The UN Regional Commissions » HIGHLIGHTS

The Regular Programme of Technical Cooperation (RPTC), established by the General Assembly in its resolution 58(I)in 1946, serves to support developing countries, least developed countries, countries in economies in transition, and countries emerging from conflict in their capacity development efforts.Technical cooperation activities funded by the RPTC are small scale, demand driven and focused, targeting specific elements or member States requirements to meet international commitments arising from the outcome of UN conference and summits. The programme provides the operative flexibility for implementing entities to respond to urgent, unanticipated needs of developing countries, in a rapid-response capacity that is not provided for in any other section of the regular budget biennial workplan. Activities under the RPTC often have a multiplier effect, on many occasions working to mobilize extra-budgetary funding to respond to development needs on a large scale.

How does RPTC benefit member States of the Regional Commissions?

The RPTC is an important component of the Regional Commissions’ technical cooperation, which builds on their normative and analytical work and feeds into the intergovernmental dialogue. It enables the Regional Commission to respond to requests from their respective member States in addressing emerging needs and providing urgent technical assistance, utilizing the Regional Commissions’ multi-disciplinary strength.The modalities used by the Regional Commissions for the RPTC include, inter alia, the following:

Advisory services
Training courses/seminars
Knowledge networking

Using these modalities, the RPTC resources enabled, for example:

ESCAP to respond to the urgent need in Samoa for post-disaster impact and needs assessment after the recent tsunami in the Pacific and to support long-term recovery and reconstruction efforts;
ECLAC to provide rapid-response technical cooperation services to Mexico in assessing the socio-economic impact of the human influenza (AH1N1) pandemic and to Bolivia in evaluating the socio-economic impact of the first-ever dengue epidemic, in both cases facilitating the formulation of the corresponding recovery plans;
ECA to provide advisory services to the African Union Commission for the design of a human resource management reform and development framework, and the finalization of a comprehensive results based management and accountability framework. ECA also provided ICT support to rural schools in Cameroon through a project known as the Electronic Rural Schools in African Languages (ERELA) Initiative, launched in collaboration with the National Association of Cameroonian Languages Committee (NACALCO);and
ECE to launch a Euro 1,5 Million three year programme on strengthening institutions and modernizing legal frameworks for regional water resources management, with a view to increasing resilience of Central Asian countries to external (economic and natural) shocks and facilitating their sustainable development.
ESCWA to provide training on measuring ICT indicators to improve national capacity to collect, analyze and disseminate statistical indicators on the information society. Support was also provided to the Ministry of Economy and Planning in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in formulating their 9th National Five Year Development Plan for Key Productive Sectors.

How do Regional Commissions support MDG achievement through RPTC?

The Millennium Declaration provides a shared vision and a common development agenda for the international community, sharpening the focus of the global development task of the United Nations. The Millennium Declaration recognizes the special needs of least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states. Through the RPTC, the Regional Commissions provide technical assistance to these countries in developing the capacity of Governments to formulate and implement policies for sustainable economic and social development, while accelerating the pace towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

For details, please visit each Regional Commission’s RPTC webpage.

Regional Commissions and Climate Change

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Each of the regions is being affected differently by climate change according to their particular circumstances and conditions and will have to implement measures to minimize and address these impacts through a combination of mitigation and adaptation measures. In order to make informed decisions about climate change policies and plans, countries need to: know how their economies will be affected by the impacts of climate change; be aware about the costs of inaction; and estimate the costs of different options for mitigation and adaptation to confront climate change in cost-effective manner.

Working with their UN and other regional partners, the Regional Commissions are mobilizing their normative, analytical and technical capacities to undertake collaborative initiatives and actions to assist Member States to develop coherent development policies that tackle climate change, including through the assessment of the economic impacts of climate change, evaluating the costs of mitigation and adaptation measures and exploring options for climate change financing. An overview of these actions and initiatives in each region will be presented during the dialogue with the Second Committee.

(Please click and download the following documents below for your information)

Financing Global Climate Change Mitigation (Joint Publication)

The United Nations Regional Commissions and Climate Change Challenges (Joint Publication)

Brochure – Climate Change: Supporting Actions at the Regional Level

Flyer

Powerpoint Presentations

Abstracts

The Regional Dimension of Development and the UN System

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Please click the following links to download

ENGLISH

CHINESE

RUSSIAN

Executive Summary (in French)

Regional Commissions and Millennium Development Goals

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Powerpoint Presentations

Roundtable Presentations

Downloads:

List of Confirmed Speakers

ECA

Assessing Progress in Africa towards the Millennium Development Goals, 2010

ECA and African Union, Economic Report on Africa 2010, “Promoting high-level sustainable growth to reduce unemployment in Africa.”

