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E/ESCWA/PPTCD/2007/WG.1/3
22 February 2008
ENGLISH
ORIGINAL: ARABIC
REPORT
Preparatory meeting on the Establishment of a Technical
Cooperation Knowledge-Sharing Network
Cairo, 28-30 October 2007
SummaryFrom 28 to 30 October 2007, the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) held a preparatory meeting in Cairo between member country representatives and ESCWA experts, with the aim of discussing the establishment of a technical cooperation network to strengthen coordination, communication and the exchange of views between member countries and ESCWA in respect of the technical cooperation programme.
The meeting was held pursuant to resolution 258 (XXIII) of 12 May 2005, adopted at the twenty-third ESCWA session, which was held in Damascus from 9 to 12 May 2005, concerning Strengthening Technical Cooperation in the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. The resolution requested the Executive Secretary to establish a technical cooperation information and knowledge-sharing network with member countries, with a view to strengthening and coordinating technical cooperation activities. The meeting was also pursuant to ESCWA resolution 275 (XXIV) of 11 May 2006, adopted during the twenty-fourth ESCWA session, which was held in Beirut from 8 to 11 May 2006.
The priorities for ESCWA and the technical cooperation programme which were presented at the meeting are set forth in E/ESCWA/23/5(Part III)/Add.1, Technical cooperation strategy, which was approved at the twenty-third ESCWA session. The ESCWA regional advisors made presentations on their work, and the meeting discussed the outcomes of three workshops held by participants on a number of issues related to the technical cooperation programme which ESCWA has decided to implement and, in particular, the subject of the establishment of a technical cooperation network for information-sharing.
Following the presentations and discussions, participants agreed on the objectives and guidelines of the network, procedures relating to the technical cooperation network website, and means of coordinating between ESCWA and member countries.
This report includes a summary of the most important discussions which took place during the meeting and the recommendations that were made.
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CONTENTS
Paragraphs Page
Introduction 1-4 3
Chapter
I. OUTCOMES AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5 3
II. ISSUES DISCUSSED 6-11 4
A. Objectives of the technical cooperation network 8 4
B. Functions of the technical cooperation network 9 5
C. Measures related to the technical cooperation network website 10 5
D. Means of coordination between ESCWA and member countries 11 6
III. ORGANIZATION OF WORK 12-21 7
A. Date and venue 12 7
B. Opening 13-18 7
C. Participants 19 8
D. Agenda 20 8
E. Documents 21 8
Annexes
I. List of participants 9
II. List of documents 13
INTRODUCTION
1. The Programme Planning and Technical Cooperation Division of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) organized a preparatory meeting between member country representatives and ESCWA experts in the planning of technical cooperation programmes and follow-up of their implementation, on the establishment of a technical cooperation network.
2. Activities to be undertaken by the proposed network include the coordination and follow-up of ESCWA advisory service programmes carried out by regional advisors, preparation and implementation of training programmes in the fields designated as most pressing by member countries, and implementation of extrabudgetary national and regional projects.
3. The meeting was held pursuant to resolution 258 (XXIII) of 12 May 2005, adopted at the twenty-third ESCWA session, which was held in Damascus from 9 to 12 May 2005, concerning Strengthening Technical Cooperation in the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. The resolution requested the Executive Secretary to establish a technical cooperation information and knowledge-sharing network with member countries, with a view to strengthening and coordinating technical cooperation activities. The meeting was also pursuant to ESCWA resolution 275 (XXIV) of 11 May 2006, adopted during the twenty-fourth ESCWA session, which was held in Beirut from 8 to 11 May 2006.
4. The aim of the meeting was to establish a network for technical cooperation which will serve as a platform for strengthening coordination, communication and the interchange of views on advisory services, the implementation of training programmes and field projects; ascertain priority objectives as dictated by the needs of member countries; establish basic guidelines to assist countries in fully benefiting from the technical cooperation programmes implemented by ESCWA; and assist in improving the interchange of information, and successful experiences acquired expertise that will strengthen existing partnerships and create new ones between interested parties at the national, regional and international levels.
