Regional economic and social activities 923 Chapter V ...

Regional economic and social activities 923

Chapter V

Regional economic and social activities

In 2000, the five regional commissions continuedto provide technical cooperation, including advi-sory services, to their member States, promoteprogrammes and projects, and provide trainingto enhance national capacity-building in varioussectors. Three of them held regular sessions dur-ing the year: the Economic Commission forEurope (ECE), the Economic and Social Commis-sion for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Eco-nomic Commission for Latin America and theCaribbean (ECLAC). The Economic Commissionfor Africa (ECA) and the Economic and SocialCommission for Western Asia (ESCWA) did notmeet in 2000; both were scheduled to meet inMay 2001. The regional commissions organizedfollow-up activities to the UN conferences andsummits held in the 1990s and held regionalmeetings in preparation for the General Assem-bly's special sessions on women and on social de-velopment, as well as for future internationalconferences.

In December, the Assembly invited the UnitedNations Conference on Trade and Developmentto elaborate a programme for improving the effi-ciency of the transit environment of the newly in-dependent and developing landlocked States inCentral Asia and their transit developing neigh-bours. The Economic and Social Council estab-lished the Statistical Conference of the Americasof ECLAC, proclaimed the years 2000-2009 as theDecade of Greater Mekong Subregion Develop-ment Cooperation, and endorsed the Delhi Dec-laration on Space Technology Applications inAsia and the Pacific for Improved Quality of Lifein the New Millennium and the Strategy and Ac-tion Plan on Space Technology Applications forSustainable Development in Asia and the Pacificfor the New Millennium. It also amended theterms of reference of ESCAP to include and admitGeorgia as a member.

Regional cooperation

Efforts continued in 2000 to further strengthenthe regional commissions to achieve greatereffectiveness and efficiency.

On 4 February (decision 2000/207), the Eco-nomic and Social Council decided that the themeat its 2000 substantive session for the item on re-gional cooperation would be "Follow-up to majorUnited Nations conferences and summits: ex-change of regional experiences".

Meetings of executive secretaries. The execu-tive secretaries of the regional commissions meton 13 and 14 February in Bangkok, Thailand,and on 10 and 11 May, 24 July and 17 October inNew York.

At their February meeting, they consideredglobalization, regionalism and developmentwithin the context of their participation in thetenth session of the United Nations Conferenceon Trade and Development (UNCTAD) (seep. 890). They considered regionalism as a step to-wards preparing countries and enterprises toface the challenges and risks of globalization andas an alternative for countries that perceived un-fairness and asymmetries in the globalizationprogramme promoted by the more developedcountries. They were unanimous in underliningthose asymmetries and the risk that they posedfor development. They also discussed the rela-tionship between the regional commissions andthe Economic and Social Council, as well as waysto strengthen their contributions to the Council'spolicy review. The executive secretaries wel-comed new modalities linking the commissions'activities with other UN entities in line withCouncil resolution 1998/46 [YUN 1998, p. 1262] onthe commissions' dual role, but felt that there wasadditional scope for substantive interaction be-tween the regional commissions and the Councilat the intergovernmental level. In that regard,they suggested that the Secretary-General's re-port on regional cooperation focus more on pol-icy issues at the regional level, including inter-governmental perspectives. The report shouldconcentrate on new developments and signifi-cant initiatives undertaken, highlighting analyti-cally the commissions' response to global man-dates and other major issues of which the UnitedNations was seized. It would continue to updatethe Council on developments in interregionaland inter-agency cooperation in response to re-gional priorities and draw the Council's attentionto any significant initiatives undertaken with re-gional partners.

924 Economic and social questions

By decision 2000/226 of 25 July, the Councilendorsed those recommendations.

Review and reform ofthe regional commissions

Reports of Secretary-General. In a May report[E/2000/10], the Secretary-General outlined stepstaken by the regional commissions to implementthe guidance given in Council resolution1998/46 with respect to their dual role as UNoutposts and the regional expression of the Or-ganization. The report also discussed regionaltrends and activities, interregional cooperation,further measures undertaken by the commis-sions to achieve greater effectiveness and effi-ciency and the report of the executive secretaries(see p. 923).

In an addendum to his report [E/2000/10/Add.1],the Secretary-General reviewed cooperation be-tween the regional commissions and other re-gional bodies in their respective regions. A sec-ond addendum examined the work of theregional commissions in normative and opera-tional activities [E/2000/10/Add.2]. In a third adden-dum [E/2000/10/Add.3], the Secretary-General sub-mitted the resolutions and decisions adopted atrecent sessions of the regional commissions call-ing for action by the Council.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ACTION

By decision 2000/222 of 16 June, the Eco-nomic and Social Council agreed to circulate asofficial documents the reports of the regionalcommissions' meetings on the theme of theCouncil's high-level segment—"Development andinternational cooperation in the twenty-first cen-tury: the role of information technology in thecontext of a knowledge-based global economy"(see p. 799).

By decision 2000/226 of 25 July, the Counciltook note of the Secretary-General's reports onregional cooperation (see above) and the summa-ries of the economic and social situation in Af-rica, 1999 [E/2000/12]; the economic survey ofEurope, 1999 [E/2000/11]; the economic survey ofLatin America and the Caribbean, 1999 [E/2000/14]; the economic and social survey of Asia andthe Pacific, 2000 [E/2000/13]; and the survey ofeconomic and social developments in the ESCWAregion, 1999-2000 [E/2000/15].

The Council also adopted resolutions onamendment of the terms of reference of ESCAP toinclude Georgia in the geographical scope ofthe Commission and to admit it as a member(2000/4); the Decade of Greater Mekong Sub-region Development Cooperation, 2000-2009(2000/5); regional cooperation on space applica-tions for sustainable development in Asia and the

Pacific (2000/6); the establishment of the Statis-tical Conference of the Americas of ECLAC(2000/7); and the place and date of ECLAC'stwenty-ninth session (2000/8).

(The summaries of the surveys and the resolu-tions are covered in the relevant sections of thischapter.)

The General Assembly, in resolution 54/257of 7 April, took note of the report of the Office ofInternal Oversight Services on the audits of theregional commissions [YUN 1998, p. 918].

Africa

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)did not hold a regular session in 2000. Thethirty-fourth session of the Commission/twenty-fifth meeting of the Conference of Minis-ters/ninth session of the Conference of AfricanMinisters of Finance was scheduled to be held inAlgiers, Algeria, from 8 to 10 May 2001.

The eighth session of the Conference of Afri-can Ministers of Finance was held in AddisAbaba, Ethiopia, on 21 and 22 November 2000 toprepare African countries for the high-level in-ternational intergovernmental event on financ-ing for development (see p. 915), to be held in2002, and the Third United Nations Conferenceon the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) (seep. 808), to be held in 2001. The Conferenceadopted a resolution on the New Global Compactwith Africa proposed by the ECA Executive Secre-tary, by which donor countries would invest re-sources through aid, debt relief and market ac-cess, while the African countries in turn wouldintensify political and economic reforms. TheConference also adopted statements on thehigh-level event on financing for developmentand on the Third Conference on LDCs (seep. 926).

The Conference of African Ministers of Fi-nance was preceded by the Regional ConsultativeMeeting on Financing for Development in theAfrican Region and Preparatory Meeting for theThird United Nations Conference on the LeastDeveloped Countries (Addis Ababa, 15-17 No-vember) [A/AC.257/14].

A meeting of the Ministerial Follow-up Com-mittee of the Conference of Ministers responsi-ble for economic and social development andplanning (Abuja, Nigeria, 4-5 May) recom-mended that the pledging conference for the UNTrust Fund for African Development should takeplace in Addis Ababa to coincide with ECA's bien-


nial session, starting in 2001, and endorsed theECA medium-term plan 2002-2005.

An expert group meeting on Africa's develop-ment strategies was also held (Addis Ababa, 22-24March), which took stock of the important as-pects of the region's development agenda, eco-nomic reforms and policy, inequality, poverty,human and physical capital development, gov-ernance, conflicts and institutions, as well asstructural transformation and industrial policy,and resource mobilization, savings and invest-ment [ECA/ESPD/AD-HOC/EXP/04/2000].

Communications. On 3 February [S/2000/91],Mali transmitted the text of the Bamako Declara-tion on the acceleration of the integration pro-cess in West Africa, adopted by the ministerialmeeting of the Economic Community of WestAfrican States (ECOWAS) and the West AfricanEconomic and Monetary Union (Bamako, 28-29 January).

On 27 April [A/54/855-E/2000/44], Algeria,Egypt and Portugal transmitted to the Secretary-General the Cairo Declaration and the Cairo Planof Action adopted by the Africa-Europe Summit(Cairo, Egypt, 3-4 April), held under the aegis ofthe Organization of African Unity (OAU) and theEuropean Union (EU).

On 16 December [S/2000/1201], Mali trans-mitted the final communique of the twenty-fourth session of the Authority of Heads of Stateand Government of ECOWAS (Bamako, 15-16 De-cember).

Economic and social trends

Economic trendsAfrica's economy grew at an estimated 3.5 per

cent in 2000, compared with the 1999 figure of3.2 per cent, according to the ECA summary ofthe economic and social situation in Africa[E/2001/13]. In sharp contrast to the experience inrecent years, only one country (Zimbabwe)posted negative growth and no economy grew at arate less than 1 per cent. In 21 countries, thegrowth rates ranged between 1 and 2.9 per cent,another 15 countries managed to grow within therange of 3 to 4.9 per cent and nine countries hadgrowth rates between 5 and 6.9 per cent. How-ever, only two countries (Equatorial Guinea, Lib-yan Arab Jamahiriya), as opposed to five in 1999,grew at or higher than 7 per cent in 2000. Growthin sub-Saharan Africa was relatively modest, in-creasing from 3 to 3.1 per cent.

At the subregional level, growth declined inEast Africa from 4.1 to 3 per cent, with Ethiopiaachieving the highest growth rate, 5 per cent,while the lowest, 1 per cent, was recorded in Bu-

rundi, the Comoros and Kenya. Likewise, growthin West Africa declined from a robust 3.7 per centin 1999 to 2.8 per cent in 2000, mainly on accountof the slowdown in Ghana and the below-averageperformance in Côte d'Ivoire. In contrast, NorthAfrica boosted its growth from 2.6 per cent to 4.1per cent and Southern Africa's growth doubledto 3 per cent, mainly due to the strong resurgenceof the South African economy. Economic per-formance also improved in Central Africa, withgrowth increasing from 4 per cent to 4.5 per cent.The five largest economies in Africa (Algeria,Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa) posted agrowth rate of 3.2 per cent in 2000, compared to2.8 per cent in 1999, while the 11 oil-exportingcountries managed to push their growth to 4.4per cent from 3.8 per cent in 1999 because ofhigher oil revenue. The African LDCs saw theirgrowth shrink from 4.5 per cent in 1999 to 3.5 percent in 2000, while the 15 landlocked countrieswere the hardest hit, with growth declining from4.9 to 2.9 per cent.

At the sectoral level, there was significant re-covery in agriculture, which registered a 3.6 percent growth compared to 2.1 per cent in 1999. De-spite that improvement, the region remained farshort of satisfying its food needs. The industrialsector also showed a positive trend, particularlyin the oil-exporting and North African countries,growing by 3.4 per cent compared to 2.8 per centin 1999. The service sector continued its buoyantgrowth, with a 1-percentage-point increase toreach 4 per cent. Inflation measured 11 per cent,exceeding the 1999 level by 1 percentage point.Export volume increased by 8 per cent, while im-port volume rose by 5 per cent. The balance oftrade registered export earnings of $131 billionduring the year, 30 per cent higher than 1999.The value of imports was estimated at $117 bil-lion. The balance on current account of the non-oil-exporting countries, however, further dete-riorated. The trade balance was in deficit by $23billion and the current account by $48 billion.External resource flows rose from $22 billion in1999 to $23 billion in 2000. Foreign direct invest-ment (FDI) amounted to about $6 billion, whiletransfers reached $8 billion. The volume of debtdeclined to $342 billion, compared to $359 bil-lion in 1999, while debt servicing increased from$39.4 billion in 1999 to $43.4 billion in 2000.

Social trendsAccording to the summary of economic and

social conditions in Africa, despite the slight pro-gress worldwide in poverty reduction, the conti-nent had the largest share of people living on lessthan $ 1 a day. The average income of the region'spoor as a whole was only 83 cents per person per


day. Africa also had the worst income distribu-tion, with a Gini coefficient (measure of incomeequality) of 51 per cent. The mean share of thetop 20 per cent of the population was about 48per cent, an excess of 28 points.

The health status of the continent declined,largely due to the ravages of the HIV/AIDS epi-demic. Some 25 million people, including morethan 1 million children, were living with the dis-ease, and at least 5 million people were newly in-fected with the virus in 2000. There were indica-tions that the epidemic had spread out of controlin Africa, where over 20 countries had a preva-lence rate of 7 to 10 per cent or more. It was esti-mated that deaths due to HIV/AIDS in Africawould soon surpass 21 million.

Africa also faced the critical challenge of re-ducing widespread poverty while conserving therich biodiversity and reducing environmentaldegradation. The quality and capacity of the soilto support productive agriculture were critical tosustainable development. Africa, however, wasthe victim of both endogenous and exogenousfactors of environmental degradation, and, sinceagriculture would continue to play a leading rolein generating incomes, providing food and in-dustrial inputs and producing the bulk of ex-ports, any credible attempt to reduce poverty,conserve biodiversity and reduce environmentaldegradation needed to focus on that sector.Moreover, Africa's population growth rate ofabout 3 per cent per annum was greater than theincrease in food production of 2.5 per cent perannum, which called for new ways of improvingand sustaining food production to move in tan-dem with the population growth rate.

Activities in 2000ECA's activities in 2000 were undertaken

through the following subprogrammes: facilitat-ing economic and social policy analysis; ensuringfood security and sustainable development;strengthening development management; har-nessing information technology for develop-ment; promoting regional cooperation and inte-gration; promoting the advancement of women;and promoting subregional activities for devel-opment.

Development policy andregional economic cooperation

African recovery and developmentIn 2000, ECA continued to monitor implemen-

tation of the United Nations New Agenda for theDevelopment of Africa in the 1990s, adopted bythe General Assembly in resolution 46/151] [YUN

1991, p. 402], and the United Nations System-wideSpecial Initiative on Africa, launched in 1996[YUN 1996, p. 832] (see pp. 874 and 877, respectively).Activities undertaken in support of the NewAgenda included follow-up conferences to re-view progress made in poverty reduction, em-ployment generation and achieving social sectorobjectives in education, health and good govern-ance. ECA helped African countries prepare forthe Assembly's special session on the World Sum-mit for Social Development (see p. 1012). In thecontext of capacity-building in Africa, ECA or-ganized a regional conference (Addis Ababa,February), which examined the causes, trends,extent and implications of the brain-drain phe-nomenon for Africa's development and maderecommendations for reversing it. In two follow-up meetings (Geneva, June; Dakar, Senegal, Oc-tober), a draft programme document was final-ized on the partnership for brain-drain reversaland capacity-building in Africa. Ad hoc experts'group meetings were held to review an ECA secre-tariat report on HIV/AIDS and education in East-ern and Southern Africa (Entebbe, Uganda, Sep-tember), and to examine major trends in publicsector policy reforms, identify impediments totheir effective implementation and make recom-mendations for further reforms (Niamey, Niger,May). Other meetings organized by the secre-tariat included an expert group meeting in Aprilon the development implications of civil conflictsin Africa, and a high-level seminar in Novemberon external trade promotion and monitoringtools in Central Africa.

Other ECA activities in support of the NewAgenda focused on building capacity throughtechnical assistance to regional economic group-ings. A major effort was launched to assess the con-tinent's integration performance and to informpolicy makers of the results to help them set policy.ECA facilitated consensus-building around com-mon African positions in global negotiations andfacilitated policy consensus in such key sectors astransportation and civil aviation.

In connection with the System-wide SpecialInitiative, the second regional consultation ofUN agencies working in Africa (Addis Ababa,26-27 June) reviewed activities and discussedwork plans in the five priority areas of the Initia-tive (education, health, water, governance and in-formation technology). It agreed to convene clus-ter meetings in those areas to refocus objectivesthrough the collaborative action of the UN sys-tem and to set benchmarks to assess progress.

Third UN Conference on LDCs (2001)As part of the preparation for the Third

United Nations Conference on the Least Devel-


oped Countries, to be held in 2001 (see p. 808),the Conference of African Ministers of Finance(see p. 924) adopted a statement on the Confer-ence, which called for a new approach to interna-tional development cooperation in support ofthe development of African LDCs. It noted thatwith 34 of the world's 49 LDCs in Africa, urgentaction was required to avoid further marginaliza-tion of those countries in a globalizing worldeconomy. The statement called for special meas-ures to help the African LDCs in trade, financeand development and urged Africa's develop-ment partners to increase official developmentassistance and FDI, and to enhance the HeavilyIndebted Poor Countries Initiative to benefit allAfrican LDCs [YUN 1997, p. 950].

ECA and UNCTAD collaborated in organizingsubregional preparatory meetings for anglo-phone and francophone African countries (Ad-dis Ababa, 27-29 March, and Niamey, 18-20April, respectively), in response to General As-sembly resolution 54/235 [YUN 1999, p. 770].

Information technologyECA carried out programmes to raise aware-

ness about the importance of the information so-ciety and on the utilization of information andcommunication technology (ICT) to enhance thecompetitiveness of African economies. Its secre-tariat implemented activities in statistics, ICT,geoinformation and library services.

ECA organized an ad hoc expert group meeting(Addis Ababa, 6-10 November) to review a studyon geoinformation, so as to raise awareness of theimportance of geographic information in socio-economic development and identify mechanismsto facilitate spatial data collection, access and use.

The Commission provided technical supportfor building national capacity in ICT, includingthe elaboration of a medium-term programme inthe Democratic Republic of the Congo, a statisti-cal master plan in Mauritania, the design of a sec-toral statistical information system in Rwandaand an integrated information system in Leso-tho. ECA also helped the Port Management Asso-ciation for Eastern and Southern Africa in sur-veying the statistical systems in ports, as well as inorganizing an expert meeting on port statistics(Mombasa, Kenya, June). It assisted several coun-tries to develop their national information andcommunication infrastructure policies andplans, and the Regional Centre for Mapping ofResources for Development in Nairobi, Kenya, inrestructuring its programme. Among othercapacity-building activities undertaken were aworkshop on international, economic and socialclassifications (Addis Ababa, December) and

training workshops for francophone Africancountries on the implementation of the 1993 Sys-tem of National Accounts (Addis Ababa, 20-24March) and for anglophone African countrieson household sector accounts (Addis Ababa,20-24 November). A meeting of the Task Force ofthe Committee on African Statistical Develop-ment with consultants on the evaluation of theAddis Ababa Plan of Action for Statistical Devel-opment in Africa in the 1990s [YUN 1991, p. 304] metin Addis Ababa (6-10 March). The tenth meetingof the Coordinating Committee on African Sta-tistical Development was also held in AddisAbaba (30 October-3 November).

