EU Presidency Statement - Regional cooperation

Mr. Chairman,

I have the honor of speaking on behalf of the European Union. The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union (Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia) and the other associated countries (Cyprus, Malta and Turkey) align themselves with this statement.

First of all, the European Union would once again congratulate Ms Danuta Hubner and Mr. Kim Hak-Su on their appointment to the positions of Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe and Executive Secretary of ESCAP respectively.

We also wish to thank the General Secretariat and the secretariats of the five regional commissions for the high quality of the reports distributed under item 10 of the agenda.

The regional commissions have achieved a degree of expertise recognized within the United Nations system. Their knowledge of economic and social developments in the regions, together with infra-regional differences, is vitally important in helping us to ensure that any action which is taken is appropriate to address the issues and meet the challenges specific to each country within the same geographical area.

In this connection, the European Union wishes to reaffirm the importance of the role played by the regional commissions within the United Nations system.

The regional commissions make a substantial contribution towards strengthening economic, social and cultural links and exchanges between countries in the same region. Through their activities, they help to integrate economies into international trade and create an environment which favors growth, investment and sustainable development. Finally, they play a part in promoting peace and security and establishing conditions favorable to the settlement of conflicts.

In all these areas, we consider that the efforts made to bring about greater regional integration need to be encouraged. There is scope for further progress.

Mr. Chairman,

We have already had numerous opportunities during this substantive session of ECOSOC to underline the importance of increased coordination and cooperation between parties pursuing common objectives. The same applies to the activities of the regional economic commissions. Strengthening partnerships between organizations involved in the same region will enable us to mobilize resources more efficiently and share experience gained - in short, it will give us a better chance of attaining the objectives set. Various examples testify to that fact.

At the 55th annual session of the Economic Commission for Europe, the European Union supported the steps taken to encourage closer cooperation between the ECE/UN, the OSCE and the Council of Europe in order to speed up the economic regeneration of south-eastern Europe. We have also noted with interest the active participation of the Economic Commission for Europe in the work of the SECI (Southeast European Cooperative Initiative). That initiative, which supplements the Royaumont process, aims to implement the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe, with which the European Union is very closely involved.

In the same spirit of achieving a synergy of activities, efforts to bring about the economic integration of Africa must continue. In that connection, it seems that the momentum given by the Economic Commission for Africa, the OAU and regional cooperation bodies such as the SADC (Southern African Development Community) and ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) must be kept up if it is fully to bear fruit.

We would also draw your attention, Mr. Chairman, to the benefits of closer cooperation between the European Union and the United Nations Economic Commissions. With regard to "contact" regions, such as the Mediterranean area, the ECE/UN Secretariat has taken the initiative of drawing up common proposals in conjunction with the ECA and the ESCWA. Coordinated action by these three Commissions in their respective areas of expertise would have definite advantages. Consequently, the European Union, which has become involved in the "Barcelona process" with respect to the Mediterranean, hopes that it can be kept informed of any proposals examined in order to avoid the risk of duplicating initiatives.

With regard to South-East Asia, the European Union is granting almost EUR 120 million to eight countries in the Pacific under the programs implemented by the eighth European Development Fund. These programs relate to the protection and management of natural resources, the environment and the development of human resources, together with various projects in favor of fisheries, tourism, agriculture and transport. We would therefore encourage the ESCAP Secretariat to continue the dialogue initiated with the European Commission staff in order to seek ways of increasing complementarity in these areas.

In addition to the various national programs relating to cooperation with ECLAC, we would be in favor of closer cooperation between that organization and the EU as such, as that Commission - in particular on the basis of the detailed studies which it has carried out - is making an important contribution towards furthering regional economic cooperation, which the EU also considers to be the most appropriate means of encouraging the growth of developing countries. In addition, in the spirit of the free trade agreement concluded with Mexico, the EU is continuing its trade negotiations with MERCOSUR and the Caribbean region.

Mr. Chairman,

Finally, the European Union welcomes and encourages the continued efforts made by the secretariats of each of the regional commissions to streamline their resources. In order to ensure that our projects have every chance of succeeding and to avoid the temptation to disperse operations, we propose that you continue with your efforts to target projects undertaken, define strategies for action and concentrate activities on a smaller number of areas.

Moreover, as the high-level segment on information technologies has opportunely reminded us, the productivity gains linked to an appropriate use of computer tools are enormous. The distribution of publications and meeting documents on the Internet should therefore enable us to reduce reprographical costs, which remain very high in each of the commissions.

Finally, the European Union wishes to underline the very useful role played by the regional commissions in the preparatory process to the recent review processes of the UN major conferences and summits. We can only encourage them to get even more closely involved in future review processes.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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• EU Presidency Statement - Regional cooperation (20/7/2001)