I. OUTCOMES AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5. In the light of the presentations made and discussions held during the meeting, participants devised the following outcomes and recommendations:
Meeting participants,
Considering the importance of technical cooperation programme activities to ESCWA member countries;
Cognizant of the needs and expectations of member countries in respect of technical cooperation;
Cognizant also of the need to strengthen the ESCWA technical cooperation programme;
Noting the importance of establishing a technical cooperation network with the objective of increasing and strengthening ESCWA technical cooperation programme services and those provided by member countries to each other;
Propose the following to member countries:
(a) Coordination and follow-up with ESCWA should be strengthened in order to support and implement technical cooperation programmes;
(b) ESCWA activities should be supported by contributing to the development of a database of national, regional and international experts in order to permit ESCWA to benefit from their expertise when implementing its programmes;
(c) The interchange of expertise and successful experiences should be accelerated through the technical cooperation network;
(d) Implementation of the activities of the technical cooperation programme in the fields of advisory services, training and projects should be coordinated and followed up with the national agencies through a focal point in the Arab countries.
Request ESCWA to do the following:
(a) Inform the media and the relevant ministries of the establishment of the technical cooperation network and commission a specialized agency to carry out a detailed adjustment of its implementation;
(b) Request an increase in financial resources for the technical cooperation programme from the regular budget;
(c) Build the capacities of focal points before the next ministerial session;
(d) Accelerate measures to activate the network and create continuity mechanisms;
(e) Increase the number of regional advisors working on the technical cooperation programme in the specializations designated by member countries as most pressing, and attempt to attract greater numbers of short-term consultants.
II. ISSUES DISCUSSED
6. Participants considered the items on the agenda. During the discussions following the presentations, they offered their comments, opinions and proposals, which were taken into consideration in the formulation of the final recommendations issued by the meeting.
7. Set forth below is a summary of the issues which were discussed at the meeting and the most important points that were raised in the course of the discussions.
A. Objectives of the technical cooperation network
8. The objectives of the technical cooperation network are the following:
(a) To strengthen communication and follow-up between member countries and ESCWA on matters pertaining to the technical cooperation programme;
(b) To create a mechanism for the interchange of views, data and expertise, and become familiar with the goals and priorities of the member countries for the improvement of technical cooperation programme performance;
(c) To share knowledge and successful experiences which may assist decision makers in the region to devise and develop national strategies for achieving the Millennium Development Goals, building an information society supported by knowledge-based economies, improving productivity and achieving sustainable growth;
(d) To focus on activities that will improve the performance of the technical cooperation programme, thereby enabling member countries to benefit from the lessons learned in respect of policy formulation, capacity building and problem solving;
(e) To respond to member country needs by strengthening coordination with national focal points by the use of such means of information and communications technology as the Internet and new communication methods;
(f) To strengthen regional integration and coordination between member countries.
B. Fucntions of the technical cooperation network
9. The functions of the technical cooperation network are the following:
(a) To provide coordination between member countries by facilitating cooperation and increasing the contribution made by ESCWA in providing technical cooperation services pertaining to matters of common interest to members of the technical cooperation network;
(b) To use the focal points nominated by the relevant ministries of member countries as members of the technical cooperation network;
(c) To give network members the right to choose how to implement the network plan of action;
(d) To convene regular network meetings, in principal every six months, as the need arises;
(e) To submit technical cooperation network meeting reports to the focal point of the relevant ministry in each member country and to the head of the ESCWA Programme Planning and Technical Cooperation Division (PPTCD);
(f) To undertake, as part of the duties of the technical cooporation programme, the function of network secretariat, and disseminate on the technical cooperation programme website data on activities, successful experiences, lessons learned and network reports;
(g) To create a website dedicated to the technical cooperation network, with the aim of strengthening communication and coordination between focal points in member countries and the ESCWA technical cooperation programme;
(h) To adopt the plan of action for the network proposed by the ESCWA technical cooperation secretariat and agree on an executive programme during the holding of session meetings;
(i) To harmonize the activities of the network and the technical cooperation programme agreed upon with ESCWA.