The Scan-ICT project for building support fora phased development of a comprehensive Afri-can capacity for the collection and managementof key information to support the growing invest-ment in ICTs, as well as Africa's transition to aninformation society, was launched. An inauguralScan-ICT methodology and work-plan workshopwas held in November in Addis Ababa and a fi-nancing agreement signed between ECA and theEU.

Transportation and communicationsECA's secretariat carried out a number of pro-

grammes to promote the development of trans-portation and communications, including stud-ies on the impact of improved rural transport onwomen, needs assessment for the modernizationof rail track rolling stocks and telecommunica-tions and signalling equipment in West and Cen-tral Africa. Other projects included a frameworkreport for the development and implementationof transit agreements, privatization of ports andrailways in selected African countries and a studyassessing progress in the implementation of theYamoussoukro Declaration on a new air trans-port policy [YUN 1988, p. 273]. The first meeting ofthe monitoring body of that Declaration, held inNovember, prepared guidelines for the Declara-tion's implementation. Evaluation continued ofprogress in the implementation of the pro-gramme for the Second Transport and Commu-nications Decade in Africa, adopted by the Eco-nomic and Social Council in resolution 1991/83[YUN 1991, p. 301]. The ECA secretariat organized anad hoc expert group meeting on private sectorparticipation in infrastructure development inAfrica (Lusaka, Zambia, May) and a seminar ontransport facilitation for Eastern Africa (Mom-basa, Kenya, November).

Europe-Africa permanent linkThe ECA and ECE Executive Secretaries, in

their report on a Europe-Africa permanent link


through the Strait of Gibraltar [E/2001/19], sub-mitted by the Secretary-General pursuant to Eco-nomic and Social Council resolution 1999/37[YUN 1999, p. 918], stated that the Norskald 98/99survey had demonstrated the need for surveys in-volving deeper drilling. Since one of the most im-portant elements was the technological approachto the drilling system, two approaches were pro-posed in that regard. It was decided to postponecontinuation of the investigations until a com-parative independent study of drilling tech-niques had determined the most suitable tech-nique for the surveys. The study, entitled"Evaluation of technological approaches to off-shore geological coring in the Strait of Gibral-tar", was conducted by a maritime classificationsociety.

Activities in 2000 included a technical work-shop on deep drilling in the Strait of Gibraltar(Rabat, Morocco, 9-10 March).

Energy and natural resourcesECA carried out several activities to strengthen

regional and subregional cooperation in the de-velopment of mineral and energy resources. Itorganized an ad hoc expert group meeting on thesubject (Douala, Cameroon, December). Severalstudies were prepared to define the role andframework for government/private sector parti-cipation in the minerals and energy sector in Af-rica. A paper on mineral resources developmentand alleviation of poverty in Africa was also pre-pared for a special conference of African Minis-ters of Energy and Mining (Ouagadougou, Bur-kina Faso, December).

Food security and sustainable developmentECA's work in ensuring food security and sus-

tainable development was aimed at promotingbetter understanding and management of theinterrelationships between food security, popula-tion and environmental sustainability. Its FoodSecurity and Sustainable Development Divisionpromoted environmentally sustainable develop-ment, including the development and utilizationof modern science and technology for food secu-rity.

The Division, in collaboration with the UnitedNations Centre for Human Settlements, organ-ized an African ministerial conference (AddisAbaba, 6-8 November) to review progress in theimplementation of the Habitat Agenda, adoptedat the 1996 United Nations Conference on Hu-man Settlements [YUN 1996, p. 994]. The conferenceadopted a regional position for the General As-sembly's special session on the review and ap-praisal of the implementation of the HabitatAgenda in 2001 (see p. 989). Other meetings or-

ganized during the year included the third meet-ing of the Advisory Board on Science and Tech-nology (Addis Ababa, 2-4 October) and the secondmeeting of the Advisory Board on Population, En-vironment and Agriculture (Addis Ababa, 24-26October). ECA offered policy and advisory serv-ices to member States and implemented capacity-and institution-building activities.

The African regional preparatory process forthe World Summit on Sustainable Developmentbegan in January with the first high-level stake-holders meeting, jointly organized by ECA andthe United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) in Addis Ababa.

Development managementActivities organized in the area of develop-

ment management were aimed at enhancingpublic sector management, private sector devel-opment and civil society participation in the gov-ernance and development process. A consultativemeeting of parliamentarians and private sectorofficials (Addis Ababa, November) examined theconcept and role of the State in the political andeconomic transition process in Africa, includingthe legislature's role in the design and imple-mentation of policies that would promote broad-based, poverty-reducing growth and develop-ment. The meeting emphasized the need forAfrican countries to strengthen the capacity ofthe State to discharge its legitimate functions.

In the area of governance, the secretariatfielded assessment missions to selected countriesand was finalizing draft indicators to measure thestate of governance. It also collaborated with theUnited Nations Development Programme (UNDP)in organizing the fourth African GovernanceForum (Kampala, Uganda, September).

ECA activities supported private sector devel-opment to enhance the competitiveness of Afri-can economies. Two studies, one on supportservices for improving regional and global com-petitiveness of small and medium-scale enter-prises (SMEs) and one on a strategic frameworkfor designing and providing those services to en-hance SMEs' regional and global competitiveness,were reviewed at an ad hoc expert group meeting(Mauritius, December). The meeting made rec-ommendations for improving the operating envi-ronment for SMEs in Africa, including the regula-tory and policy environment, facilitating accessto credit, improving transport and communi-cation infrastructure and developing human re-sources, support services institutions, technolo-gies, quality control and markets.

ECA worked closely with UNCTAD and the Afri-can Capital Markets Forum to address the devel-opment of capital markets. It undertook needs


assessment missions to Algeria, Egypt, Kenya,Malawi, Morocco, Tunisia, Uganda and theUnited Republic of Tanzania to identify theirtechnical assistance needs in establishing capitalmarkets. The secretariat also organized an Asia-Africa Summit (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, No-vember) to promote cooperation between privatesector entities in Africa and Asia.

Post-conflict reconstruction and developmentECA's work in peace-building helped create

stable, enabling environments for peace in theregion. Together with OAU, it facilitated thelaunching of the Conference on Security, Devel-opment and Cooperation in Africa (Abuja, Nige-ria, May), whose main objective was to articulateprinciples to guide African countries in securityissues, stability, economic development and co-operation. ECA organized the second consulta-tive meeting (Conakry, Guinea, 23-24 March) onits Mano River Basin Initiative to promote sub-regional reconstruction and development inGuinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

To help policy makers appreciate the economiccauses and consequences of conflicts, ECA organ-ized an ad hoc expert group meeting (AddisAbaba, 7-8 April) on the development implica-tions of civil conflicts. ECA developed indices ofgood governance to be published annually as the"African Governance Report". Issues to be dealtwith included representation, institutional effec-tiveness and economic management capacities.

Integration of women in developmentECA activities under the subprogramme on the

integration of women in development were di-rected at building the institutional and technicalcapacities of its member States to design andimplement gender-sensitive policies and pro-grammes. Its African Centre for Women assistedin improving the knowledge base on Africanwomen's issues through training, research,awareness raising and policy advisory work. TheCentre launched a new annual publication, Afri-can Women's Report, which monitored and as-sessed the status of African women in socio-economic development. It also launched the firstedition of a new CD-ROM on the status of womenin Africa. Capacity-building support was pro-vided to the African delegations attending theGeneral Assembly special session on women (seep. 1082). Several workshops were organized to in-crease women's awareness of international andnational human rights instruments to enablethem to defend their rights and sensitize policymakers on mainstreaming gender in policies andprogrammes. ECA, in collaboration with the Afri-

can Women's Committee on Peace and Develop-ment and Femmes Solidarite Africa, organized aconference (Abuja, June) on mainstreaming agender perspective into the peace-building pro-cess, particularly as it related to HIV/AIDS, healthand education in refugee camps.

Subregional Development CentresThe five Subregional Development Centres,

based in Central, East, North, Southern andWest Africa, continued to enhance the Commis-sion's outreach programmes with the various re-gional economic communities. The Centres pro-moted regional cooperation and integration byproviding effective technical support and facili-tated networking and information-sharing, dis-semination of ECA policy recommendations andtechnical publications on regional cooperationand integration issues. They also engaged in ad-vocacy and capacity-building by convening policyforums, seminars and training workshops, andproviding technical advisory services.

Social developmentECA organized the second African Develop-

ment Forum (Addis Ababa, 3-7 December) on thetheme "AIDS: the greatest leadership challenge".The Forum highlighted the lack of political willand leadership to make HIV/AIDS a top priorityon the development agenda. Participants calledfor comprehensive multisectoral plans to expandand deepen country-level programmes to combatthe pandemic and create an enabling environ-ment with prevention, care and mitigation pro-grammes to protect Africa's future developmentprospects. The Forum adopted the AfricaConsensus and Plan of Action, which called forleadership at all levels to overcome the continent-wide threat of HIV/AIDS and contained a com-mitment by African leaders to invest the neces-sary resources to fight the disease. The Forumled to the adoption of concrete actions by AfricanGovernments and their development partners tocreate multisectoral programmes and plans withcountry-level impact.

Programme, administration andorganizational questions

ECA reformAs part of efforts to deepen its reform, ECA

continued to implement measures to strengthenits programme delivery and management sys-tems. During the year, it delegated authority toits Subregional Development Centres in humanresources management. The Centres were em-


powered to handle their recruitment, placementand promotion of General Service staff mem-bers, recruitment of consultants and contractors,and processing of staff entitlements. To enhanceits administrative processes further, the Commis-sion adopted the Integrated Management Infor-mation System and installed the Very SmallAperture Terminal to improve electronic com-munication between ECA and its Subregional De-velopment Centres, as well as its link with otherparts of the UN system.

Asia and the Pacific

The Economic and Social Commission forAsia and the Pacific (ESCAP), at its fifty-sixth ses-sion (Bangkok, Thailand, 1-7 June) [E/2000/39],had as its theme "Development through globali-zation and partnership in the twenty-first cen-tury: an Asia-Pacific perspective for integratingdeveloping countries and economies in transi-tion into the international trading system on afair and equitable basis". The Commission re-viewed the implications of recent economic andsocial developments and emerging issues and de-velopments at the regional level, including re-gional economic cooperation; environment andnatural resources development; socio-economicmeasures to alleviate poverty in rural and urbanareas; transport, communications, tourism andinfrastructure development; statistics; and issuesrelated to least developed, landlocked and islanddeveloping countries. In addition, it consideredtechnical cooperation activities and programmeand organizational questions.

The Commission decided that the theme forits 2001 session would be "Balanced developmentof urban and rural areas and regions within thecountries of Asia and the Pacific".

Economic trendsAccording to the summary of the economic

and social survey of Asia and the Pacific[E/2001/14], following the impressive recovery in1999, economic performance strengthened fur-ther in 2000. The average growth rate of the de-veloping economies of the region increased by1 percentage point, while the developed econo-mies improved their collective growth rate by 1.3percentage points. As in 1999, both developingand developed economies achieved higher grossdomestic product (GDP) growth in a lower infla-tionary environment, despite rising energyprices and weaker exchange rates in a number of

countries. All the main geographical subregionscontributed to the higher GDP growth and en-joyed lower inflation, with the exception of thePacific island economies, where collective GDPgrowth was negative in 2000. The most impres-sive subregion in terms of growth performancewas South-East Asia. In East and North-East Asiadeflation in 1999 was followed by modest infla-tion in 2000.

A favourable external environment, reflectedin the buoyancy of world trade, combined withdomestic measures to improve and sustain themomentum of growth in the region. The stronggrowth of world trade embodied a robust exportperformance by the ESCAP region, where thedynamism of intraregional and intra-industrytrade revived almost to pre-crisis levels. Severaleconomies in the region registered exportgrowth of 20 per cent or more in value terms. Thestrong export growth was led by electronics andelectronic components, of which the ESCAP re-gion was a major supplier. Foreign capital flowsto the ESCAP region rose marginally, while itsshare of flows to the developing economiesnearly doubled, from 23 per cent in 1998 to40 per cent in 2000, which aided the process offinancial and corporate sector restructuring.

On the domestic side, declining interest ratesand continuing fiscal stimulus supported outputgrowth, while exchange-rate weakness and im-proved capacity utilization enhanced competi-tiveness and stimulated export growth. Further-more, there was evidence that private domesticdemand was beginning to play a greater role inthe growth process than in 1999.

Policy issuesThe principal policy challenge confronting

the region was maintaining the momentum ofgrowth in 2001 and beyond in the face of poten-tial unfavourable developments in the externalenvironment and within a framework of macro-economic prudence.

At the national level, Governments needed tomaintain a strong commitment to macro-economic balance, streamline and rationalizepublic spending, improve revenue collection, en-hance domestic savings, deepen and widen fi-nancial markets, and help domestic businessesthrough improved information on alternativemarkets and ways to diversify.

At the subregional level, Governments shouldconsult more frequently on a wider range of pol-icy questions, particularly on the implementa-tion of regional trading arrangements and themaintenance of market access. An issue of par-ticular concern was the problem of weak stockmarkets in the region. A related problem was the


slow progress in many countries in financial andcorporate restructuring, especially the difficultlyof resolving non-performing loans in the bank-ing systems of several countries. That restructur-ing needed to be accelerated with time-boundtargets and relevant institutions and procedures,such as debt-recovery agencies and the strength-ening of bankruptcy courts.

ESCAP, at its 2000 session, considered reportson the current economic situation in the regionand related policy issues [E/ESCAP/1157] and on de-velopment through globalization and partner-ship in the twenty-first century: an Asia-Pacificperspective for integrating developing countriesand economies in transition into the interna-tional trading system on a fair and equitable basis[E/ESCAP/1158].

The Commission noted that many ESCAP coun-tries remained highly dependent on and vulner-able to the external environment and stressed theneed for strengthening the preventive approach.It emphasized the urgency of integrating the de-veloping countries at the regional and global lev-els through improvements in their technologicallevels, and for LDCs to move effectively in that di-rection. The Commission urged ESCAP to con-tinue its technical assistance in private sectordevelopment and to promote foreign direct in-vestment in disadvantaged economies in the re-gion, paying particular attention to strengthen-ing the legal and institutional framework ofthose economies. It also urged the secretariat tocontinue to act as the regional centre for the pro-motion of poverty eradication and to assist devel-oping countries in integrating more effectivelyinto the multilateral trading system, especiallythose seeking World Trade Organization (WTO)membership.

As requested in 1999 [YUN 1999, p. 925], the secre-tariat undertook research on economic and fi-nancial monitoring and surveillance in the ESCAPregion, including a review of existing monitor-ing and early warning systems within differentinternational bodies.

The Commission noted that there were severalongoing monitoring and surveillance initiativesin the region and that it was necessary to build onthem, to identify the most appropriate mecha-nism applicable and to widen that coverage.

Activities in 2000ESCAP activities in 2000 were carried out un-

der six thematic subprogrammes: regional eco-nomic cooperation; environment and sustainabledevelopment; poverty alleviation through eco-nomic and social development; transport and

communications; statistics; and least developed,landlocked and island developing countries.


ESCAP in 2000 had before it a report on the im-plementation of its 1999 resolution on economicand financial monitoring and surveillance [YUN1999, p. 925], which contained the study on that sub-ject [E/ESCAP/1162]; a note on emerging issuesrelevant to the subprogramme on regional eco-nomic cooperation [E/ESCAP/1161]; and the reportof the eleventh meeting of the Steering Group ofthe Committee on Regional Economic Cooper-ation [YUN 1999, p. 926].

The study revealed significant scope for re-gional cooperation in the area. Recommenda-tions for future action ranged from informal ex-changes of experience within the region to theestablishment of formal surveillance systems atthe subregional level. The Commission took noteof the study and endorsed the recommendationsfor action by ESCAP.

The Commission also endorsed the major rec-ommendations, conclusions and decisions of theSteering Group. It noted that the 1997 economiccrisis underscored the need to reform the inter-national financial architecture and agreed thatregional cooperation needed to be strengthenedto avoid or minimize any future financial crisis. Itrequested the secretariat to study the develop-ment impact of regional trading arrangementson their members, the harmonization of stand-ards and the role of developing countries in in-ternational standard-setting bodies, including acomparative analysis of rules of origin undervarious regional trading arrangements. Thetwelfth meeting of the Steering Group was heldin Inchon City, Republic of Korea, from 25 to 27October.

The Commission requested that the secretariatcontinue to accord high priority to its technicalassistance activities in policy analysis related toregional and multilateral liberalization, WTO ac-cession, and training on the implementation ofWTO agreements. It reiterated the importance oftrade facilitation and stressed the need forcapacity-building in that area. The Commissionnoted the importance of information technologyand electronic commerce as catalysts for the inte-gration of developing countries, in particular Pa-cific island countries and landlocked countries,into the international trading system. In that re-gard, the Commission adopted a resolution onthe Decade of Greater Mekong Subregion Devel-opment Cooperation, 2000-2009 [E/2000/39 (res.56/1)].


ECONOMIC ANO SOCIAL COUNCIL ACTION

On 25 July [meeting 39], the Economic and SocialCouncil, on the recommendation of ESCAP[E/2000/10/Add.3], adopted resolution 2000/5without vote [agenda item 10].

