• 800px
  • 1024px
  • 100%
Today: May 17, 2008 Statistics

UN Special Programme for the Economies of CA SPECA

The United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) is a joint undertaking of the Central Asian countries (the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan), the UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The Programme has been given support by the Central Asian countries and the UN Secretary-General. The UN Resident Coordinators and the Executive Committee of the Interstate Council of the Central Asian Economic Union (CAEU) are rendering help in implementation of SPECA.

The main aim of SPECA is mobilizing additional internal and external funds to solve the priority problems that can be solved more efficiently by joint effort of the region's countries rather than at the level of one single country.

The Tashkent Declaration on the SPECA of March 26, 1998 is the fundamental document of the Programme determining the main directions and methods of its implementation. By Tashkent Declaration implementation of the SPECA programme starts with identifying priority programme areas with active countries:

  • Transport infrastructure development and simplification of transborder issues on trade and people - Kazakhstan;
  • Efficient and effective energy and water resources management in Central Asia – Kyrgyz Republic;
  • International economic conference on Tajikistan, joint regional development strategy and attraction of foreign investments - Tajikistan;
  • Regional cooperation on multichoice hydrocarbon communications to world market – Turkmenistan;
  • Reconstruction of industrial enterprises for creation of international competitive industrial enterprises - Uzbekistan.

The Programme is open for support from the countries of other regions, first of all, the countries that are active trade and economic partners of Central Asian states. Donor states and UN agencies as well as international financial institutions can render material and other assistance to SPECA's projects and participate in their implementation. Active participation of business community in the Programme is possible as well. Currently the programme has been given support from Russia, USA, France, Netherlands, Japan, Korea, Turkey, and international organizations.

The supreme management body of the Program is a Regional Advisory Committee (RAC). It includes National Coordinators from each participating country, ECE and ESCAP Executive Secretaries, UNDP Resident Coordinator in the country that is presiding in RAC, and ECE and ESCAP Coordinators on SPECA issues in the capacity of secretary-advisors to the RAC Chairman.

Each member-state of SPECA appoints a National Coordinator at the level of a Prime Minister or his deputy. The functions of a National Coordinator include:

  • Formation of a national delegation in line with the approved directions of SPECA activities, general management of the delegation's work and coordination of interaction with other national delegations;
  • General management of a PWG, on which the given country is leading;
  • Representation of the respective states in the SPECA's RAC.

A SPECA Regional Programme Office (RPO) will fulfill the functions of a storage and distributor of information on SPECA projects, render technical assistance in implementation of the Program and provide communication (including through electronic mail and Internet) among the UNDP offices in the SPECA member-states, the ECE and ESCAP headquarters, and also with the Executive Committee of the CAEU Interstate Council.

The office renders support to the experts of the Regional Commissions who come to work in the countries of the region, helps to organize meetings of experts dealing with implementation of the Programme's projects, and also in coordination of the activities aimed at completion of projects and subsequent activity.

 

Useful links: