services

56.	The regional advisers for trade facilitation and trade and investment promotion reported on their activities since the last session of the Committee, as recorded in document TRADE/1999/14, as well as on their activities since the publication of that document. The Committee noted both the written and oral reports.

57.	In their oral reports, the regional advisers referred to the growing demand being placed on their services. In this regard, the Regional Adviser for Trade Facilitation proposed, as a pilot project, the establishment of a roster of experts for UN/ECE's Regional Advisory Activities.

58.	The Committee approved this proposal, as found in annex II to this report, and invited Governments to nominate their experts by submitting their curricula vitae to the Secretary of the Committee, whose contact details can be found at the end of this report.

59.	The Committee expressed appreciation for the excellent results achieved by the regional advisers and strongly recommended that their work should continue.

Item 12 - Activities of the Commission's other principal subsidiary bodies

Documentation: TRADE/1999/15 Activities of the Commission's other Principal

Subsidiary Bodies Related to the Work of the

Commission

60. The Committee took note of the information in this report.

Item 13 - Mainstreaming of gender issues

Documentation: TRADE/1999/16 Mainstreaming of Gender Issues

61.	A representative of the secretariat informed the Committee that "gender mainstreaming" was the consideration of gender aspects in all relevant areas of the United Nations work programme. She then introduced document TRADE/1999/16 and, in particular, the guidelines therein for evaluating the possible gender aspects of work programme activities in trade, industry and enterprise development. The Committee then requested that all of its subsidiary bodies take these guidelines into account, particularly when proposing studies, seminars or workshops. In addition, the Committee approved the proposal in this document for encouraging more participation in the work of the Committee and its subsidiary bodies by trade-related non- governmental organizations for women in the UN/ECE region.

62.	The secretariat then informed the Committee that the Headquarters of the United Nations was organizing for the year 2000 a follow-up conference to the United Nations' Fourth World Conference on Women which had taken place in Beijing in 1995 and that the UN/ECE might receive requests for work on trade-related issues for this conference.

Item 14 - Programme of work, 1999-2001

Documentation: TRADE/1999/17 Draft Two-Year Programme of Work for June 1999 -

June 2001

63.	The Committee adopted the programme of work for 1999-2001, as set out in document TRADE/1999/17, taking into account the decisions taken during the Committee session, secretariat resources and the desirability of seeking extrabudgetary contributions.

64.	The Bureau informed the Committee that it had been told by the Chairman of the Commission's Group of Experts on the Programme of Work that it would not be necessary to review the priorities for the programme of work, which the Committee had agreed in 1998, until the Committee's session in 2000.

Item 15 - Other business

Documentation:	TRADE/1999/21	Review of Recurrent Publications

TRADE/INFORMAL/1999/1	Trade Finance in Transition Economies: Status and Future Activities

TRADE/INFORMAL/1999/8	Trade Division Organigram

TRADE/INFORMAL/1999/9	Proposals from the Secretariat for Improving Awareness and Promotion of the Committee's work

65.	The secretariat introduced document TRADE/1999/21, explaining that the General Assembly had requested the separate approval of all recurrent publications in the programme of work. The Committee then approved all of the recurrent publications listed in TRADE/1999/21.

66.	The Committee noted documents TRADE/INFORMAL/1999/1 and TRADE/INFORMAL/1999/9 as being for information.

67.	The Committee welcomed the publication of the Trade Investment Guide 1, Trade Finance in Transition Economies - Practical Ways to Support Exports and Imports. This publication represented, in the Committee's view, an excellent example of cooperation with the private sector.

68.	The secretariat then introduced TRADE/INFORMAL/1999/9, explaining that the proposals found in this document had been developed to make the work of the Committee more effective by: increasing the awareness of its recommendations, norms and standards at the national level by both the public and the private sector, improving communications with delegations, and creating a more coherent and strategic message with regard to the objectives of the Committee.

69.	The Committee then approved the following:

•	Establishment of a network of "multiplier points" that would receive regular information on the Committee's work and would be encouraged to distribute this at a national level

•	Development of the Internet World Wide Web site for the Committee and the posting on this site of information on the Committee's work as well as all official documents as soon as they are available in the source language

•	Outreach to non-governmental organizations and, in particular, industry associations to encourage their participation and make them aware of the Committee's work.

70.	The Committee also urged all heads of delegation to supply the secretariat with an e-mail address where they can be reached. It also mandated the Bureau, assisted by the secretariat, to develop a clear message as to the role and strategic direction of the Committee for consideration by the Committee at its next session.

71.	The Committee then agreed to hold its next session from 19 to 22 June 2000, devoting 19 June to a round table on "Electronic Commerce and its Implications for International Trade in the UN/ECE Region". Two topics had been considered. However, it was felt that the second topic, "Integrating Transition Economies in the European Economy: Lessons Learned Over the Last 10 Years", was more appropriate for the next annual session of the Economic Commission for Europe.

Document submission deadlines:

72.	The secretariat then informed delegations of the following deadlines for document submission for the next session. Delegations were requested to submit any documents in electronic format in order to facilitate their being made available via the Internet World Wide Web.

For issuance as an	Issuance as an official	Reproduction

official document	document in the source	as an informal

with translation	language only	document

3 April 2000	2 May 2000	5 June 2000

Contacts and additional information

The fax number and mailing address for the contacts listed below is:

Trade Division

UN/ECE

Palais des Nations

CH-1211 Geneva 10

Switzerland

Fax: +41 22 917 0037

For matters related to the Committee for Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development, please contact the Secretary of the Committee:

Ms. Virginia Cram-Martos

E-mail: virginia.cram-martos@unece.org

For matters related to the United Nations Centre for the Facilitation of Procedures and Practices for Administration, Commerce and Transport (UN/CEFACT), please contact:

Mr. Hans A. Hansell

E-mail: hans.hansell@unece.org

For matters related to the Working Party on International Legal and Commercial Practice, please contact:

Mr. Geoffrey Hamilton

E-mail: geoffrey.hamilton@unece.org

For matters related to the Working Party on Technical Harmonization and Standardization Policies, please contact:

Mr. Serguei Kouzmine

E-mail: serguei.kouzmine@unece.org

For matters related to the Working Party on Standardization of Perishable Produce and Quality Development, please contact:

Mr. Tom Heilandt

E-mail: tom.heilandt@unece.org

For matters related to Enterprise Development and the Ad hoc Group of Experts on Steel, please contact:

Mr. Bernard Roux-Fouillet

E-mail: bernard.roux-fouillet@unece.org

For matters related to the Ad hoc Group of Experts on the Chemical Industry, please contact:

Mr. Howard Hornfeld

E-mail: howard.hornfeld@unece.org

Other information

73.	For constantly updated information on the work of the Committee and its subsidiary bodies, delegations can refer to the following Internet World Wide Web address: http://www.unece.org/trade

Item 16 - Adoption of the report

74.	The Committee adopted its report on 10 June 1999.

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Annex I

Working Party on Technical Harmonization and Standardization Policies

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP

ON IMPLEMENTATION AND USE OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

(Geneva, 18 May 1999)

Conclusions of the Workshop

Participants in the Workshop,

Recognizing:

That the implementation and use of international standards constitutes a vital element in the provisions of international agreements (such as those of the World Trade Organization/Technical Barriers to Trade) and UN/ECE recommendations on standardization policies aimed at the prevention and elimination of technical barriers to trade and facilitation of the international exchange of goods and services

A)	Have agreed that some issues which require further consideration are:

1.	Although national regulatory authorities and business operators seem to have a high awareness of existing international standards and approaches to conformity assessment procedures, their potential has not been fully realized at a national level or in international trade.

2.	It is necessary to bring to the attention of Governments and international and regional standardizing organizations the fact that existing divergences between international and regional and/or national standards and regulations often do not have a significant influence on the health, safety and other vital characteristics of a product, but that such divergences could constitute obstacles to trade.