Decade of Greater Mekong SubregionDevelopment Cooperation, 2000-2009

The Economic and Social Council,Recalling the responsibility of the Economic and So-

cial Commission for Asia and the Pacific for initiatingand participating in measures for facilitating con-certed action for the economic reconstruction and de-velopment of Asia and the Pacific, and for raising thelevel of economic activity in Asia and the Pacific,

Noting the large membership and diverse needs ofthe region, and considering it essential for the secre-tariat of the Commission to sharpen the focus of itsprogramme of work so as to support subregional initia-tives and enhance the effectiveness and efficiency ofprogrammes established at the subregional level,

Acknowledging the importance of having a concertedstrategy and close coordination among member coun-tries of the Commission region and the relevant devel-opment agencies, as well as the development frame-works concerned, to promote cooperation among thecountries of the Greater Mekong subregion in enhanc-ing economic and social development and poverty alle-viation in the area,

Recognizing the need to strengthen the capacity ofthe countries in the Greater Mekong subregion as ameans of helping to narrow the large development gapbetween countries in the region,

Noting with appreciation the contribution made by thesecretariat to various development programmes in theCommission region, including the Greater Mekongsubregion, and the high level of support extended tothe secretariat in that endeavour by other concernedUnited Nations bodies and the specialized agencies,

Welcoming the statement of the Ninth Conference onthe Programme of Economic Cooperation in theGreater Mekong Subregion, held in Manila on 13 Janu-ary 2000, and in particular the determination ex-pressed by the ministers to redouble their initiatives toaccelerate, strengthen and extend regional co-operation within the subregion,

Noting with appreciation the continued financial sup-port given by United Nations bodies, the specializedagencies and the Asian Development Bank to a numberof development programmes for countries in the sub-region under the Greater Mekong subregion frame-work, some of which have been undertaken in collabo-ration with the secretariat,

Recognizing the important role played by the MekongRiver Commission, which is now implementing,through its secretariat, the Agreement on the Co-operation for the Sustainable Development of the Me-kong River Basin of 5 April 1995, in pursuance of aneconomically and socially just and environmentallysound Mekong River basin,

1. Calls upon the concerned regional members andassociate members:

(a) To reaffirm their commitment to the develop-ment programmes in the Greater Mekong subregionthrough existing bodies, including the Mekong RiverCommission;

(b) To review jointly the existing developmentstrategies with a view to developing a more concertedand rational approach that could respond effectively tothe challenges of globalization while avoiding duplica-tion of efforts in the development of the Greater Me-kong subregion;

(c) To continue to work closely together to ensurethat development cooperation in the Greater Mekongsubregion is being pursued in a complementary man-ner;

(d) To formulate the development programmes insuch a way that the private sector is encouraged to sup-port them;

2. Proclaims the Decade of Greater Mekong Sub-region Development Cooperation, 2000-2009, in orderto draw the attention of the international community tothe intensification of economic and social developmentin the subregion and to encourage its support thereof;

3. Requests the General Assembly to endorse thepresent resolution and to encourage, at the global level,support for its implementation;

4. Urges member countries, and international andintergovernmental organizations and institutions, tostrengthen cooperation with and assistance to GreaterMekong subregion development programmes;

5. Encourages donor Governments and agencies, re-gional and international financial institutions, UnitedNations bodies and specialized agencies, non-governmental organizations and the private sector toassist countries in the Greater Mekong subregion intheir capacity-building to enable them to integrateeffectively into the regional and global economy;

6. Requests the Executive Secretary of the Economicand Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific:

(a) To help to mobilize the necessary resources toprovide technical assistance and assistance in otherareas that may be deemed necessary, upon the requestof various Greater Mekong subregion developmentframeworks, in particular in such key sectors as humanresources development, trade and investment, trans-portation and communications, poverty alleviation andsocial development;

(b) To call necessary meetings among the partiesconcerned to design a work programme for the devel-opment of the Greater Mekong subregion with the aimof achieving a tangible result in the given period;

7. Also requests the Executive Secretary to monitorthe overall programmes of various framework activitiesin order to report to the Commission at its annual ses-sions and to all concerned member countries, and toevaluate the implementation of the programmes everythree years until the end of the Decade.

On 20 December, the General Assembly endorsedCouncil resolution 2000/5 (decision 55/447).

Least developed, landlockedand island developing countries

Special Body on Pacific Island Developing CountriesThe Commission endorsed the recommenda-

tions in the report of the Special Body on PacificIsland Developing Countries on its sixth session(Bangkok, 30-31 May) [E/ESCAP/ 1184] on transport


and tourism issues and on children's welfare is-sues in Pacific island countries, and recom-mended that ESCAP activities in those areas beextended to least developed and landlockedcountries.

It urged the secretariat to strengthen the ES-CAP Pacific Operations Centre, especially in de-velopment planning, economic policy, social de-velopment, transport, physical planning andwater supply, small business development, tradepolicy and environmental and sustainable devel-opment. It suggested that ecotourism issues beincluded in the agenda of the seventh session ofthe Special Body.

In addition, the Commission, in a resolution onthe promotion of a sustainable energy future forsmall island States [E/2000/39 (res. 56/4)], requestedthe ESCAP Executive Secretary to facilitate the ex-change of experiences and information on theefficient use of energy and the enhanced applica-tion of renewable energy technologies for small is-land States; to convene an expert meeting to de-velop pilot and demonstration projects in smallisland States; to assist in securing the resources forthe programme's implementation; to support na-tional and subregional training and capacity-building initiatives for the promotion of renew-able energy and its efficient use; and to report tothe Special Body and the Commission in 2002.

Landlocked States in Central AsiaIn August [A/55/320], the Secretary-General

transmitted to the General Assembly the reportof the UNCTAD Secretary-General on the transitenvironment in the landlocked States in CentralAsia and their transit developing neighbours, inresponse to Assembly resolution 53/171 [YUN1998, p. 932]. The report discussed the economic re-covery and the emerging trade and transit pat-terns of Central Asia, including alternative tran-sit transport corridors; physical infrastructurebottlenecks and developments to improve physi-cal infrastructure; measures to overcome non-physical barriers to the available transit transportcorridors; and a framework for better coordina-tion and cooperation.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION

On 20 December [meeting 87], the General As-sembly, on the recommendation of the Second(Economic and Financial) Committee [A/55/579/Add.1], adopted resolution 55/181 without vote[agenda item 92 (a)].

Transit environment in the landlocked States inCentral Asia and their transit developing neighbours

The General Assembly,Recalling its resolutions 48/169 and 48/170 of 21 De-

cember 1993, 49/102 of 19 December 1994, 51/168 of

16 December 1996, 53/171 of 15 December 1998 and55/2 of 8 September 2000,

Recalling also the Global Framework for TransitTransport Cooperation between Landlocked and Tran-sit Developing Countries and the Donor Communityand other relevant international legal instruments,

Recognizing that the overall socio-economic develop-ment efforts of the landlocked States in Central Asia,seeking to enter world markets through the establish-ment of a multicountry transit system, are impeded bya lack of territorial access to the sea and by remotenessand isolation from world markets as well as by a lack ofadequate infrastructure in the transport sector in theirtransit developing neighbours owing to their economicproblems,

Reaffirming that transit States, in the exercise of fullsovereignty over their territory, have the right to take allmeasures necessary to ensure that the rights and facili-ties provided for landlocked States in no way infringeupon their legitimate interests,

Expressing its support for the current efforts being un-dertaken by the newly independent and developinglandlocked States in Central Asia and their transitdeveloping neighbours, through relevant multilateral,bilateral and regional arrangements, to address issuesregarding the development of a viable transit infra-structure in the region,

Taking note of the report prepared by the secretariatof the United Nations Conference on Trade and Devel-opment on the transit environment in the landlockedStates in Central Asia and their transit developingneighbours, and considering that the problems of tran-sit transport facing the Central Asian region need to beseen against the backdrop of increased trade and capi-tal flows and advancement in technology in the region,

Recognizing that, to be effective, a transit transportstrategy for the newly independent and developinglandlocked States in Central Asia and their transit de-veloping neighbours should incorporate actions thataddress both the problems inherent in the use of exist-ing transit routes and those associated with the earlydevelopment and smooth functioning of new alterna-tive routes, and welcoming in this context the furthercooperation of landlocked States with all interestedcountries,

Noting that there have been a number of importantdevelopments at the subregional and regional levels,including the signing at Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 9 May1998, of a transit transport framework agreementamong States members of the Economic CooperationOrganization, the signing on 26 March 1998 by theheads of State of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistanand Uzbekistan, the Economic Commission for Europeand the Economic and Social Commission for Asia andthe Pacific of the Tashkent Declaration on the UnitedNations Special Programme for the Economies of Cen-tral Asia, the implementation of the expanded Trans-port Corridor-Europe-Caucasus-Asia programme andthe signing on 8 September 1998 of the Baku Declara-tion,

Welcoming the presentation of the United NationsSpecial Programme for the Economies of Central Asia,held at Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 27 April 2000, theadoption of the concept of the Special Programme andthe joint statement by the Governments of Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, the Economic Commission


for Europe and the Economic and Social Commissionfor Asia and the Pacific,

Emphasizing once again the importance of strength-ening international support measures to address fur-ther the problems of the newly independent and devel-oping landlocked States in Central Asia and theirtransit developing neighbours,

1. Notes with appreciation the contribution of theUnited Nations Conference on Trade and Develop-ment to improving the efficiency of the transit trans-port system in the landlocked States in Central Asiaand their transit developing neighbours;

2. Invites the Secretary-General of the United Na-tions Conference on Trade and Development and theGovernments concerned, in cooperation with theUnited Nations Development Programme, the Eco-nomic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific,the Economic Commission for Europe and relevant re-gional and international organizations and in accord-ance with approved programme priorities and withinexisting financial resources, to continue to elaborate aprogramme for improving the efficiency of the currenttransit environment in the newly independent and de-veloping landlocked States in Central Asia and theirtransit developing neighbours;

3. Invites the United Nations Conference on Tradeand Development, in close cooperation with the re-gional commissions within their respective mandatesand current resources, as well as with other relevant in-ternational organizations, to provide technical assist-ance and advisory services to the newly independentlandlocked States in Central Asia and their transit de-veloping neighbours, taking into account the relevanttransit transport agreements;

4. Invites donor countries and multilateral financialand development institutions, within their mandates,to continue to provide the newly independent and de-veloping landlocked States in Central Asia and theirtransit developing neighbours with appropriate finan-cial and technical assistance for the improvement of thetransit environment, including construction, mainte-nance and improvement of their transport, storage andother transit-related facilities and improved communi-cations;

5. Calls upon the United Nations system to continueto study, within the scope of the implementation of thepresent resolution, possible ways of promoting morecooperative arrangements between the landlockedStates in Central Asia and their transit developingneighbours, and to encourage a more active supportiverole on the part of the donor community;

6. Requests the Secretary-General of the United Na-tions Conference on Trade and Development, in closecooperation with the regional commissions, to preparea report on the implementation of the present resolu-tion, to be submitted to the General Assembly at itsfifty-eighth session.

Economic and technical cooperationIn 2000, ESCAP received $14.8 million for

technical cooperation activities, of which $4.2million came from within the UN system and$10.6 million came from donor and participat-ing developing countries and other intergovern-

mental and non-governmental organizations[E/2001/39].

Bilateral donors and participating developingcountries had contributed a total of $9.6 millionfor the ESCAP technical cooperation programmeand the regional institutions. Japan remainedthe largest bilateral donor, followed by Germany,the Netherlands and the Republic of Korea.Twenty developing countries and associatedmembers also contributed to the ESCAP technicalcooperation programme, the largest donor beingChina, followed by India. In addition to cash con-tributions, donors and developing members pro-vided about 305 work-months of the services ofexperts on non-reimbursable loan, which had en-hanced the implementation capacity of the secre-tariat's technical cooperation programme. Thesecretariat initiated the implementation of 69technical assistance projects with a financial out-lay of $6.5 million.

Technical cooperation among developing countriesIn 2000 [E/ESCAP/1221], the secretariat imple-

mented about 100 promotional activities relatedto technical cooperation among developingcountries and economic cooperation among de-veloping countries (TCDC/ECDC). It also pro-moted and facilitated the participation of ap-proximately 82 officials in 43 operational TCDCactivities, including training, seminars, study vis-its and workshops. During the year, the secre-tariat continued to sensitize TCDC focal points ofselected least developed, landlocked and islanddeveloping countries, as well as economies intransition. It conducted a workshop on TCDC na-tional focal points for selected LDCs and disad-vantaged economies in transition (Hangzhou,China, 13-17 November), in cooperation withChina's Ministry of Foreign Trade and EconomicCooperation. In that regard, the Commissionstated that countries should be assisted in build-ing up the capacities and capabilities of TCDC na-tional focal points and urged ESCAP to mobilizeresources for that purpose.

Transport, communications,tourism and infrastructure development

The Commission had before it the report ofthe Committee on Transport, Communications,Tourism and Infrastructure Development on itssecond session [YUN 1999, p. 928] and endorsed therecommendations contained therein.

The third session of the Committee (Bangkok,15-17 November) [E/ESCAP/1212] reaffirmed itscommitment to the New Delhi Action Plan on In-frastructure Development in Asia and the Pacific(1997-2006) [YUN 1995, p. 1012] and identified prior-


ity areas for integration into the Plan's nextphase. It adopted recommendations for action inthe water transport sector, including the reviewof national positions on the new round of Gen-eral Agreement on Trade in Services negotia-tions on maritime transport services, and of theviability and business plans of the national flagfleet, the promotion of sharing experience in pri-vate sector participation in ports, and the identi-fication of approaches to attract both domesticand foreign tonnage to register under the na-tional flag. The Committee reiterated that prior-ity should be given to multimodal transport andtourism in the ESCAP programme. It recom-mended that the secretariat support nationalefforts to implement the Plan of Action for Sus-tainable Tourism Development in the Asian andPacific Region [YUN 1999, p. 929].

Infrastructure developmentThe Commission reiterated its support for the

priority status of the Asian land transport infra-structure development (ALTID) project. It en-dorsed the main thrust areas in the implementa-tion of the project as reflected in the report onthe implementation of its 1996 resolution [YUN1996, p. 898] on intra-Asia and Asia-Europe landbridges [E/ESCAP/1179], the completion of the for-mulation of the Asian Highway and Trans-AsianRailway networks covering the whole of Asia, andthe operationalization and improvement of theefficiency of international land transport corri-dors. The Commission stressed the importanceof early completion of the study on the Trans-Asian Railway in the Northern Europe/RussianFederation/Persian Gulf corridor and the sec-ond ALTID project assessment to be carried out in2001.

The Commission had before it a report on theimplementation of the New Delhi Action Planon Infrastructure Development [E/ESCAP/1180]. Itendorsed the recommendation of the Committeeon Transport, Communications, Tourism and In-frastructure Development that progress on all 64projects within phase I of the Action Plan's pro-gramme be evaluated to provide a basis for theformulation and prioritization of phase II activi-ties. The Commission emphasized the need to in-corporate demand-driven, results-oriented andcost-effective activities in phase II and reaf-firmed that high priority should be given to in-land water transport. It stressed the importanceof involving all the concerned agencies in the for-mulation of phase II.

The Commission endorsed themes for a minis-terial conference on infrastructure to be held in2001: transport infrastructure and logistics;

administration, restructuring and private sectorparticipation in the transport sector; sustainabletransport development; social issues in transportdevelopment; and regional and subregional co-operation in sustainable energy development.The Commission requested that the impact ofthe rapidly changing maritime environment andthe importance of multimodal transport and lo-gistics in globalization should be given priority inthe work programme. It also requested that issuesrelated to HIV/AIDS in the transport sector bedealt with by the Joint United Nations Pro-gramme on HIV/AIDS and the World HealthOrganization, with the support of ESCAP's Trans-port, Communications, Tourism and Infrastruc-ture Development Division.

TourismThe Commission reaffirmed that tourism

should continue to be accorded high priorityin the secretariat's programme of work. It re-quested the secretariat to intensify activities topromote cooperation in tourism education and tostrengthen activities in ecotourism. The secre-tariat should organize a seminar on the develop-ment of Buddhist tourism circuits, promotebeach tourism and strengthen activities to pro-mote tourism development in the Greater Me-kong subregion.

The Commission asked the secretariat to sup-port activities related to universal access to trans-port and tourism facilities for people with dis-abilities and the elderly. In that respect, it tooknote of Indonesia's organization, in cooperationwith ESCAP, of the Asia-Pacific Conference onTourism for People with Disability (Bali, Indone-sia, September).

Science and technologyThe Governing Board of the Asian and Pacific

Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT) heldits fifteenth session in Bali on 29 and 30 Novem-ber [E/ESCAP/1203].

In 2000, APCTT organized 46 technologytransfer-related events, including training pro-grammes, regional workshops, exhibitions, semi-nars and expert group meetings. It arranged 800business meetings between prospective technol-ogy suppliers and technology seekers, and facili-tated 270 technology transfer negotiations permonth.

The Commission endorsed the report on theGoverning Board's fourteenth session [YUN 1999,p. 929] and requested APCTT to assist developingcountries through technology transfer mecha-nisms as well as human resources developmentand training programmes so that the requisite ca-


pacities could be created for the transfer andadoption of new and modern technologies, in-cluding managerial and technical expertise. Iturged the Centre to enhance its activities to assistsmall and medium-sized enterprises of develop-ing member States in utilizing information andcommunication technology as a strategic tool toimprove the competitiveness and profitability ofthose enterprises. In addition, member countrieswere urged to provide institutional support forAPCTT and to adhere to the formula for establish-ing an endowment fund.

Environment and sustainable developmentThe Commission endorsed the recommenda-

tions of the Committee on Environment andNatural Resources Development at its second ses-sion [YUN 1999, p. 930], especially the recommenda-tion that the secretariat continue the integrationof environmental considerations into economicpolicy-making processes and its work on the stra-tegic environmental initiative. The secretariatwas requested to facilitate greater capacity-building in that regard, to continue to imple-ment, at the regional level, Agenda 21, adoptedby the United Nations Conference on Environ-ment and Development (UNCED) [YUN 1992, p. 672],and to strengthen the integration of environ-mental considerations into its overall programmeof work.

The Fourth Ministerial Conference on Envi-ronment and Development in Asia and the Pa-cific (Kitakyushu, Japan, 31 August-5 Septem-ber) [E/ESCAP/1205] adopted the Regional ActionProgramme for Environmentally Sound and Sus-tainable Development, 2001-2005, the Ministe-rial Declaration on Environment and Develop-ment, the Regional Message for the 10-yearReview of the Implementation of the Outcome ofUNCED and the Kitakyushu Initiative for a CleanEnvironment. They were to guide the ESCAP pro-gramme on environment and natural resourcesdevelopment, in particular the development of aKitakyushu Initiative Network for a Clean Envi-ronment and the regional preparations for the2002 World Summit on Sustainable Develop-ment (see p. 792).

