The Dialogue of the Executive Secretaries with the Second Committee on Inter-regional Cooperation: An

Enabler for the Post-2015 Development Agenda

Mr. Sven AlkalajMr. Sven AlkalajUnited Nations Under-Secretary-GeneralUnited Nations Under-Secretary-General

Executive SecretaryExecutive SecretaryEconomic Commission for EuropeEconomic Commission for Europe

United Nations, New York United Nations, New York October 31, 2013October 31, 2013

– Countries must increase their bilateral cooperation

– Institutional structures need to be enhanced that can better facilitate cooperation within regions, between regions and globally

Strengthened inter-governmental cooperation will be essential for addressing the Pan-European regions' economic, environmental and social challenges.

The recent history of the region has presented unique challenges

‒ In eastern Europe disintegration accompanied the transition from planned economies to market economies

‒ Much has been achieved over the last two decades

‒ 11 former economies in transition are now members of the European Union

‒ All of non-EU south-east European economies are in CEFTA and have Stabilization and Association Agreements with EU

‒ Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan Customs Union progressively moving towards economic union

‒ EU is negotiating Partnership and Cooperative Agreements with many former Soviet Union economies

‒ UN SPECA strengthening cooperation in central Asia

‒ EU-Canada and EU-US trade and investment agreements

ECE programmes and activities address core developmental challenges faced by middle income countries, these have been shared and replicated with other regions

– National Policy Dialogue on Water

– ECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes

– Environmental Performance Reviews

– ECE Statistics programme in developing statistical standards, manuals, guidelines, and recommendations

– The ECE Transport Division administers a large number of legal instruments to facilitate transport activities regarding border crossing facilitation, road traffic and road safety, the design of road vehicles, and the transport of dangerous goods

• Euro-Asian Transport Links

Examples: Environment, Statistics, Transport

ECE programmes and activities address core developmental challenges faced by middle income countries, these have been shared and replicated with other regions

‒ Guides for Trade facilitation implementation, Development and operation of single windows, Design of regulatory systems

‒ Public-Private Partnerships: the ECE International PPP Center of Excellence

‒ UNDA SPECA project on adopting green technologies

‒ Innovation Performance Reviews

‒ Global Energy Efficiency 21 programme

‒ ECE Real Estate Market Advisory Group

‒ Non-ECE states participate in ECE Working Parties on Agricultural Standards, Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business, and Expert Group on Resource Classification.

Examples: Trade, PPPs, SPECA, Innovation, Housing, etc.

Inter-regional cooperation

The ECE does not work on social issues, particularly poverty and inequality and our Member States could possibly benefit from programmes developed in the other regional commissions

Any discussion of inter-regional cooperation must address the global partnership for development

–This partnership under the MDGs has been inadequate in a number of areas and more attention will be needed towards creating measurable goals for the post-2015 agenda to ensure accountability

The Dialogue of the Executive Secretaries with the Second Committee on Inter-regional Cooperation: An Enabler for the Post-2015 Development Agenda

Thank you!

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