3.	International and regional standards bodies, with their current work capacities, do not seem to be able to meet all the standardization needs of industry. One solution to meet this challenge lies in a further development of cooperative mechanisms between these standards bodies (International Electrotechnical Commission, International Organization for Standardization, International Telecommunication Union) and business operators.

4.	Transparency with regard to the transposition of international standards into regional and national standards is considered a minimum and essential condition to promote international trade and cooperation.

5.	Owing to the cooperative agreements between ISO-CEN (Vienna Agreement) and IEC-CENELEC (Dresden Agreement) approximately 40 and 65%, respectively, of the standards portfolio of these organizations represent identical standards. These standards are subject to obligatory transposition by the national standards bodies in CEN and CENELEC whereas the same obligation for national transposition does not exist for the other national member bodies in ISO and the IEC. It was felt that further commitment to implement the results of international standardization should be considered by the standards bodies concerned.

6.	Participants from industry expressed their view that facilitation of conformity assessment procedures should be aimed at creating a global approval system based on fair and simple rules which should also be suitable for companies from developing and transition economies. They also thought that a balanced approach to certification requirements should be taken and, whenever appropriate, suppliers' declarations of conformity, without mandatory third party assessment, should be accepted. Similarly, they felt that the promotion and use of voluntary management system standards (such as ISO 9000) should correspond to true market needs.

B)	In the light of the above issues, they further suggested that:

1.	International standardizing organizations should be encouraged to reinforce and apply mechanisms applicable to their members in relation to transposition as well as transparency in the transposition of their standards.

2.	One possibility would be for national organizations that are members of international and regional standardizing organizations and vote for the adoption of concrete standards or recommendations to consider the possibility of taking on obligations for the provision of information about whether (or to what extent) these adopted standards etc. are transposed and used in their countries. Such obligations would show the level of commitment of national organizations and their members to the transposition and use of international standards, etc. as a tool for facilitating international trade.

3.	Furthermore, international standardizing organizations should be encouraged to gather information through regular surveys or other mechanisms and report on the national implementation of standards (and other deliverables) as well as on any information they possess about the impact of those standards etc. on international trade.

4.	As a framework for technical harmonization at the global level, technical regulations should, in general, be limited to the essential requirements needed to meet regulatory objectives. As a complement to these regulations, the preferred means for setting out detailed requirements should be recognized international standards.

5.	International standardizing organizations should continue and accelerate their efforts to increase the speed of standards creation.

Annex II

ESTABLISMENT OF A ROSTER OF EXPERTS FOR

ECE REGIONAL ADVISORY ACTIVITIES

Background

The principal function of the Regional Advisory Services programme of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) is to provide member Governments with advice of a broad nature in order to promote their capacity and institution building to facilitate their transition into a market economy and their integration with the European and global economy. UN/ECE currently has seven regional advisers, including two in the Trade Division.

While Member States have expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the programme of Regional Advisory Services, there are limits to what the seven advisors can accomplish. There is no expectation that the number of advisors will be increased during the next biennium.

Action

As a pilot project of the Trade Division, countries participating in the Committee for Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development are invited to submit the names of experts who would be prepared to participate in one or two Regional Advisory missions, together with one of the Trade Division's regional advisers. A mission typically lasts five days, including preparation, field work and reporting.

Countries that are able to do so would be expected to cover the travel and subsistence costs of their Expert as a contribution in kind to the UN/ECE Trust Fund for Countries in Transition. A special effort will also be made to obtain additional financial resources for the Trust Fund that would enable experts from countries unable to cover their travel costs to have the opportunity to participate. Guidelines will be developed for the selection of experts whose travel costs will be covered.

The assignments would be discussed and agreed in advance and there is no obligation to participate. If this pilot project is successful, this approach could be recommended to the UN/ECE as a means to increase the effectiveness of its Regional Advisory Services.

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