The Commission endorsed the report of theSecond Ministerial Conference on Space Appli-cations for Sustainable Development in Asia andthe Pacific ( Y U N 1999, p. 930] and the launching ofthe second phase of the Regional Space Applica-tions Programme for Sustainable Development.The Commission adopted a resolution on re-gional cooperation on space applications for sus-tainable development in Asia and the Pacific[E/2000/39 des. 56/3)].


On 25 July [meeting 39], the Economic and SocialCouncil, on the recommendation of ESCAP [E/2000/10/Add.3], adopted resolution 2000/6 without vote[agenda item 10].

Regional cooperation on space applications forsustainable development in Asia and the PacificThe Economic and Social Council,Recalling Economic and Social Commission for Asia

and the Pacific resolution 51/11 of 1 May 1995 on re-gional cooperation on space applications for environ-ment and sustainable development in Asia and thePacific, in which the Commission endorsed the recom-mendations of the First Ministerial Conference onSpace Applications for Development in Asia and thePacific, held in Beijing on 23 and 24 September 1994,and the Beijing Declaration on Space Technology Ap-plications for Environmentally Sound and SustainableDevelopment in Asia and the Pacific,

Recalling also General Assembly resolution 51/123 of13 December 1996 on international cooperation in thepeaceful uses of outer space, in which the Assembly, in-ter alia, emphasized the need to increase the benefits ofspace technology and its applications and to contributeto an orderly growth of space activities favourable tosustainable development,

Recalling further the recommendations of the ThirdUnited Nations Conference on the Exploration andPeaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III ) ,

Recalling the decision of the Commission at its fifty-fifth session in April 1999 to hold the Second Ministe-rial Conference on Space Applications for SustainableDevelopment in Asia and the Pacific in New Delhi from15 to 20 November 1999,

Noting with satisfaction the success of the Second Min-isterial Conference, which adopted the Delhi Declara-tion on Space Technology Applications in Asia and thePacific for Improved Quality of Life in the New Millen-nium and the Strategy and Action Plan on Space Tech-nology Applications for Sustainable Development inAsia and the Pacific for the New Millennium andlaunched the second phase of the Regional Space Ap-plications Programme for Sustainable Development,

Reiterating the strong interest of members and asso-ciate members of the Commission in participating inthe cooperative activities that will emerge from the sec-ond phase of the Programme and their commitment tocontributing to those activities,

Recognizing the essential role of space technologiesand their applications in environment and natural re-sources management, food security and agriculturalsystems, capacity-building, human resources develop-ment and education, poverty alleviation, natural disas-ter reduction, health care and hygiene, and sustainabledevelopment planning towards improving the qualityof life,

Recalling the efforts of the Commission in promot-ing space applications for sustainable development inthe region and its commitment to continuing to play apivotal and catalytic role in that regard,

1. Endorses the recommendations of the SecondMinisterial Conference on Space Applications for Sus-tainable Development in Asia and the Pacific, held inNew Delhi from 15 to 20 November 1999;


2. Also endorses the Delhi Declaration on SpaceTechnology Applications in Asia and the Pacific forImproved Quality of Life in the New Millennium andthe Strategy and Action Plan on Space Technology Ap-plications for Sustainable Development in Asia and thePacific for the New Millennium;

3. Calls for the early implementation of the DelhiDeclaration, the Strategy and Action Plan, and otherrecommendations of the Second Ministerial Confer-ence;

4. Encourages all members and associate membersof the Economic and Social Commission for Asia andthe Pacific to participate actively in the second phase ofthe Regional Space Applications Programme for Sus-tainable Development and to initiate effective nationalimplementation of the Strategy and Action Plan;

5. Recommends that the Intergovernmental Consul-tative Committee on the Regional Space ApplicationsProgramme for Sustainable Development, under thepurview of the Committee on Environment and Natu-ral Resources Development of the Commission, adviseas appropriate on the implementation of the Pro-gramme, and invites members and associate membersto enhance their representation on the ConsultativeCommittee;

6. Invites all United Nations bodies and agenciesconcerned, and multilateral donors and internationalagencies, to provide technical and financial support forthe implementation of the recommendations of theSecond Ministerial Conference, the Delhi Declarationand the Strategy and Action Plan envisaged for the sec-ond phase of the Programme;

7. Requests the Executive Secretary of the Economicand Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific:

(a) To accord due priority to the activities proposedin the Strategy and Action Plan and to incorporate theProgramme in the biennial programmes of work;

(b) To strengthen the capability of the secretariat ofthe Commission, subject to the availability of re-sources, to support the regional cooperative networktowards successful implementation of the Strategy andAction Plan;

(c) To mobilize resources for technical cooperationactivities in line with the recommendations of the Sec-ond Ministerial Conference, the Delhi Declaration andthe Strategy and Action Plan;

(d) To report to the Commission at its fifty-ninthsession on the implementation of these recommenda-tions.

Natural resources development

Energy and mineral resourcesHaving considered a secretariat note on

emerging issues and developments related tomineral supply and land-use planning for sus-tainable development [E/ESCAP/1168 & Corr.1], theCommission endorsed the general statementsand conclusions regarding those issues and in-vited further secretariat initiatives, such as semi-nars, workshops and individual and group train-ing courses focusing on specific themes, skillsdevelopment and institution-building. The

secretariat was to convene a meeting of heads ofNational Geological Surveys in the region to for-mulate a strategy for mutual cooperation in sus-tainable mineral supply and land-use planning.It was also to promote the use of geoscientific in-formation in land-use and urban planning and tocontinue training activities to improve the pres-entation skills of National Geological Survey de-partments, such as the preparation of user-friendly thematic maps.

In the area of energy resources, the Commis-sion convened a High-level Regional Meeting onEnergy for Sustainable Development (Bali, 21-24November) [E/ESCAP/1206], which adopted theSustainable Energy Development Action Pro-gramme, Strategies and Implementation Mo-dalities for the Asian and Pacific Region, 2001-2005, and the Bali Declaration on Asia-PacificPerspectives on Energy and Sustainable Develop-ment, for submission to the Commission on Sus-tainable Development in 2001.

Water resourcesIn 2000, important achievements and progress

were made by the Mekong River Commission(MRC), established in 1995 [YUN 1995, p. 1017]. Fi-nancial resources were successfully mobilized forthe three MRC core programmes, on water utiliza-tion, the environment and basin development.Ten studies were completed in 2000 and MRCcontinued implementation of other projects andactivities under its work programme, which hadrecently been reorganized to comprise three cate-gories of activities: a core programme, a supportprogramme and a sector programme.

The Commission considered the MRC reporton its 1999 activities [E/ESCAP/1192].

Agriculture and developmentThe Commission had before it the report on

the Regional Coordination Centre for Researchand Development of Coarse Grains, Pulses,Roots and Tuber Crops in the Humid Tropics ofAsia and the Pacific [E/ESCAP/1171], which sum-marized major developments in 1999 and pre-sented activities planned for 2000 and beyond, asendorsed by its Governing Board. It also con-tained a review of the financial status of the Cen-tre.

The Commission recommended that the Cen-tre strengthen collaborative programmes for re-search and development, as well as human re-sources development and information services. Itexpressed concern over the continuing unstablecondition of the Centre's institutional and pro-gramme support resources and urged a substan-tial increase in funding and early and timely allo-


cation of funds, as well as the provision of theservices of experts to ensure the effective imple-mentation of programme activities. The ESCAPsecretariat was asked to explore more fundingsources to stabilize the Centre's financial situa-tion.

The Commission noted the deliberations andrecommendations of the nineteenth session ofthe Governing Body of the Regional Network forAgricultural Machinery (RNAM) [YUN 1999, p. 931].It directed the secretariat to continue seeking ex-trabudgetary contributions for the programmesfor 2000-2001 and approved the expansion ofRNAM activities in post-harvest technologies andthose designed to take advantage of leading-edgetechnologies. The Commission approved theGoverning Body's recommendation that the newname for RNAM should be the Regional Networkfor Agricultural Engineering and Machinery(RNAEM).

The Governing Body of RNAEM, at its twenti-eth session [E/ESCAP/1204] (Rongcheng, China,19-21 October), approved the extension of theproject into its seventh phase, for the period1999-2001.

Social developmentThe Commission considered the report of the

Committee on Socio-economic Measures to Alle-viate Poverty in Rural and Urban Areas on its sec-ond session [YUN 1999, p. 932], as well as a secretariatnote on progress in implementing resolutionsand decisions on the topic [E/ESCAP/1170].

The Commission noted that unemploymentrates and the incidence of poverty remained rela-tively high in those countries adversely affectedby the recent economic crisis. It said varioustargeted programmes by Governments andcommunity-based organizations should be con-tinued and strengthened, while more broad-based growth policies should be pursued forlower-income groups. The Commission stressedways in which the secretariat could assist Govern-ments to alleviate poverty, including monitoringsocio-economic trends, conducting a regionalstudy on national poverty alleviation pro-grammes to document successful approaches,and bringing information on best practices andsuccessful approaches to the attention of Govern-ments. The secretariat was to carry out a regionalassessment of social safety-net programmes andset priorities in its programme of work on pov-erty alleviation to enhance the impact of its activi-ties.

Also before the Commission was a secretariatnote on the empowerment of the rural poorthrough decentralization in poverty alleviationactions [E/ESCAP/1172]. The Commission noted re-

forms in a number of countries to alleviate ruralpoverty by improving governance through thedevolution of authority and responsibility, butthere had been no systematic documentation oflessons learned. It urged that the secretariat domore to learn from success cases and best prac-tices and disseminate them more widely. It alsourged the secretariat to undertake follow-up ac-tivities on interrelationships among governance,decentralization and rural poverty alleviationand the empowerment of the rural poor throughdecentralization, to assign priorities to its activi-ties and to focus on population trends, rural de-velopment and the alleviation of poverty.

The Commission endorsed the report of theSenior Officials' Meeting on the Agenda for Ac-tion on Social Development in the ESCAP Region[YUN 1999, p. 931]. It expressed concern over thenegative effects in many ESCAP countries ofglobalization and structural adjustment pro-grammes that neglected to integrate social di-mensions, and highlighted the need for a frame-work of principles and examples of good practiceconcerning social policy and social developmentthat would promote a more humane and equita-ble development path that was more resilient toexternal shock. The Commission emphasized theneed for targeted social protection and social jus-tice measures for vulnerable groups, and theneed for the effectiveness of social safety-net pro-grammes as a poverty alleviation measure to bereviewed and strengthened.

At its third session (Bangkok, 6-8 December)[E/ESCAP/1208], the Committee on Socio-economicMeasures to Alleviate Poverty in Rural and Ur-ban Areas recommended that countries sufferingfrom population pressure and high populationgrowth should accelerate efforts to stabilize theirpopulations using a holistic approach. Also, aHigh-level Regional Meeting for Asia and the Pa-cific in Preparation for Istanbul+5, which was toreview and appraise the implementation of theHabitat Agenda, adopted by the United NationsConference on Human Settlements (Habitat II)[YUN 1996, p. 992], was held in Hangzhou, China,from 19 to 23 October [E/ESCAP/1209].

Disabled personsThe Commission considered a secretariat note

on equalization of opportunities and the inclu-sion of disabled persons in the development pro-cess [E/ESCAP/1176]. It endorsed the 107 strength-ened targets for action on the implementation ofthe Agenda for Action for the Asian and PacificDecade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002 [YUN 1993,p. 621], as revised by the ESCAP forum on the sub-ject [YUN 1999, p. 932]. It noted that those targetshad been adopted by regional meetings on the


education of disabled children and youth andequalization of opportunities for disabled per-sons. The Commission requested the secretariatto strengthen its assistance to ESCAP members insupport of the targets.

International Year of Older Persons (1999)The Commission endorsed the guidelines on

the implementation of the Macao Plan of Actionon Ageing for Asia and the Pacific [YUN 1998,p. 942], as contained in a secretariat note [E/ESCAP/1174], and emphasized the need to implement thePlan of Action in consonance with the guide-lines. It asked the secretariat to continue provid-ing technical assistance and support to imple-ment the Plan at the national and regional levelsand to organize more training activities and in-formation exchange forums on issues relating toageing.

The Commission noted the successful observ-ance in the ESCAP region in 1999 of the Interna-tional Year of Older Persons, proclaimed by theGeneral Assembly in resolution 47/5 [YUN 1992,p. 889]. In a report on the observance of the Yearand on progress in the implementation of theMacao Plan of Action [E/ESCAP/1175], it was indi-cated that national agencies and mechanisms onageing, as well as national focal points, had beenestablished in many countries of the region. TheCommission asked the secretariat to play an ac-tive part in regional preparation for the SecondWorld Assembly on Ageing in 2002 (see p. 1140).

Women in developmentThe Commission endorsed the report of the

High-level Intergovernmental Meeting to Re-view Regional Implementation of the BeijingPlatform for Action [YUN 1999, p. 933]. It urgedthe secretariat to strengthen activities in advanc-ing the status of women. It noted the initiativestaken to promote the economic situation ofwomen and recommended that target-orientedself-employment and income-generating proj-ects should continue to be implemented forwomen in poverty, particularly displaced women,widows and female heads of household. TheCommission noted that protection and respect ofwomen's human rights were a concern in the re-gion and that countries had adopted awareness-raising measures, provided greater legal protec-tion for women against violence, and promotedtheir increased participation in the decision-making process. The Commission recommendedthat special attention be paid to the girl child andwomen in difficult circumstances and empha-sized the need for cooperation and coordination

in dealing with trafficking in women and chil-dren.

Human resources developmentOn 7 June [E/2000/39 (res. 56/2)], the Commis-

sion acknowledged the successful implementa-tion of phases I, II and III of the Jakarta Plan ofAction on Human Resources Development in theESCAP Region, adopted by the Commission in1988 [YUN 1988, p. 282] and revised in 1994 [YUN1994, p. 715]. It called on ESCAP members and asso-ciate members to strengthen national policies toadvance human resources development and toreview human resources strategies with a view todeveloping new approaches to respond moreeffectively to the challenges and opportunitiesof globalization and a knowledge-based andinformation-based society. The Commission en-couraged donors, regional and international fi-nancial institutions, UN bodies and specializedagencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs)and the private sector to assist developing coun-tries to develop their human resources and tobuild and strengthen national capacity. In its rec-ommendations to the Executive Secretary, theCommission asked that priority be accorded tothe implementation of phase IV (2001-2005) ofthe Jakarta Plan of Action, the focus of whichshould be on building a stronger foundation inthe region in education, health and sustainablelivelihoods.

Natural disastersThe Commission, having considered the re-

port of the Typhoon Committee [E/ESCAP/1193],noted the important progress and achievementsmade in 1999 on meteorological observations,forecasts and warnings; hydrological compo-nents, including improvements in flood forecastsand warning, as well as storm surge forecasts; andnatural disaster reduction. It took particular noteof the increased importance attached by theCommittee to addressing the impacts of water-related disasters, including an increase in re-search on and the improvement of forecasts.

The Commission also considered the report ofthe Panel on Tropical Cyclones [E/ESCAP/1194], in-cluding the recommendations adopted at itstwenty-seventh session (Muscat, Oman, 29 Febru-ary-6 March). The Commission urged donorcountries and institutions, as well as the ESCAPsecretariat, to support the work of the Panel. Itnoted that a trust fund had been established withthe World Meteorological Organization for theactivities of the Panel and encouraged Panelmembers and other ESCAP members to contrib-ute to the fund.


StatisticsThe Commission examined a secretariat note

on emerging issues and developments in statistics[E/ESCAP/1181]. Recognizing that the secretariat'sstatistical activities had assisted in strengtheningthe statistical capabilities of the countries in theregion, it suggested that advisory services and co-operation should be strengthened in areas iden-tified by the Bureau of the Committee on Statis-tics. The Commission also recognized the urgentneed to develop a sound conceptual and meth-odological framework for the measurement ofelectronic commerce and endorsed the sugges-tion of the Working Group of Statistical Expertsthat a discussion group on the subject should beformed to facilitate the sharing of experienceand the establishment of uniform measurementtools. It suggested that ESCAP should continue toplay a coordinating role in gender statistics in theregion and to promote the exchange of experi-ence among member countries. It also suggestedthat its Committee on Statistics contribute to theestablishment of standards on urban and ruralpoverty measures and that ESCAP should play acoordinating role in improving environment sta-tistics in the region.

The Commission had before it the report ofthe fifth session of the Governing Board of theStatistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP)(Tokyo, 6-8 October 1999) [E/ESCAP/1182]. TheCommission supported the Institute's 2000-2001work programme, as well as the long-term (2000-2005) programme, and urged ESCAP membersand associate members to support the further im-plementation of the programme. It requestedSIAP to expand its training programme andstrengthen training in information technology.The Commission noted that the overall cash con-tribution to SIAP had declined in the past twoyears.

The Commission considered a secretariat noteon the year 2000 computer problem [E/ESCAP/1183] and decided that since the transition hadbeen smoother than expected and interest in theproblem had reduced, the second follow-up re-port requested for 2001 had become unnecessary.

The ESCAP Committee on Statistics held itstwelfth session in Bangkok (29 November-1 De-cember) [E/ESCAP/1214].

Programme and organizational questionsThe Commission endorsed the ESCAP draft

medium-term plan for 2002-2005 [E/ESCAP/1185/Rev.1] with some amendments. It recommendedthat ESCAP make continuous efforts towardscapacity-building in the region and be more re-

sponsive to the challenges and opportunities pre-sented by globalization and the knowledge-basedeconomy. It directed the secretariat to definemore clearly expected accomplishments and pro-gramme indicators when formulating the 2002-2005 programme budgets.

The Commission considered a secretariat noteon the implementation of the programme ofwork for the 1998-1999 biennium [E/ESCAP/1186 &Corr.1]. It noted that outputs and the level of pro-gramme implementation were satisfactory de-spite the reduced level of resources and the 15per cent average vacancy rate in the Professionaland higher categories. The Commission en-dorsed the programme of work for 2000-2001and the proposed changes to that programme[E/ESCAP/1187]. It approved the tentative calendarof meetings and training programmes for the pe-riod April 2000 to March 2001 [E/ESCAP/1188] andadopted a resolution on the impending retire-ment of Adrianus Mooy, Executive Secretary ofESCAP [E/2000/39 (res. 56/5)].

ESCAP reformThe Commission had before it the Executive

Secretary's report [E/ESCAP/1159] on the imple-mentation of a 1997 Commission resolution onESCAP reform [YUN 1997, p. 993]. The Commissionnoted the various constraints on the effective per-formance of its subsidiary structure, includingthe broad coverage of certain legislative commit-tees which had led to less focused discussions. Itrecommended that deliberations focus more onthe needs of member countries, and that coordi-nation and synergy within the secretariat be im-proved.