C. Measures related to the technical cooperation network website
10. Measures related to the technical cooperation network website are set forth below:
(a) To include Arabic pages in the PPTCD section of the ESCWA website in order to distribute news on technical cooperation and ensure that all interested persons in member countries receive information on Division activities;
(b) To include on the site the activities and mission reports of regional advisors and executive summaries of the tasks they have undertaken, when it is permissible to publish those reports;
(c) To include information on the workshops and preparatory sessions organized by ESCWA and extrabudgetary projects undertaken by member countries;
(d) To provide information which can be downloaded;
(e) To include a recurrent publication covering technical cooperation issues of interest to member countries, interviews with heads of divisions and regional advisors on their fields of expertise, and subjects proposed by the network focal point;
(f) To provide a special section for questions and answers;
(g) To provide a technical cooperation forum for ESCWA and member countries;
(h) To include a database of experts, in order to enable ESCWA to benefit from their expertise in carrying out its advisory tasks with the support of the focal point;
(i) To organize regular annual or biennial meetings of the technical cooperation network and consider the feasibility of transforming those periodic meetings into a standing committee along the lines of the committees on transport, statistics, women’s issues, energy and water resources;
(j) To encourage member countries to create suitable means of communication or networks between ministries, in order to coordinate requests to the technical coordination programme for technical support;
(k) To facilitate coordination between focal points through video conferences;
(l) To provide advisory services, using the electronic means available, including video conferences;
(m) To establish regular communication, by electronic means and fax, between PPTCD and network members in respect of the technical services requested through the relevant ministries.
D. Means of coordination between ESCWA and member countries
11. Set forth below are the means of coordination between ESCWA and member countries:
(a) Every three months, ESCWA will inform network members of the PPTCD activities which are planned or have been completed in member countries;
(b) ESCWA will provide network members with an overview of new projects;
(c) PPTCD will communicate continuously with network members regarding technical services requested through the relevant ministries;
(d) When future programmes are being prepared, PPTCD will liaise with network members with regard to the priorities of member countries;
(e) PPTCD will inform network members in advance of the official tasks which the Division intends to accomplish, and will arrange meetings with network members or their representatives in order to inform them of the relevant outcomes;
(f) In cooperation with network members, PPTCD will prepare an annual report to be presented and agreed upon at the network meeting;
(g) PPTCD will undertake the role of coordinator between network members in respect of the website and its maintenance and coordinate with the technical cooperation programme concerning the future strategy of the network and its activities. In the future, network members may be given the responsibility for its administration;
(h) A special section of the website will be set aside for questions and answers;
(i) With the assistance of ESCWA, network members will promote the implementation of field projects and put forward the names of any parties which may be able to support those projects;
(j) Network members within the member countries will follow up and coordinate at the national level by liaising with the ministries concerned with regard to requests for technical cooperation activities with ESCWA;
(k) Network members will arrange PPTCD missions to the ministries concerned with the technical cooperation programme in member countries;
(l) Network members will assist ESCWA by providing data and completing questionnaires which are aimed at evaluating the technical cooperation programmes that are implemented in member countries.
III. ORGANIZATION OF WORK
A. Date and venue
12. The meeting was held in Cairo from 28 to 30 October 2007.
B. Opening
13. The Chief of PPTCD, Mr. Mohamed Abdulrazzak, made the opening statement, in which he welcomed participants and stressed the importance of their presence to the success of the meeting and the realization of its anticipated results. He pointed out that the meeting aimed to strengthen technical cooperation through advisory services, training programmes and the implementation of field projects organized in the member countries by creating and activating the technical cooperation network.