Also before the Commission was the report ofthe Advisory Committee of Permanent Repre-sentatives and Other Representatives Designatedby Members of the Commission (ACPR) and itsOpen-ended Informal Working Group [E/ESCAP/1195 & Add.1,2]; the latter had reconvened to assistACPR in its work on ESCAP reform. The Commis-sion endorsed the Working Group's proposalsand urged that they be implemented as part ofthe reform process to strengthen ESCAP's corecompetence and its role in the region.

Admission of GeorgiaThe Commission endorsed the application of

Georgia to become a member of ESCAP [E/ESCAP/1156] and approved a draft resolution for submis-sion to the Economic and Social Council.


On 25 July [meeting 39], the Economic and SocialCouncil, on the recommendation of ESCAP [E/2000/


10/ Add.3], adopted resolution 2000/4 without vote[agenda item 10].

Amendment of the terms of reference of theEconomic and Social Commission for Asia and thePacific: inclusion of Georgia in the geographical

scope of the Commission and its admissionas a member of the Commission

The Economic and Social Council,Noting the recommendation of the Economic and

Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific that Georgiabe included in the geographical scope of the Commis-sion and be admitted as a member of the Commission,

1. Approves the recommendation of the Economicand Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific thatGeorgia be included in the geographical scope of theCommission and admitted as a member of the Com-mission;

2. Decides to amend paragraphs 2 and 3 of the termsof reference of the Commission accordingly.

Change of spelling of MacauBy decision 2000/210 of 4 February, the Eco-

nomic and Social Council amended paragraphs 2and 4 of ESCAP's terms of reference by changingthe English-language spelling of "Macau, China"to "Macao, China".

Subregional activities

Cooperation between the United Nationsand the Economic Cooperation Organization

In response to General Assembly resolution54/100 [YUN 1999, p. 935], the Secretary-Generalreported in July on cooperation between theUnited Nations and the Economic CooperationOrganization (ECO) [A/55/122]. The report de-scribed the cooperative relationship of ECO withUNDP, UNCTAD, the United Nations PopulationFund (UNFPA), the United Nations InternationalDrug Control Programme, the Food and Agricul-ture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)and ESCAP.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION

On 21 November [meeting 70], the General As-sembly adopted resolution 55/42 [draft: A/55/L.22/Rev.1] without vote [agenda item 28].

Cooperation between the United Nations andthe Economic Cooperation Organization

The General Assembly,Recalling its resolution 48/2 of 13 October 1993, by

which it granted observer status to the Economic Co-operation Organization,

Recalling also the resolutions previously adopted bythe General Assembly on cooperation between theUnited Nations and the Economic Cooperation Or-ganization, and inviting various specialized agenciesand other organizations and programmes of theUnited Nations system and relevant international fi-

nancial institutions to join in their efforts towards im-plementation of economic programmes and projectsof the Economic Cooperation Organization,

Bearing in mind the progress attained by the Eco-nomic Cooperation Organization in its reorganiza-tional endeavours as well as in launching and imple-menting various regional development projects andprogrammes over the past decade,

Welcoming the endeavours of the Economic Co-operation Organization in regard to consolidating itsties with the United Nations system and with relevantinternational and regional organizations towards thefurtherance of its objectives,

Taking note of the Tehran Declaration issued at thesixth summit meeting of the heads of State or Govern-ment of the States members of the Economic Co-operation Organization, held in Tehran on 10 June 2000,

Taking note with appreciation of the decision of theEconomic Cooperation Organization at its sixth sum-mit meeting to welcome the initiative of MohammadKhatami, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, ondialogue among civilizations, the United Nations hav-ing designated 2001 as the United Nations Year of Dia-logue among Civilizations, in order to promote thisconcept through planning and implementation of ap-propriate cultural, educational and social activities inthe regional and global context,

Recalling that one of the main objectives of theUnited Nations and the Economic Cooperation Or-ganization is to promote international cooperation insolving international problems of an economic, social,cultural or humanitarian character,

Expressing grave concern over the human casualtiescaused by natural disasters and their devastating im-pact on the socio-economic situation of some Statesmembers of the Economic Cooperation Organization,

Noting with appreciation the decision of the EconomicCooperation Organization to hold ministerial-levelmeetings in the areas of energy, agriculture, industryand human development,

1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of theSecretary-General on the implementation of GeneralAssembly resolution 54/100 of 9 December 1999, andexpresses satisfaction at the enhanced pace of mutuallybeneficial interaction between the two organizations;

2. Stresses the importance of cooperation betweenthe United Nations system and the Economic Co-operation Organization to address the challenges andopportunities of globalization in the region of the Eco-nomic Cooperation Organization by promoting the in-tegration of States members of the Economic Co-operation Organization, as appropriate, into the worldeconomy, particularly in areas of concern to Statesmembers of the Economic Cooperation Organization,inter alia, trade, finance and transfer of technology;

3. Notes the holding of ministerial-level meetings inthe transport and communications sector and in com-merce/foreign trade, which, inter alia, resulted in theadoption of annexes to the Economic Cooperation Or-ganization Transit Transport Framework Agreementand a framework agreement on trade, respectively;

4. Welcomes the signing of a memorandum of un-derstanding between the Economic Cooperation Or-ganization and the United Nations Conference onTrade and Development in November 1999, and ex-presses the hope that their mutual cooperation will add


impetus to the ongoing trade/transit trade and trans-port arrangements in the region of the Economic Co-operation Organization;

5. Notes with satisfaction the increasing cooperationbetween the Economic Cooperation Organization andthe World Trade Organization which has accorded ob-server status to the former, and the increasing involve-ment of the Economic Cooperation Organization inthe relevant forums and ministerial conferences of theWorld Trade Organization, and also notes the holdingof joint Economic Cooperation Organization andWorld Trade Organization seminars on trade negotia-tion simulation;

6. Welcomes the growing cooperation between theEconomic Cooperation Organization and relevant in-ternational financial institutions, such as the WorldBank and the Islamic Development Bank, in particularthe financial assistance extended by the latter in thefields of transport, trade, energy and agriculture;

7. Expresses satisfaction at the regional arrangementsmade by the States members of the Economic Co-operation Organization for transporting the oil andgas of the region to different parts of the world;

8. Welcomes the holding of a joint Economic Co-operation Organization and United Nations Popula-tion Fund Conference on Expanding ContraceptiveChoice and Improving Quality of Reproductive HealthProgrammes, held in Istanbul in May 2000, and callsupon the Fund and other relevant United Nations enti-ties, in cooperation with the Economic CooperationOrganization, to continue activities in the field of pub-lic health and social development in the future;

9. Notes the increasing problem of the production,transit and abuse of narcotic drugs and their ill effectsin the region, expresses its appreciation for the opera-tions of the joint Economic Cooperation Organizationand United Nations International Drug Control Pro-gramme project on a drug control coordination unit es-tablished within the secretariat of the Economic Co-operation Organization in July 1999, and calls uponthe other international and regional organizations toassist, as appropriate, the Economic Cooperation Or-ganization in its efforts against the drug menace in theregion of that organization;

10. Also notes the expansion of cultural ties in the re-gion under the aegis of the Cultural Institute of theEconomic Cooperation Organization, and requestssupport for efforts to promote, and promote awarenessof, the rich cultural and literary heritage of the regionof the Economic Cooperation Organization throughthe launching of appropriate projects and programmesdealing with, inter alia, the issues regarding the initia-tive of President Khatami on dialogue among civiliza-tions, with possible assistance from the United NationsEducational, Scientific and Cultural Organization andother relevant entities;

11. Invites the United Nations system, its relevantbodies and the international community to continue toprovide technical assistance, as appropriate, to theStates members of the Economic Cooperation Organi-zation and its secretariat in strengthening their earlywarning system, preparedness, capacity for timely re-sponse and rehabilitation with a view to reducing theincidence of human casualties and mitigating thesocio-economic impact of natural disasters;

12. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to theGeneral Assembly at its fifty-sixth session a report onthe implementation of the present resolution;

13. Decides to include in the provisional agenda ofits fifty-sixth session the item entitled "Cooperationbetween the United Nations and the Economic Co-operation Organization".

Europe

The Economic Commission for Europe (ECE),at its fifty-fifth session (Geneva, 3-5 May)[E/2000/37], focused on increasing regional co-operation within the ECE region, its operationalactivities and a number of cross-sectoral con-cerns.

As called for in the Plan of Action on theStrengthening of Economic Cooperation inEurope [YUN 1997, p. 1002], the ECE secretariat or-ganized a debate on the economic regenerationof South-East Europe. Discussions centred onsupporting the transition process of the econo-mies of South-East Europe using regional co-operation to overcome some of their key prob-lems, and on whether strategies for economicpolicy and regional cooperation could ignore thepolitical context.

The Commission reviewed ECE's operationalactivities and agreed that priority should con-tinue to be given to requests for assistance fromthe most vulnerable transition economies, par-ticularly those from the Commonwealth of Inde-pendent States (CIS) and the Balkan countries. Itagreed that ways to strengthen the CoordinatingUnit for Operational Activities should be ex-plored and that the secretariat should evaluateoperational projects to help it prioritize its work.The Commission encouraged countries to in-clude ECE on their list of eligible institutions forfunding and the secretariat to renew efforts to at-tract funds from public and private sources.

In the context of its consideration of cross-sectoral and intersectoral concerns, the Commis-sion was updated on development with the parti-cipation of the chairpersons of the principalsubsidiary bodies (PSBs). It agreed to initiate, on aregular basis, debates and possible action oncross-sectoral concerns and intersectoral issues.The Commission supported ECE involvementwith the business community and agreed thatsuch cooperation should continue along the linessuggested in a note by the Executive Secretary[E/ECE/1377]. It decided that the Group of Expertson the Programme of Work should take up theissues outlined in that paper and highlighted atthe meeting, in particular the development of


guidelines and procedures for facilitating pub-lic/private partnership. The PSBs were requestedto examine issues, such as strengthening the in-volvement of small and medium-sized enter-prises in ECE activities.

The Commission supported the conclusionsagreed at the ECE regional preparatory meetingfor the 2000 review of the implementation of theBeijing Platform for Action [YUN 1995, p. 1170],which constituted the region's input to the globalreview process (see p. 1082). As a follow-up to theInternational Year of Older Persons [YUN 1999,p. 1124], the Commission decided to convene aministerial conference on ageing in Berlin, Ger-many, in September 2002.

The Commission agreed to look into the re-source implications arising from ECE's contribu-tion to global events and issues, includingstrengthening the Office of the Executive Secre-tary. Taking into account the limited resourcesavailable to the ECE secretariat, the Commissionagreed that any new mandate should be sup-ported by the necessary additional budgetary re-sources from the body delivering the mandate.

The Commission endorsed the recommenda-tion of the Group of Experts on the Programmeof Work [E/ECE/1380] that, in deciding that bien-nialization would currently not be in ECE's bestinterests, the Commission should request theGroup to consider whether any improvementsshould be made to the format of the Commis-sion's annual session; any recommendations aris-ing from such deliberations should be submittedto an ad hoc informal meeting of the Commis-sion.

Economic trendsAccording to the Economic Survey of Europe,

2000 [Sales No. E.00.II.E.28], the strengthening ofglobal economic activity in 1999 continued in thefirst half of 2000, as the international businesscycle gained more momentum than was expectedat the beginning of the year. That favourable per-formance was due largely to the continued rapidexpansion of the United States economy, leadingto a very strong growth in import demand andthe strengthening of cyclical growth forces in de-veloped and developing countries. The dyna-mism of the world economy also stimulated do-mestic activity in Western Europe and thetransition economies of Central and EasternEurope. As a result of closer economic linkageswithin the region, foreign trade also led to mutu-ally reinforcing economic growth between West-ern and Eastern Europe. However, there were in-dications in the latter months of the year that theglobal business cycle had passed its peak, as evi-

denced by the further tightening of monetarypolicy in the United States and Western Europeduring 2000 and the unexpectedly sharp and sus-tained rise in international oil prices.

Western Europe and North AmericaIn the United States, economic activity contin-

ued to increase at a brisk rate in the first half of2000 with demand outpacing supply, but itslowed down more abruptly than expected in thethird quarter. Real GDP rose only 0.7 per cent,compared with 1.4 per cent in the precedingquarter. The cyclical downturn had already beensignalled by the Purchasing Managers' Index,which fell below the threshold of 50 per cent inAugust and September, and the decline in thecomposite leading indicators since May and incapacity utilization rates in manufacturing in thethird quarter. Export growth remained strong,but the growth of imports slowed down somewhatin the third quarter.

Inflation edged upwards in 2000, mainly be-cause of higher energy prices. The annual infla-tion rate was 3.5 per cent in September, whilecore inflation was 2.6 per cent, compared with1.9 per cent at the beginning of the year. Higherlabour costs were offset by sizeable gains in pro-ductivity. Non-farm employment increased inthe first two quarters and again in September,when the unemployment rate fell to a very low 3.9per cent.

The current account deficit rose to $425 bil-lion in the second quarter, corresponding to 4.3per cent of GDP, compared to an average of 3.7per cent of GDP in 1999. Tax revenues continuedto outpace government expenditures, and thefederal budget surplus rose by $100 billion to$237 billion, or just over 2 per cent of GDP in fis-cal 2000. The target for the federal funds rate wasraised by half a percentage point to 6.5 per centin May. Since then, it had been left unchanged,reflecting the conviction that the economy washeading for a "soft landing". Short-term interestrates in the money market responded to thattightening of monetary policy and fell slightly inthe third quarter.

In Western Europe, the business cycle main-tained strong momentum in the first half of2000. Real GDP during that period was 3.4 percent higher than a year earlier, with exports ofgoods and services continuing to be the mainsources of growth. Domestic demand remainedstrong in the first half of 2000, but its rate of ex-pansion did not accelerate. Private consumptionwas supported by gains in aggregate real incomesassociated with rising employment, but thegrowth of real disposable incomes was checked bythe sharp rise in energy prices, which put some


pressure on consumer prices. The relativelystrong growth of domestic demand led to a con-siderable rise in imports. In 2000, price develop-ments were strongly influenced by the large in-crease in crude oil prices, and the continuingdecline of the euro placed further upward pres-sure on import prices; both factors accounted formuch of the pronounced increases in aggregateimport and producer prices. The average infla-tion rate for the first nine months of 2000 was 2.2per cent, although in the euro area it ranged from2.2 per cent in Austria to 5.5 per cent in Ireland.Employment was expected to increase by 1.6 percent, the same as in 1999. Against the backdrop offavourable trends in output and employment, therate of unemployment fell in all countries, aver-aging 9 per cent in the euro area and 8.3 per centin the EU.

The European Central Bank raised the mainrefinancing rate from 3 per cent to 4.75 per centbetween February and October to check the po-tential effects of rising energy prices on inflation-ary expectations and to arrest and reverse theweakening of the euro in foreign exchange mar-kets. The tightening of monetary policy was re-flected in higher interest rates in the money andcapital markets and in the lending rates of banksto enterprises and households.

Eastern Europe, Baltic States and CISAccording to the summary [E/2001/12] of the

Economic Survey of Europe, 2000, for the first timesince the start of their economic and politicaltransformation, the former centrally plannedeconomies of Eastern Europe and the former So-viet Union were all growing in 2000: their aggre-gate GDP increased by 6 per cent, significantlymore than the world economy as a whole. Thatwas largely due to the strong recovery in the Rus-sian Federation, where GDP increased by 7.7 percent, the highest growth rate in more than 30years. Output also recovered strongly in EasternEurope and the Baltic States, their aggregate GDPincreasing by 3.9 per cent and 4.8 per cent, re-spectively.

Those outcomes suggested that after 10 yearsof painful reforms, the prolonged and deeptransformational recession in those economieshad for the most part come to an end. However,for a number of countries the strong growth in2000 represented only a meagre recovery after along economic slump. On average, the CIS econo-mies were still some 40 per cent below their GDPlevels of 1989, and in a number of individualcountries GDP in 2000 was less than half of whatit was a decade earlier. Also, with the exceptionof a few Central European economies, domestic

demand generally remained weak despite mod-erate recovery in 2000.

In 2000, many transition economies benefitedfrom strong and diversified demand in their ma-jor export markets, principally for manufacturedgoods but also for services and a wide range ofprimary commodities and semi-manufactures.In particular, the Eastern European and Balticeconomies capitalized on the sharp rebound inWestern European import demand, while therecovery in the Russian Federation stimulatedexports from neighbouring CIS countries. Inaddition, the commodity-exporting countries,especially the oil and natural gas exporters in theCIS, benefited from the upsurge in world marketprices, which led to a considerable improvementin their trade and current-account balances.

The EU, the main trading partner for all theEastern European and Baltic economies, ac-counted for about two thirds of their exports andimports. The acceleration in the volume of West-ern European imports in 2000 was the major fac-tor behind Central European and Baltic exportsincreasing by some 20 per cent in volume. Thatstrong export performance made a major contri-bution to the recovery of output in EasternEurope and the Baltic area. However, for mosttransition economies, the strong performance in2000 underlined the considerable sensitivity ofthose economies to changes in the external envi-ronment, especially in the short run.

The average unemployment rate in EasternEurope was still about 15 per cent and, despitethe high rate of economic growth, enterprise re-structuring was still releasing more labour thanwas being employed in new jobs.

Activities in 2000

Trade, industry and enterprise developmentThe Committee for Trade, Industry and En-

terprise Development, at its fourth session (Ge-neva, 21-23 June) [ECE/TRADE/262], approved thechange of name of the United Nations Centre forthe Facilitation of Procedures and Practices forAdministration, Commerce and Transport to theCentre for Trade Facilitation and ElectronicBusiness. It also modified the Centre's mandate,terms of reference and procedures.

The Committee established a Working Partyfor Industry and Enterprise Development toassist in creating more favourable conditions forinvestment, industrial restructuring and enter-prise development in transition economies. Itadopted its 2000-2002 programme of work andapproved the topic of the forum to be held in2001, which would focus on the service sector in


transition economies and its role in stimulatingtrade, innovation, investment and enterprise de-velopment. The Committee also established atask team to develop draft strategic policy objec-tives for it, to recommend changes in its terms ofreference and to propose measures to implementthose strategic objectives.

TransportThe Inland Transport Committee, at its sixty-

second session (Geneva, 15-17 February) [ECE/TRANS/133 & Add.1], discussed various aspects ofthe transport situation in ECE member countries.

The Committee noted the report of the secondsession of the Joint Meeting on Transport andthe Environment and endorsed the creation of anad hoc expert group to assist the Joint Meeting,particularly in the identification of priorities forthe effective implementation of the Programmeof Joint Action, adopted at the 1997 RegionalConference on Transport and the Environment[YUN 1997, p. 1005], and in the preparation of the2002 mid-term review, including an evaluation ofits programme of work.

The Committee requested that sufficient re-sources be allocated for assisting countries witheconomies in transition from the ECE budget andthrough contributions from member States to theUN/ECE Trust Fund for Assistance to Countriesin Transition.

The Committee approved the report of theWorking Party on Road Traffic Safety on itsthirty-second and thirty-third sessions. It notedthat, following serious accidents in the MontBlanc and Tauern tunnels, the question of safetyin tunnels had been considered by the WorkingParty. It adopted a proposal to establish a multi-disciplinary group of experts on safety in tun-nels.

The Committee noted that the EuropeanAgreement on Main Inland Waterways of Inter-national Importance had entered into force on26 July 1999 and that 10 States were currently par-ties to it. It invited Governments that had notdone so to accede to the Agreement as soon aspossible to facilitate its implementation. TheCommittee endorsed four new resolutionsadopted by the Working Party, amending theRecommendations on Technical Requirementsfor Inland Navigation Vessels and the EuropeanCode for Inland Waterways.

EnergyThe Committee on Sustainable Energy, at its

tenth session (Geneva, 31 October-2 November)[ECE/ENERGY/43], endorsed the decisions of theTask Force on the United Nations International

Framework Classification for Reserves/Re-sources: Solid Fuels and Mineral Commodities(UNFC) [YUN 1997, p. 1006] and noted progress in theimplementation of UNFC in the solid fuels andmineral sectors in the ECE region, Asia and LatinAmerica. It extended the trial period of applica-tion of UNFC to 31 December 2002 and requestedthe secretariat to revise the Project Plan of the En-ergy Efficiency 21 Project, 2000-2003.

In preparation for the 2001 session of the Com-mission on Sustainable Development (CSD-9),which was to address energy-related sustainabil-ity issues, the High-level Forum on SustainableEnergy in a Competitive Market: Forging Part-nerships was held on 1 November in conjunctionwith the Committee's tenth session. The Com-mittee adopted the "Contribution to CSD-9 onSustainable Energy Development: A RegionalPerspective—One More Step on the Path to a Sus-tainable Energy Future", and established a TaskForce on Environment and Energy together withthe Committee on Environmental Policy to de-velop guidelines for decision makers on reform-ing energy prices to promote sustainable energydevelopment.

AgricultureThe Specialized Section on Standardization of

Dry and Dried Produce (Fruit), at its forty-seventh session (Geneva, 19-22 June) [TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2000/17], made corrections to the main text ofthe standard layout for dry and dried produce(fruit). The agreed text, indicating the changes,would be recommended to the Working Partyon Standardization of Perishable Produce andQuality Development for adoption as the revisedStandard Layout for Dry and Dried Produce(Fruit). It agreed to changes to the recommenda-tion on in-shell hazelnuts and hazelnut kernels; itrecommended the amended text to the WorkingParty for adoption as revised UN/ECE standards.It also recommended the extension of the recom-mendation on walnut kernels for one year andformed an informal working group to look atproposals concerning scuffing, crop year, mouldand colour chart for walnut kernels.

In a joint session (Rome, Italy, 9-13 October)[ECE/TIM/95], the Timber Committee (fifty-eighth session) and the European Forestry Com-mission (thirtieth session) endorsed the generaldirection of ECE/FAO activities, reaffirming theircore mandate to "monitor and analyse sustain-able forest management in the region" and thesimilar role of FAO at the global level. The jointsession also reviewed the markets for forest prod-ucts in 2000 and prospects for 2001. It reviewed itsactivities and programme of work for 2001 -2005,and agreed, in view of the imbalance between re-


sources and aspirations, to undertake a review ofthe Committee's objectives, methods, resourcesand outputs to be completed before the 2001 ECEsession.

EnvironmentThe Committee on Environment Policy (sev-

enth session, Geneva, 25-28 September) [ECE/CEP/74] discussed its substantive input to thefifth Ministerial Conference "Environment forEurope", to be held in 2002 in Kiev, Ukraine. Itestablished an open-ended intergovernmentalworking group to prepare a legally binding instru-ment on pollutant release and transfer registers.The Committee welcomed a recommendation tothe Meeting of the Parties to the Convention onEnvironmental Impact Assessment in a Trans-boundary Context to start the preparation of aprotocol to the Convention on strategic environ-mental assessment.

The Committee supported the launching ofnegotiations for a joint protocol on civil liabilityto the Conventions on the Transboundary Effectsof Industrial Accidents and on the Protectionand Use of Transboundary Watercourses and In-ternational Lakes. An ad hoc working group onenvironmental monitoring was established andits terms of reference and work plan adopted.The Committee established a task force to draftguidelines on compliance with and enforcementof environmental legislation and adopted therecommendations for strengthening environ-mental policy and management in Armenia, Bul-garia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

The Executive Body for the Convention onLong-range Transboundary Air Pollution, at itseighteenth session (Geneva, 28 November-1 De-cember) [ECE/EB.AIR/71], adopted the 2000 Re-view of Strategies and Policies for Air PollutionAbatement.

Human settlementsThe Committee on Human Settlements (sixty-

first session, Geneva, 18 and 20 September)[ECE/HBP/119] discussed the implementation ofthe ECE Strategy for a Sustainable Quality of Lifein Human Settlements in the 21st Century andthe Ministerial Declaration, adopted by the meet-ing of ECE Ministers of Housing and SpatialPlanning (Geneva, 19 September) [ECE/HBP/119/Add.1], as the basis for its future programme ofwork to promote the sustainable development ofhuman settlements, foster economic and socialprosperity and support democratic governancein the ECE region.

The Committee decided that the Declarationand the Strategy constituted the ECE contribu-tion to the special session of the General Assem-

bly in 2001 (Istanbul+5) on the review and ap-praisal of progress in the global implementationof the Habitat Agenda [YUN 1996, p. 994]. TheCommittee would consider the impact of theStrategy and the Declaration on its programmeof work and on national programmes at its 2001session and assess the implementation of them infive years.

The Committee adopted the report of the firstsession of the Working Party on Land Adminis-tration and confirmed the high priority of thecountry profile project on the housing sector andactivities related to land registration and landmarkets, and approved the general outline andtopics suggested for the Ninth (2002) Conferenceon Urban and Regional Research. It welcomedthe report of the Housing and Urban Manage-ment Advisory Network and supported the proj-ect proposal for an ECE handbook on housing fi-nancing.

StatisticsThe Conference of European Statisticians

(forty-eighth session, Paris, 13-15 June) [ECE/CES/58] considered the implications of the meet-ings of its parent bodies—the May session of ECEand the February/March session of the UN Sta-tistical Commission (see p. 1200). The Confer-ence agreed to review the Integrated Presenta-tion of international statistical work in the ECEregion, especially quality assessments of statis-tics, harmonized consumer price indices and ag-riculture statistics. The Conference considered aproposal to convert the Integrated Presentationinto a database, but noted that the secretariat didnot have sufficient resources to look into that pos-sibility on its own. It welcomed the offer of inter-ested national statistical offices to assist the secre-tariat in that endeavour.

The Conference also discussed sustainable de-velopment indicators, international statisticalwork in South-East Europe and relations betweenofficial statisticians, NGOs and academics.

Operational activitiesThe Commission considered a note by the Ex-

ecutive Secretary [E/ECE/1376 & Add.1] on ECE op-erational activities.

A review by external auditors of the Coordi-nating Unit and the Regional Advisers, responsi-ble for carrying out ECE operational activities,concluded that the objectives and impacts of theUnit and the Regional Advisory Programmewere being compromised by weaknesses, such as alack of strategic planning, insufficient extra-budgetary funding and no fund-raising strategy.Subsequently, the secretariat held extensive dis-


cussions on the goal of operational activities andon whether existing resources were being used inthe best way to achieve maximum impact. In thatcontext, it was proposed to continue giving highpriority to requests from and for projects in CISand Balkan countries. Close cooperation be-tween ECE and other organizations and institu-tions in Europe could help to enhance ECE's pro-file, increase the effect of its programme delivery,mobilize resources and ensure their best use. Itwas felt that ECE should intensify its efforts to in-volve the UNDP resident coordinators more in itsoperational activities.

It was emphasized that ECE needed more extra-budgetary funding for operational activities. Itwas proposed that countries that did not have ECEon their list of eligible institutions for receivingfunds for operational activities should include it.Better coordination of all operational activitiesand mechanisms for systematic feedback andevaluation were required. The secretariat re-quested member countries to reflect on the ques-tion of more predictable and sustained financingfor operational activities and to provide construc-tive suggestions in that regard.

Intersectoral activities andcross-sectoral concerns

The Commission considered a note by the Ex-ecutive Secretary on intersectoral activities andcross-sectoral concerns [E/ECE/1377], which re-viewed ECE intersectoral activities, highlightingprogress made on the follow-up to the Vienna Re-gional Conference on Transport and the Envi-ronment [YUN 1997, p. 1005] and to the LondonCharter on Transport, Environment and Health,adopted at the Third Ministerial Conference onEnvironment and Health (London, June 1999).Progress in ECE's relationship with the businesscommunity was also reviewed as one of the cross-sectoral concerns identified by the Plan of Actionon the Strengthening of Economic Cooperationin Europe [ibid., p. 1002]. A number of issues relat-ing to principles that should govern such co-operation, such as mutual benefits, promotion ofthe UN development agenda, prevention of un-fair comparative advantage and equal access toECE's public goods, were also raised.

UN restructuring and revitalizationAs follow-up to Economic and Social Council

resolution 1998/46 [YUN 1998, p. 1262] on furthermeasures for the restructuring and revitalizationof the United Nations in the economic, social andrelated fields, the Executive Secretary reportedto the Commission [E/ECE/1378], describing ac-

tions that had been taken in response to the guid-ance provided by that resolution. He provided in-formation on contributions made by ECE withrespect to the process leading up to the 2000 re-view of the Beijing Platform for Action [YUN 1995,p. 1170]. He briefed the Commission on the contri-bution made by the ECE secretariat to UNCTAD X(see p. 890). He also discussed ECE's contributionto follow-up action to the International Year ofOlder Persons [YUN 1999, p. 1124].

Latin America and the Caribbean

At its twenty-eighth session (Mexico City,3-7 April) [E/2000/40], the Economic Commissionfor Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) fo-cused its deliberations on ensuring equity for theregion's citizenry in the context of the challengesposed by globalization. The Commission consid-ered a main document, "Equity, Developmentand Citizenship" [LC/G.2071(SES.28/3) & Corr.1],which examined the question of equity, integrat-ing macroeconomic and growth-related issueswith principles of universality, solidarity and ef-ficiency, and characterizing education and em-ployment as essential to development in demo-cratic societies capable of promoting ongoingprogress towards the full exercise of citizens'rights.

The Commission adopted the Mexico resolu-tion on equity, development and citizenship[E/2000/40 (res. 582(XXVIII))], in which it recognizedthat the development patterns and opportunitiesopen to the region's inhabitants were influencedby worldwide economic, social and cultural pro-cesses deriving from economic globalization. Iturged the secretariat to continue deepening itsanalysis of: social policy as an integrative force,based on institutions that gave priority consid-eration to the principles of universality, solidarityand efficiency in the design, financing, deliveryand regulation of social services, while seekingthe appropriate public/private mix; responsiblemacroeconomic policy based on a longer timehorizon; the reinforcement of citizenship; the in-terrelationship between development agendas ofthe region's countries and policies associatedwith globalization processes; and the construc-tion of a stable, predictable international finan-cial system linked to social development.

The Commission also adopted resolutions onfollow-up to the 1995-2001 regional programmeof action for Latin American and Caribbeanwomen [YUN 1994, p. 739]; priority lines of actionfor population and development for 2000-2002;


its programme of work for 2002-2003; the 2000-2002 calendar of conferences; the establishmentof the Statistical Conference of the Americas;support for the work of the Latin American andCaribbean Institute for Economic and SocialPlanning; technical cooperation among develop-ing countries and regions; the place and date ofthe next session; and the Caribbean Developmentand Cooperation Committee. (See below, underthe respective sections.)

Economic trendsThe 2000 summary of the economic survey of

Latin America and the Caribbean [E/2001/15]stated that the recovery of Latin American andCaribbean economies, which began in the finalquarter of 1998, continued during 2000. Theperformance of the region's two largest econo-mies (Brazil and Mexico), in particular, enabledGDP to expand at an average annual rate of 4 percent, compared to the 1998 rate of 2.3 per centand just 0.3 per cent in 1999. All the countries,with the exception of Argentina and Uruguay,posted positive growth rates, with the highest re-corded in Belize, Chile, Cuba, the Dominican Re-public and Mexico,

High international growth rates boosted theregion's exports, but commodity price trendswere uneven, with petroleum soaring by 60 percent, while prices of some agricultural productsfell. Exports of goods and services rose by 19 percent in value and imports climbed by 17 per cent.

In 2000, total capital inflows for the regionwere estimated at approximately $52 billion,compared to $40 billion in 1999, a reflection ofthe larger amounts of capital flowing into Brazil,which outweighed the decline in Argentina's in-flows and outflows from Venezuela. Foreign di-rect investment continued to be the major sourceof capital inflows; bond issues were used for refi-nancing maturing debt obligations, while bankloans and investment in local exchanges contrib-uted very little to total capital inflows. As the yearprogressed, macroeconomic policy was relaxed,especially in countries that allowed their curren-cies to float freely. Fiscal deficits declined from3.1 per cent of GDP in 1999 to 2.4 per cent in 2000.Consumer prices improved with a regional aver-age of 8.8 per cent for the entire year.

Over 80 per cent of the countries for which sta-tistics were available had single-digit inflationrates. Inflation continued to subside in Vene-zuela, and Ecuador's recent dollarization policyhad been bringing its inflation rate down. The la-bour market still posed the region's most seriousproblems. Although the upturn in GDP growth in2000 slightly raised employment levels, it was in-

sufficient to lower unemployment rates, whichremained at an almost record high of about 9 percent. In addition to other factors, the situationwas linked to the lag in domestic demand. Mean-while, wages increased by an average 1.5 per centin the 10 countries that provided information.

External debtIn 2000, the disbursed external debt of the re-

gion was over $750 billion, reflecting a nominaldecrease for the first time since 1988. While ex-ternal debt levels in most of the countries did notvary, the countries posting a reduction includedBrazil, Ecuador, Honduras and Mexico. Therewas an across-the-board improvement in thedebt/export ratios during the year, and the re-gional coefficient fell from 217 per cent in 1999 to180 per cent in 2000. However, a number of coun-tries continued having high levels of indebted-ness. The ratio between interest payments andexports diminished to 14.5 per cent. Bolivia,which had qualified for the Heavily IndebtedPoor Countries Initiative in 1998, began to applyfor the second phase of the scheme early in 2000.It stood to secure about $650 million in debt re-lief. Honduras could also benefit from the Initia-tive. Ecuador, which had suspended the servicingof its external debt in October 1999, signed anagreement with 98 per cent of its creditors bywhich its $6.4 billion eligible debt would be re-duced by nearly 40 per cent. In September, Ecua-dor concluded a preliminary agreement with theParis Club of creditor countries to restructure

million in bilateral debt.$880

Activities in 2000


In 2000, ECLAC combined activities derivingfrom its role as a forum for regional dialogue, fa-cilitating the emergence of common regional po-sitions that could contribute to the world debateon development issues, with normative activities,comprehensive analysis of development and pub-lic policy-making processes and other opera-tional activities, such as technical assistance, spe-cialist information provision and training.

It monitored national and regional economicand social developments and analysed nationalpublic policies to present a systematic analyticalview of the situation of regional countries and anevaluation of the main tendencies in the regionso future challenges could be identified. As a re-sult, five annual reports, including the EconomicSurvey of Latin America and the Caribbean and theSocial Panorama of Latin America, were published.


The Special Studies Unit of the Office of theExecutive Secretary conducted a study onstrengthening regional institutions for externalfinancing in the region. It also organized a semi-nar on aspects of financing for development inthe context of financial globalization (Santiago,Chile, 7 September). A joint workshop was or-ganized with ESCAP (Bangkok, February) on theexpansion of trade and investment relations be-tween countries in Latin America and those inAsia and the Pacific, and a project was being pre-pared for closer cooperation between the twocommissions with regard to small and medium-sized enterprises.

To assist countries in the region to prepare forthe high-level international intergovernmentalevent on financing for development (see p. 915),the ECLAC secretariat organized the Latin Ameri-can and Caribbean Regional Consultation on Fi-nancing for Development (Bogota, Colombia,9-10 November) [LC/G.2l32(CONF.89/4)]. The Con-sultation formulated a statement, "Towards theinternational conference on financing for devel-opment", in which it identified a number of pol-itical considerations and concerns regarding fi-nancing for development from a regionalperspective.

The Latin American and Caribbean Institutefor Economic and Social Planning (ILPES) carriedout activities related to the strategic managementand reform of the State, regulation of publicservices, development and land-use manage-ment, national systems of public investment andbasic planning functions. ILPES held 15 seminars,including one on basic planning functions forEnglish-speaking Caribbean countries (Port ofSpain, Trinidad and Tobago, 5-6 October) andanother on basic planning functions and success-ful experiences (Havana, Cuba, 16-17 November).

The twentieth meeting of the Presiding Offi-cers of the Regional Council for Planning ofILPES (Montevideo, Uruguay, 9 March) consid-ered the Institute's activities and approved itswork programme.

The Commission [res. 58l(XXVIII)] took note ofthe resolutions emanating from that meeting andrecommended that ILPES significantly expand itstraining activities, in collaboration with the Com-mission's various subregional offices and divi-sions and other international institutions. ILPESshould focus its substantive work on analysis, pro-spective studies, coordination and evaluation ofpublic management and investment and of terri-torially based and local development. The Com-mission also recommended that meetings of thePresiding Officers should be held within theframework of the Commission's session. It re-

quested the Executive Secretary to submit in2002 a progress report on the integration and co-ordination of ILPES activities with those of theCommission.

Human settlementsThe Latin American and Caribbean regional

conference preparatory to the General Assem-bly's special session for an overall review and ap-praisal of the implementation of the HabitatAgenda, adopted at the United Nations Confer-ence on Human Settlements (Habitat II) [YUN1996, p. 992], was held in Santiago from 25 to 27 Oc-tober [LC/G.2l26(CONF.88/4)]. ECLAC presented adocument entitled "From rapid urbanization tothe consolidation of human settlements in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean: a territorial per-spective", which examined various aspects of theterritorial, urban and housing situation in the re-gion.

The conference adopted the Santiago Declara-tion on Human Settlements, which reaffirmedthe validity and relevance of the Regional Plan ofAction [ Y U N 1995, p. 1044]. The Declaration wasconsidered an important instrument for movingforward regional cooperation and developinga consensus on urban issues. ECLAC was requestedto pursue the design of indicators for implement-ing the Regional Plan of Action and the analysisof new challenges so as to keep it up to date as aninstrument for the adoption of specific actions.

Social development and equityThe ECLAC secretariat convened the Second

Regional Conference on Follow-up to the WorldSummit for Social Development (Santiago,15-17 May) [LC/G.2108(CONF.87/4)], at which it pre-sented a document entitled "The equity gap: asecond appraisal", presenting analyses and pro-posals on qualitative aspects of growth, such asthe relationship between growth and poverty, em-ployment trends, and wages and productivity, so-cial policy reform, sectoral activities and thestatus of integration in societies in the region.

The Conference adopted the Santiago Decla-ration, in which ECLAC member countriespointed to the contribution of the World Summitfor Social Development [YUN 1995, p. 1113] to the re-inforcement of many social policies applied inthe countries of the region during the past fiveyears and reaffirmed their commitment toachieving the objectives of the Copenhagen Dec-laration on Social Development and the Pro-gramme of Action of the World Summit.

The tenth Ibero-American Summit of Headsof State and Government (Panama City, 17-18 No-vember) requested ECLAC; to evaluate the situa-


tion of children and adolescents as a contributionto the adoption of a common approach by mem-ber countries of that forum at the General Assem-bly's special session for follow-up to the WorldSummit for Children in 2001. ECLAC, in supportof the Office of the United Nations High Com-missioner for Human Rights, prepared a studyon ethnic and racial discrimination and xeno-phobia in Latin America and the Caribbean,which was presented at the regional seminar ofexperts for Latin America and the Caribbean oneconomic, social and legal measures to combatracism with particular reference to vulnerablegroups (Santiago, 25-27 October) in preparationfor the 2001 World Conference against Racism,Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and RelatedIntolerance (see p. 641).

Population and developmentThe third meeting of the ECLAC sessional Ad

Hoc Committee on Population and Development(Mexico City, 3-4 April) considered the topics ofyouth, population and development, and systemsof indicators for monitoring and following up onthe Programme of Action of the InternationalConference on Population and Development[YUN 1994, p. 955].

ECLAC, in collaboration with the InternationalOrganization for Migration, held a symposiumon international migration in the Americas (SanJose, Costa Rica, 4-6 September), which exam-ined migration trends and patterns in the Ameri-cas, the relationship between migration anddevelopment, governance of international mi-gration and multilateral diplomacy, the eco-nomic and social importance of migration andhuman rights of migrants. The conclusions ofthe symposium were to provide an input to theplan of action to be formulated at the third Sum-mit of the Americas, to be held in Quebec City,Canada, in 2001.

In a resolution on priority lines of action forpopulation and development in 2000-2002 des.577(XXVIII)], the Commission decided that the AdHoc Committee should examine in 2002 thequestion of social vulnerability: population,household and communities, and that its secre-tariat should prepare documentation on the so-cial vulnerability of small island developingStates of the Caribbean, as well as of Belize, Guy-ana and Suriname.

The Commission instructed the Latin Ameri-can and Caribbean Demographic Centre(CELADE) (ECLAC's Population Division) and theECLAC subregional headquarters for the Carib-bean to give priority to assisting countries in de-veloping information systems with indicators to

allow for adequate follow-up and appraisal of theimplementation of the recommendations of theProgramme of Action of the International Con-ference on Population and Development and theRegional Plan of Action [YUN 1994, p. 740].

CELADE and other relevant international agen-cies were asked to continue to support the coun-tries of the region to prepare for their censusesand, in particular, to promote and facilitate theuse and dissemination of census information inimplementing the recommendations of interna-tional summit meetings. They were also asked toplace priority on human resources training inpopulation and development to enhance thecountries' capacity to generate sociodemo-graphic information and knowledge. The Com-mission requested countries in the region to allo-cate sufficient resources to strengthen theincorporation of population and developmentprogrammes in public policies that included pov-erty reduction, and that population and repro-ductive health issues should be more closelylinked to social, environmental and cultural poli-cies and promoted in reforms in the educationand health-care sectors. It expressed concernover the continued reduction of international fi-nancial resources available to Latin America andthe Caribbean for activities in population and de-velopment; it urged countries in the region andthe Ad Hoc Committee to take steps to reversethat trend and the international community toincrease its technical and financial assistance.

Integration of women in developmentThe eighth session of the Regional Conference

on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean(Lima, Peru, 8-10 February) [LC/G.2087(CRM.8/6)]reviewed ECLAC activities and the status of gen-der equity, especially as it related to human rightsand peace. The Conference adopted the LimaConsensus as the region's contribution to theGeneral Assembly's special session on "Women2000: gender equality, development and peacefor the twenty-first century" (see p. 1082), andresolutions on the participation of associatemembers of regional commissions and NGOs inthat special session, and on ECLAC activities relat-ing to regional cooperation for gender main-streaming.

Two meetings of the Presiding Officers of theRegional Conference were held (Lima, 7 Febru-ary; Santiago, 13-15 September). At the ninthmeeting of specialized agencies and other bodiesof the UN system on the advancement of womenin Latin America and the Caribbean (Santiago, 12September) [LC/L.1467], participants agreed tostrengthen inter-agency coordination forums atthe regional and national levels and to request


ECLAC, UNDP, the United Nations DevelopmentFund for Women and UNFPA to establish a work-ing group to design a strategy to expedite incor-poration of the gender perspective in UN systemprogrammes. They also urged participating or-ganizations to intensify efforts to open up oppor-tunities for exchange with Caribbean countries.

In its resolution on follow-up to the RegionalProgramme of Action for the Women of LatinAmerica and the Caribbean, 1995-2001 [YUN 1994,p. 739], the Commission approved the Lima Con-sensus as the region's contribution to the Assem-bly's special session on women and recom-mended that technical and financial resources beincreased at all levels to accelerate the attainmentof gender equity and the full integration ofwomen in the development process, togetherwith the full enjoyment of citizenship within theframework of sustainable development, socialjustice and democracy [res. 576(XXVIII)].

Information technology and developmentThe regional meeting on information technol-

ogy for development (Florianopolis, SantaCatarina, Brazil, 20-21 June) [LC/L.1401] was heldas a regional forum preparatory to the high-levelsegment of the Economic and Social Council(5-7 July) on development and international co-operation in the twenty-first century: the role ofinformation technology in the context of aknowledge-based economy (see p. 799). Themeeting adopted the Declaration of Florianopo-lis, in which Latin American and Caribbeancountries shared the aspirations of becomingfull-fledged members of the information societyby the year 2005, and urged the Council to sup-port developing countries in their efforts to de-sign and implement programmes to ensure thatthe entire population had access to informationand communications technology-related prod-ucts and services, and to promote the growth ofdigital network infrastructure and research. Thedeliberations of the meeting were transmitted tothe Council [E/2000/74].

On 20 November [A/55/636], Brazil transmittedto the General Assembly the Declaration of Itacu-ruca, adopted at the 2000 info-ethics seminar ofgovernmental experts from Latin America andthe Caribbean (Rio de Janeiro, 26-27 October),which recommended creating a regional pro-gramme to provide for the continuity of effortscarried out by Latin American and Caribbeancountries to insert themselves fully into the digi-tal era.

Economic statistics and technical cooperationThe Commission approved the establishment

of the Statistical Conference of the Americas as asubsidiary body of ECLAC and requested theExecutive Secretary to submit the proposal tothe relevant UN bodies for consideration [res.580(XXVIII)].


On 25 July [meeting 39], the Economic and SocialCouncil, on the recommendation of ECLAC [E/2000/10/Add.3], adopted resolution 2000/7 without vote[agenda item 10].

Establishment of the Statistical Conference of theAmericas of the Economic Commission for

Latin America and the CaribbeanThe Economic and Social Council,Recalling the Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Pro-

moting and Implementing Technical Cooperationamong Developing Countries, which was endorsed bythe General Assembly in its resolution 33/134 of 19 De-cember 1978,

Bearing in mind the decisions adopted at the tenthsession of the High-level Committee on the Review ofTechnical Cooperation among Developing Countries,held at United Nations Headquarters in New Yorkfrom 5 to 9 May 1997, in particular section B of decision10/1, on the review of the progress made in the imple-mentation of the new directions strategy for technicalcooperation among developing countries,

Considering that, insofar as technical cooperation inthe field of statistics is concerned, the Economic Com-mission for Latin America and the Caribbean hasbeen cooperating systematically to facilitate inter-institutional coordination among developed countries,international organizations and national statistical of-fices in member countries that carry out technical co-operation projects,

Bearing in mind, on the one hand, that since 1994, theOrganization of American States has collaborated withthe Commission in the organization of the Joint Or-ganization of American States/Economic Commissionfor Latin America and the Caribbean Meeting on Sta-tistical Matters and, on the other, that the PermanentExecutive Committee of the Inter-American Councilfor Integral Development of the Organization ofAmerican States, in its resolution 34 of 8 October 1998,decided to put an end to the existence, within the Or-ganization, of the Inter-American Statistical Confer-ence, whose Permanent Executive Committee hadbeen the counterpart to the Commission in the Agree-ment on Cooperation in Statistical Matters between theOrganization and the Commission of 7 October 1993,and, moreover, that the Organization has asked itsmember countries to bring the coordination of statisti-cal matters into a single entity within the framework ofthe Commission,

Bearing in mind also that the Commission has been in-cluding the Joint Organization of American States/Economic Commission for Latin America and the Car-ibbean Meeting on Statistical Matters in its programmeof work, and that, therefore, the technical, operationaland financial implications of establishing a StatisticalConference of the Americas of the Economic Commis-


sion for Latin America and the Caribbean as one of itssubsidiary bodies can be dealt with by reallocating ex-isting regular budgetary resources,

Considering that, by its resolution 34, the PermanentExecutive Committee of the Inter-American Councilfor Integral Development entrusted the representa-tives of the statistical offices of Canada, Mexico andPeru and the secretariat of the Commission with thetask of preparing a proposal on the organization andoperation of the Statistical Conference of the Americasof the Economic Commission for Latin America andthe Caribbean, the content of which was improved andapproved by consensus at the Meeting of Directors ofStatistics of the Americas, held at the headquarters ofthe Commission in Santiago from 24 to 26 March 1999,

Recalling resolution 489(PLEN.19) of the Committeeof the Whole of the Economic Commission for LatinAmerica and the Caribbean, on the intergovernmentalstructure and functions of the Commission, in whichthe Committee recommended that the current institu-tional structure of the Commission should be main-tained, Commission resolution 553(XXVI) on the re-form of the United Nations and its impact on theCommission, in which the Commission recommendedthat the current pattern of conferences of the Com-mission system should be continued, and Commis-sion resolution 573(XXVII) on technical cooperationamong developing countries and regions,

Having examined the proposal on the establishmentof the Statistical Conference of the Americas of theEconomic Commission for Latin America and the Car-ibbean, which is contained in the annex to the presentresolution,

Considering, finally, the nature of and the objectivesset forth in the proposal on the establishment of theStatistical Conference of the Americas of the EconomicCommission for Latin America and the Caribbean,

1. Approves the proposal on the establishment, asone of the subsidiary bodies of the Economic Commis-sion for Latin America and the Caribbean, of the Statis-tical Conference of the Americas of the EconomicCommission for Latin America and the Caribbean, asset forth in the annex to the present resolution, withthe observations and suggestions included in the re-port of the Commission on its twenty-eighth session;

2. Requests the Executive Secretary of the EconomicCommission for Latin America and the Caribbean tosubmit for consideration by the relevant United Na-tions bodies such proposals as may be necessary for theestablishment of the Statistical Conference of theAmericas of the Economic Commission for LatinAmerica and the Caribbean;

3. Also requests the Executive Secretary to report onthe implementation of the present resolution at thetwenty-ninth session of the Commission.

ANNEXEstablishment of the Statistical Conference of the

Americas of the Economic Commission forLatin America and the Caribbean

I. Statistical Conference of the Americas of theEconomic Commission for Latin America

and the Caribbean1. Nature

The Statistical Conference of the Americas of theEconomic Commission for Latin America and the Car-ibbean shall be a subsidiary body of the Commission

that shall contribute to the progress of policies on sta-tistics and statistical activities in the countries of the re-gion.2. Objectives

(a) To promote the development and improvementof national statistics and work to ensure that they arecomparable internationally, bearing in mind the rec-ommendations of the United Nations Statistical Com-mission, the specialized agencies and other relevant or-ganizations;

(b) To promote international, regional and bilateralcooperation among national offices and internationaland regional agencies;

(c) To draw up a biennial programme of regionaland international cooperation activities, to meet thedemands of the countries of the region, subject to theavailability of resources.3. Membership

All countries that are members of the EconomicCommission for Latin America and the Caribbean aremembers of the Conference.4. Meetings of the Conference

The Conference shall hold its regular meetings ev-ery other year. The Conference may accept an invita-tion from a member Government to hold its regularmeeting in its country.5. Membership of the Executive Committee

The Conference shall elect an Executive Committee,in accordance with the regulations established by theCommission. The Chairperson of the Executive Com-mittee shall also preside over the meetings of the Con-ference. The Executive Committee is empowered toconvene a special meeting in the interval between regu-lar meetings.6. Secretariat

The secretariat of the Economic Commission forLatin America and the Caribbean shall serve as thesecretariat of the Conference. The secretariat shallmake available to the Conference such documents andfacilities as have been approved by the Commission.

II. Executive Committee of the Conference1. Nature

The Statistical Conference of the Americas of theEconomic Commission for Latin America and the Car-ibbean shall set up an Executive Committee to supportthe Conference, as set forth in paragraph 4 below.2. Composition

The Executive Committee shall be made up of aChairperson and six members. Its members shall beelected from among the member countries of the Eco-nomic Commission for Latin America and the Carib-bean. Special attention shall be paid to ensuring thatthe subregional groups of countries are represented onthe Committee.3. Election of the Executive Committee and terms of office

At the beginning of each Conference, the Chairper-son of the Executive Committee, in consultation withthe members of the Committee and of the Conference,shall draw up a proposal on the election of the newCommittee.

The newly elected Executive Committee shall takeup its duties once the regular meeting of the Confer-ence at which it was elected has ended, and shall re-main in office until the end of the next regular meet-ing.


The members of the Executive Committee, includ-ing the Chairperson, shall be elected by the Conferenceat its regular meeting for a term of two years.

The members of the Executive Committee may bere-elected for three successive terms. The Chairpersonmay not be re-elected in that office for a second con-secutive term, but may be elected as a member of theCommittee. Anyone who has been a member of theCommittee for three successive terms may be electedagain after two years have elapsed since the end of thatperson's last term of office.4. Duties

The Executive Committee shall have the followingduties:

(a) To carry out the tasks assigned to it by the Con-ference;

(b) To draw up, every two years, a biennial pro-gramme of activities of regional and international co-operation on statistical matters, to be submitted at theregular meeting of the Conference;

(c) To follow up the implementation of the agree-ments reached at the Conference and the tasks en-trusted to it by the Conference, particularly the bien-nial programme of activities referred to in section I,paragraph 2 (c), above;

(d) To decide on the documentation required for itsmeetings. As a general rule, no substantive discussionshall be initiated unless an appropriate document isavailable. The secretariat shall be responsible for facili-tating compliance with this rule.5. Meetings

The Executive Committee shall meet at least twiceduring the interval between regular meetings of theConference. At the meeting preceding the Conference,it shall approve a biennial programme of activities ofthe Conference, which shall be presented at the regularmeeting of the Conference.

The Executive Committee may invite to its meetingsany countries or experts who can make a contributionto the fulfilment of its duties.

Technical cooperation and assistanceThe Commission considered a report on

ECLAC activities to promote and support techni-cal cooperation among developing countries(TCDC) and regions during the 1998-1999 bien-nium [LC/G.2081(SES.28/13)].

In a resolution on TCDC [res. 583(XXVIII)], theCommission took note of the report and empha-sized the need to strengthen the activities of re-gional Governments in enhancing the use ofTCDC mechanisms and modalities in the priorityareas of public economic and social developmentpolicy, and the need for more resources for devel-opment cooperation from developed countriesand multilateral agencies. It set out actions theExecutive Secretary should take towards thatend, including intensifying the incorporationof TCDC modalities in the secretariat's workprogramme; holding consultations to identifypriority areas for TCDC in member countries; un-derscoring the need for a new concept of co-

operation that emphasized the transfer of re-sources, and consulting with member States onnew measurement criteria that took into accountthe increasing inequity in the region; broadeningthe dissemination of information on technicalcooperation projects and activities to national fo-cal points for development cooperation, with spe-cial emphasis on the use of global informationnetworks; strengthening the exchange of experi-ences and best practices of countries in technicalcooperation projects; and supporting trainingprogrammes that enabled countries of the regionto make greater and better use of global co-operation funds and programmes.

Subregional activities

CaribbeanIn 2000, the ECLAC subregional headquarters

for the Caribbean—the secretariat of the Carib-bean Development and Cooperation Committee(CDCC) (Port of Spain)—celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary.

CDCC, at its eighteenth session (Port of Spain,30 March-1 April), reviewed its programme ofwork for 1998-1999 and adopted the programmefor 2002-2003. It adopted a resolution requestinga comprehensive review of its Constituent Decla-ration and Functions and Rules of Procedure. Italso adopted resolutions on support for activitiesto implement the Programme of Action of the In-ternational Conference on Population and De-velopment [YUN 1994, p. 955]; the work of the ECLACsubregional headquarters for the Caribbean; im-plementation of the Programme of Action for theSustainable Development of Small Island Devel-oping States [ibid., p. 783]; the importance of eco-nomic and social data in the planning and policyformulation process in CDCC member countries;activities to implement the Beijing Platform forAction [YUN 1995, p. 1170]; integrated managementof the Caribbean Sea; and the 1975 ChaguaramasDeclaration, which established the CaribbeanDevelopment and Cooperation Committee.

The Commission noted the report of CDCC'seighteenth session and endorsed the resolutionsadopted [res. 585(XXVIII)].

Mexico and Central AmericaThe ECLAC subregional headquarters in Mex-

ico City placed emphasis on the review of struc-tural reform policies, trends in foreign direct in-vestment, social marginalization, the widerparticipation of women, economic integrationand sectoral competitiveness. The main analysisactivities carried out included a review of the eco-nomic situation in the 10 countries served by the


subregional headquarters; the mobilization ofresources to assess the economic, environmentaland social consequences of natural disasters; thestudy "Desarrollo economico y social en la Repu-blica Dominicana: los ultimos 20 anos y perspec-tives para el siglo XXI"; the dissemination of thesecond and expanded edition of The Cuban econ-omy: structural reforms and economic performance inthe 1990s; and cooperation in the activities of thePanama-Puebla Plan, in particular the review ofcompatibility between the regional proposal fortransformation and modernization of CentralAmerica and the "Mexico" chapter of the Plan,and support for the Meso-American initiativesand the 17 projects approved by the Presidents.

3. Approves the holding of the twenty-ninth sessionof the Economic Commission for Latin America andthe Caribbean during the first half of 2002.

Western Asia

The Economic and Social Commission forWestern Asia (ESCWA) did not meet in 2000, nordid its Preparatory Committee.

The Commission's twenty-first session was tobe held in Beirut, Lebanon, on 10 and 11 May2001.

Programme and organizational questionsThe Commission approved the draft pro-

gramme of work of the ECLAC system [LC/G.2075(SES.28/7)], including ILPES, for the 2002-2003 bi-ennium [res. 578(XXVIII)]. Activities were proposedunder 12 subprogrammes. The Commission re-quested the Ad Hoc Working Group, establishedpursuant to resolution 553(XXVI) [YUN 1996,p. 930], to continue to collaborate with the Execu-tive Secretary in setting priorities for the pro-gramme of work and in the debate and analysis ofstrategic directions for future activities of theCommission, and called on the Executive Secre-tary to ensure that the member States of the Cen-tral American isthmus and the Caribbean partici-pated meaningfully in all areas of the workprogramme. The Commission also approvedthe ECLAC calender of conferences [LC/G.2076(SES.28/8)] for 2000-2002 [res. 579(XXVIII)].

Venue and date oftwenty-ninth session of ECLAC

On 25 July [meeting 39], the Economic and SocialCouncil, acting on ECLAC's recommendation[E/2000/10/Add.3], adopted resolution 2000/8without vote [agenda item 10].

Place and date of the twenty-ninth session of theEconomic Commission for Latin America

and the CaribbeanThe Economic and Social Council,Bearing in mind paragraph 15 of the terms of refer-

ence of the Economic Commission for Latin Americaand the Caribbean and rules 1 and 2 of its rules of pro-cedure,

Considering the invitation of the Government of Bra-zil to hold the twenty-ninth session of the Commissionin that country,

1. Expresses its gratitude to the Government of Brazilfor its generous invitation;

2. Accepts this invitation with pleasure;

Economic and social trends

Economic trendsEconomic growth, boosted by the oil sector, ac-

celerated in the ESCWA region in 2000, accordingto the summary of the survey of economic and so-cial developments in the region [E/2001/16]. Thecombined real GDP of ESCWA members, excludingIraq, was estimated to have grown by 4.5 per cent,considerably higher than the 1.7 and 2.7 per centregistered in 1999 and 1998, respectively. For themajority of members, the acceleration was due tothe surge in oil prices and revenues, but economicreform and liberalization policies pursued in theGulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Bah-rain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UnitedArab Emirates) were also important.

Real GDP growth rates varied significantly be-tween the GCC countries and those ESCWA mem-bers with more diversified economies (Egypt,Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syrian Arab Republic,West Bank and Gaza Strip, Yemen), and amongthe members of each group. The combined realGDP growth rate for the GCC countries as a groupwas 5 per cent, while in the more diversifiedeconomies, excluding Iraq, it was 3.7 per cent.

Among the GCC countries, the highest eco-nomic growth rates in 2000 were registered inQatar and the United Arab Emirates, and thelowest rates in Kuwait and Oman. Among ESCWAmembers with more diversified economies,Egypt, Jordan and Yemen achieved estimatedreal GDP growth rates of 3.2 per cent or higher,while the Syrian Arab Republic witnessed esti-mated real GDP growth of 2.5 per cent. Lebanonwitnessed zero growth and real GDP was esti-mated to have declined by 3.5 per cent in the WestBank and Gaza Strip. As for Iraq, economicgrowth was estimated to have increased, owingmainly to higher oil production and revenues,but UN economic sanctions continued to depresseconomic conditions in the country.


For most of the ESCWA members with more di-versified economies, labour-market conditionsremained generally unfavourable for job-seekers.Developments in the labour markets in 2000 dif-fered between the members with more diversi-fied economies and the GCC countries, andamong the members of each group. By far themost adverse developments in the labour markettook place in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as theclosure of those areas by Israeli authorities re-sulted in instant additional unemployment ofabout 125,000 workers with jobs in Israel. Theunemployment rate in the West Bank and GazaStrip was 11 per cent during the first half of 2000;in the second half of the year, during border clo-sures, the unemployment rate was estimated tohave reached close to 30 per cent. In the GCCcountries, expatriate workers accounted for a ma-jor share of the total labour force, ranging fromabout 33 per cent in Bahrain to almost 90 percent in the United Arab Emirates.

Inflation rates remained low, with most ESCWAmembers having inflation rates of lower than 3per cent. In the GCC countries, inflation ratesranged from 0.8 per cent in Bahrain to 2.6 percent in Kuwait, according to preliminary esti-mates. Lebanon had the lowest inflation rate,negative 0.8 per cent, among the members withmore diversified economies and in the region as awhole. Yemen and the West Bank and Gaza Striphad the highest inflation rates, estimated at 8.5per cent and 8 per cent, respectively.

The jump in oil revenues during the secondhalf of 2000 enabled most GCC countries to fi-nance their projected 2000 fiscal year budgetdeficits. The considerably higher oil revenues al-lowed them not only to increase capital expendi-tures but also to reduce, or eliminate altogether,their respective budget deficits.

OilIn 2000, the oil sector performed exceptionally

well in most countries of the region. World oilprices surged by 58 per cent, and the region's oilproduction increased by 6.3 per cent and its oilrevenues by 68.3 per cent to reach $163 billion in2000. That was more than twice the 1998 level of$70 billion and 68.3 per cent larger than its 1999level of $96.6 billion. The region's oil revenues in2000 were at their highest level since 1981, whenthey totalled $171.6 billion. The combined oilrevenues of the GCC countries amounted to $130billion, an increase of $54 billion over the 1999level. Saudi Arabia's oil revenues alone were esti-mated at $74.3 billion for 2000, which was about$31 billion more than the level for the precedingyear.

TradeThe overall trade performance in 2000 was

again driven by the performance of oil exports inthe region. Exports of GCC countries were esti-mated to have increased by 56 per cent. Amongthe group of more diversified countries, the oil-exporting countries also registered high growthin their exports on account of high oil prices—39per cent for Egypt, 22 per cent for the SyrianArab Republic and 72 per cent for Yemen. Othermore diversified countries, however, had a rela-tively weak export performance—7 per cent forJordan and a low 3 per cent for Lebanon.

Intraregional exports increased by an esti-mated 2 per cent during the first two quarters of2000. Among the GCC countries, the share of in-traregional exports in total exports was highestfor Bahrain, at 34 per cent, 15 per cent for Omanand 9 per cent for the United Arab Emirates.Among the more diversified economies, intra-regional exports accounted for 40 per cent and30 per cent of the exports of Lebanon and Jor-dan, respectively. Egypt had the highest level ofexports to the region of all the more diversifiedcountries ($459 million). The increase in oilprices and revenues led to increased economicgrowth and a rise in imports in the ESCWA region.The total imports of the ESCWA region (excludingIraq and the West Bank and Gaza Strip) rose by11 per cent in 2000. GCC countries registered a12 per cent growth rate of imports between 1999and 2000, except the United Arab Emirates andOman, which registered much lower rates owingto relatively lower reliance on oil revenue. Im-ports of the more diversified economies grew atabout 9 per cent between 1999 and 2000. How-ever, imports to Lebanon came to a virtual haltduring 2000 as the country was burdened by eco-nomic stagnation.

Social trendsThe ESCWA region had undergone significant

social and demographic change. Populationgrowth and the resultant urbanization and mi-gration in the region were posing serious chal-lenges reflected in growing poverty, inadequateshelter, deterioration in the quality of educationand health services, rising unemployment, mi-gration and the brain drain. There were signsthat certain population groups had been mar-ginalized and that an invisible gender division oflabour had emerged. There were also challengesposed by globalization and the revolution in com-munications technology.

Public expenditure on social support systems,particularly care for the elderly and disabled per-sons, was less than adequate in many countries ofthe region, while the role of the family and the


community in providing services to their mem-bers in need was being emphasized. The family,as the primary form of "bonding social capital",was still a powerful and important cell for nurtur-ing, education and caregiving. The demographictransformation in the ESCWA region indicated arapid decline in children aged O to 14 and an in-crease in the proportion of the working-agegroup (25-64 years), accompanied by an increasein the relative weight of the elderly (65 years andover). Those demographic transformations wereadding to the burden on the family of providingcare for the elderly, particularly when family sizewas being reduced. That, compounded by othersocial transformations, had begun to reduce thefamily's capacity to provide proper care for theelderly and the needy in the ESCWA region.

The outlook for the future, both immediatelyand in the medium term, for most countries inthe region did not indicate that the issue of build-ing up social capital for institutionalizing partici-patory development would become the priorityconcern of planners and policy makers in the re-gion.

Activities in 2000During 2000, ESCWA activities under the

2000-2001 work programme [YUN 1999, p. 954] fo-cused on regional follow-up to global confer-ences, environment, poverty, civil society institu-tions, gender, WTO and related concerns,globalization, electronic commerce and freetrade in the region, as well as gender main-streaming and human rights.

Economic development and cooperationESCWA published the Survey of Economic and So-

cial Developments in the ESCWA Region, 1999-2000[Sales No. E.00.II.L.7], which monitored and ana-lysed the region's macroeconomic policies andeconomic developments in 2000 and provided aforecast for 2001. It also underlined science andtechnology issues and gender-sensitive participa-tory development. The Preliminary Overview ofEconomic Developments in the ESCWA Region in2000 [E/ESCWA/ED/2000/5] provided the businesscommunity and policy makers with an early as-sessment of the region's economic performanceand the direction of economic changes.

ESCWA undertook a study and convened an ex-pert group meeting (Beirut, 8-10 November) toassess the electronic commerce environment inthe region, discuss the constraints faced by com-panies in the use of e-commerce and the role ofGovernments in regulating and promoting it,and formulate policies and measures to enhance

its use. The "Comparative study on corporatetax: prospects for harmonization in the ESCWA re-gion" was finalized. The Expert Panel on Infor-mation Technology and Development Priorities:Competing in a Knowledge-based Global Econ-omy (Beirut, 15-16 May) provided input to thehigh-level segment of the substantive session ofthe Economic and Social Council on the role ofinformation technology in the context of aknowledge-based global economy (see p. 799). Itwas followed by another expert group meeting oncapacity-building initiatives for the twenty-firstcentury in technology (Beirut, 1-3 November),which promoted capacity-building schemes inthe region, including technology parks, technol-ogy incubators and high-technology clusters.

In agriculture, a study was issued on the har-monization of norms, standards and legal instru-ments for selected agricultural inputs. A work-shop on capacity-building in on-farm water-useefficiency (Beirut, 13-23 November) was organ-ized to increase awareness of the critical watersituation, especially its availability for agricul-tural use; increase efficiency and productivity inwater development and use; and identify meth-ods of obtaining quantitative measurements ofon-farm water-use efficiency and provide train-ing on the use of those methods.

TransportationESCWA member countries considered the fa-

cilitation of transport and trade between them animportant issue requiring regional cooperationif intraregional trade, which was currentlyseverely limited, was to be increased. In that con-nection, an expert group meeting on coordina-tion of transport policies to facilitate transbound-ary flows (Beirut, 26-28 September) assessed theimpact of regional and international develop-ments in the transport sector on ESCWA membersand considered the role of each of the three ele-ments involved in the development of an inte-grated transport system: a complementary trans-port network, a related transport data networkand a methodological framework.

StatisticsSupport continued for the implementation of

the 1993 System of National Accounts (SNA) [YUN1993, p. 1112]. A workshop on the links between thebalance of payments and the 1993 SNA was organ-ized in cooperation with the UN Statistics Divi-sion and the International Monetary Fund (Bei-rut, 27-29 June) to facilitate the exchange ofexperiences; update information in those twoareas, especially with regard to the definitions,classifications and concepts associated with the


1993 SNA; and discuss methods of registering,evaluating and estimating accounts, in particularaccounts of transactions with the rest of theworld. A Dictionary of National Accounts Terms com-prised complementary sections in English, Frenchand Arabic and was prepared in cooperation withthe Council of Arab Economic Unity of theLeague of Arab States.

Another workshop was organized on economi-cally active population: employment, unemploy-ment and underemployment (Cairo, 17-21 Sep-tember) to provide training and upgradespecialists' information and skills in line with in-ternational guidelines for the measurement ofvarious aspects of the economically active popu-lation. The Regional Meeting on Social Indica-tors within the Framework of the Implementa-tion and Follow-up of Major United NationsConferences and Summits in the Arab Countries(Muscat, Oman, 29 October-1 November) pre-sented national efforts to harmonize basic indica-tors; exchanged views on ways of linking the com-mon country assessment with policies foralleviating poverty and reducing unemployment;and assessed the progress made by national pro-grammes in filling the gaps in data and informa-tion and improving their reliability and accuracy.Publications issued on statistical issues includedthe Statistical Abstract of the ESCWA Region 2000(No. 20), the National Accounts Studies of theESCWA Region (No. 20), the Bulletin on Vital Statis-tics in the ESCWA Region (No. 3) and the ExternalTrade Bulletin of the ESCWA Region (No. 10).

Natural resources, energy and environmentThe Committee on Water Resources, at its

fourth session (Beirut, 14-17 November), re-viewed the work carried out by the Energy, Natu-ral Resources and Environment Division during1998-1999, examined the draft programme ofwork for the 2002-2003 biennium and reviewedthe recommendations of expert group meetingsheld in 2000. An expert group meeting on impli-cations of groundwater rehabilitation for waterresources protection and conservation was heldconcurrently with the Committee session. Thesecretariat convened an expert group meeting onlegal aspects of the management of shared waterresources in the ESCWA region (Sharm el-Sheikh,Egypt, 8-11 June) to discuss the legal aspects ofshared water resources and the impact of theConvention on the Law of the Non-navigationalUses of International Watercourses, adopted bythe General Assembly in resolution 51/229 [YUN1997, p. 1336].

An expert group meeting on disseminatingrenewable energy technologies in ESCWA mem-ber States (Beirut, 2-5 October) was convened to

exchange views and experiences, including op-portunities and challenges in the development ofrenewable energy (especially solar energy), re-gional and international initiatives and pro-grammes for promoting its use, prospects forrenewable energy electricity generation, andpolicies, regulations and financing mechanismsrelating to renewable energy. The Seminar onthe Initiation of the ESCWA Renewable EnergyPromotion Mechanism (Beirut, 5 October) dis-cussed the updated proposal for the Mechanismand the framework for renewable energy countryprofiles. By October 2000, 11 ESCWA membershad agreed to participate in the Mechanism andhad nominated concerned national authorities torepresent them as national focal points.

Quality of lifeThe work of the Social Development Issues

and Policies Division focused on building on ear-lier work relating to poverty alleviation, follow-up to global conferences, human resources devel-opment and marginalized groups. It issuedstudies on the role of microcredit in poverty alle-viation: profile of the microcredit sector in Leba-non, and on female-headed households inselected conflict-stricken ESCWA areas: an ex-ploratory survey for formulating poverty allevia-tion policies, covering Lebanon, the West Bank,the Gaza Strip and Yemen.

A round-table discussion was arranged oncapacity-building of NGOs to follow up on the im-plementation of the recommendations of globalconferences (Cairo, 19-21 September). Work con-tinued on a local community development proj-ect aimed at mobilizing local capabilities and re-sources and promoting self-reliance. Under theproject, workshops for training local communitydevelopment workers were held in Jordan(15-26 July), the Syrian Arab Republic (29July-9 August) and Lebanon (11-21 September).

An expert group meeting (Beirut, 25-26 Octo-ber) was held on appropriate technologies for ac-cessing population information in the ESCWA re-gion. The Division completed No. 48 of thePopulation Bulletin, which focused on improvingdemographic analysis through increased atten-tion to accuracy in reporting projections and cen-sus figures relating to fertility and death rates inIraq and Kuwait.

A high-level Arab meeting for follow-up on theimplementation of the Habitat Agenda (Istan-bul+5) (Manama, Bahrain, 16-18 October) as-sessed urban development trends in the Arabcountries since 1996, examined local and na-tional urban development strategies and ex-plored future prospects for housing and humansettlements in the Arab countries. The meeting


adopted the main rules and procedures for im-plementing the Habitat Agenda [YUN 1996, p. 994]in the Arab region, as well as the Manama Decla-ration on Cities and Human Settlements in theNew Millennium.

An expert group meeting on the dynamics ofsustainable social development: interlinkageswith migration, poverty and urbanization (Bei-rut, 15-17 November) was organized to identify orprovide the means for planning and monitoringurban development, designing integrated localdevelopment strategies and disseminating infor-mation on best practices in sustainable urban de-velopment.

Technical cooperation activities were carriedout to assist disabled persons, including com-

puter Braille and income-generating activitiesfor blind persons in the West Bank and GazaStrip. Two workshops were held to promote self-reliance, with emphasis on employment: one inBourj al-Barajneh, Lebanon, focused on how tostart small-scale businesses (10-27 July) and theother was on self-reliance and advocacy for dis-abled persons (25-29 September).

Gender issues were considered in a report"Gender and citizenship and the role of NGOs inconflict-stricken ESCWA member countries: casestudy of Lebanon". National workshops on thedevelopment of national gender statistics pro-grammes in the Arab countries were held in Mus-cat (27-29 February), Algiers, Algeria (29-30March), and Tunis, Tunisia (23-24 November).

Regional economic and social activities 923 Chapter V ...

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