Assessing Progress in Africa towards the Millennium
Development Goals Report 2009

Assessing Progress in Africa towards the Millennium
Development Goals Report 2008

Accelerating Africa’s Growth and Development to meet the MDGs:
Emerging Challenges and the way forward

ESCAP

A Future WIthin Reach 2008 Regional Partnerships for the Millennium Development Goals in Asia and the Pacific

ECLAC

Millennium Development Goals 2006: A Look at Gender Equality and Women’s Autonomy

ECE

The MDGs in Europe and Central Asia: Achievements, Challenges and the Way Forwards (2010)

The Millennium Development Goals: The Way Ahead – A Pan European Perspective (2006)

ESCWA

ESCWA and the League of Arab States, “The Millennium Development Goals in the Arab region 2007: A Youth Lens”

Global

Documents of Regional Commissions relevant to the agenda of the Second Committee of the 66th General Assembly

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Dialogue of Executive Secretaries with the Second Committee on “Follow-up to Rio+20: Actions and considerations at the Regional Level”

6 November 2012, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

ECOSOC Chamber

Concept Note

ITEM 16: Information and communication technologies for development

Regional Progress and Strategies towards Building the Information Society in Asia and the Pacific

Fast-tracking the digital revolution: Broadband for Latin America and the Caribbean

ECA: Measuring ICTs for Development

Regional harmonization of cyber legislation to promote the knowledge society in the Arab world (UNESCWA)

ITEM 17: Macroeconomic policy questions

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SURVEY OF ASIA AND THE PACIFIC 2011: Sustaining Dynamism and Inclusive Development: Connectivity in the Region and Productive Capacity in Least Developed Countries

Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2011

Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2010-2011 (briefing paper)

Foreign Direct Investment in Latin America and the Caribbean 2010

Economic Report on Africa 2011(ECA)

Assessing Regional Integration in Africa IV: Enhancing Intra-African Trade (ECA, AUC, AfDB)

Economic integration in the ECE region: developments and new challenges in light of the economic crisis ( Background document for ECE Commission Session 2011)

Summary of the Survey of Economic and Social Developments in the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia Region, 2010-2011

External Trade Bulletin of the ESCWA Region

Item 18: Follow-up to and implementation of the outcome of the 2002 International Conference on Financing for Development and the 2008 Review Conference

African Forum on FfD

African Forum Meeting Report

African Forum Outcome Document

ECLAC Division of Economic Development

The Asia and Pacific Trade and Investment Report

Financial Crisis and Regional
Economic Cooperation in Asia-Pacific:
Towards an Asian Economic
Community?

ITEM 19: Sustainable development:

Greening Growth in Asia and the Pacific

Report of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development on its sixth session, October 2010

Asia Pacific Disaster Report 2010 – Protecting Development Gains (ESCAP and ISDR)

Sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean 20 years on from the Earth Summit: progress, gaps and strategic guidelines

Conclusions of the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Meeting Preparatory to the UNCSD 2012

Economics of Climate Change in Latin America and the Caribbean. Summary 2010

Sustainable development Report on Africa: Sustainable consumption and production (ECA, UNEP, UNIDO)

A Green Economy in the Context of Sustainable Development: What are the Implications for Africa?” (Background document for ECA Commission Session 2011)

Seventh “Environment for Europe” Ministerial Conference Ministerial Declaration (draft)

ECE and UNEP: Greening the economy: mainstreaming the environment into economic development(background document for 7th Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference)

ITEM 20: Implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and strengthening of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)

The State of Asian Cities 2010/11 (UNESCAP, UNHABITAT and UNEP)

Action Plan for Energy-Efficient Housing in the UNECE Region

Self-Made Cities: In search of sustainable solutions for informal settlements in the UNECE region

ITEM 21: Globalization and interdependence:

ESCAP- Towards a Global Currency for a Global Economy: Proposals for the G20 Summits

ECA: African Governance Report II

ESCWA : Comparative Analysis of Civil Society Participation in Public Policy Formulation in Selected Arab Countries

ITEM 22: Groups of countries in special situations:

ESCAP: Building the Productive Capacity of the Least Developed Countries (Chapter 4 of Economic and Social Survey 2011)

ESCAP policy brief: Asia-Pacific Least Developed Countries in the next decade- Strategy and policy agenda for building productive capacities

ITEM 23: Eradication of poverty and other development issues:

ESCAP: The Promise of Protection: Social Protection and Development in Asia and the Pacific

ECLAC: A time for equality: Closing gaps, Opening trails

ECLAC/ILO Bulletin: The employment situation in Latin America and the Caribbean (December 2010)

Report on Progress in Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Africa, 2011(background document for 2011 Commission session of ECA)

The MDGs in Europe and Central Asia: Achievements, Challenges and the way forward (RCM-Europe report coordinated by ECE)

The Third Arab MDG report and impact of the Global Economic Crisis

ITEM 25: Agriculture development and food security

Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in Asia and the Pacific

ECLAC/FAO: Perspectivas de la agricultura y del desarrollo rural en las Américas: una mirada hacia América Latina y el Caribe

The Status of Food Security in Africa (background document for committee on food security and sustainable development 2009)

ITEM 26: Towards global partnerships

ESCAP Policy Brief: South-South Cooperation in Asia-Pacific: Emerging Trends and Potential

ECLAC: Opportunities for Convergence and Regional Cooperation

Leveraging Opportunities for Accelerated Growth in Africa: Prospects and Challenges for the Next Decade (background document for ECA 2011 Commission session)

Report of the Secretary-General on regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields

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2012

E/2012/15 Report of the Secretary-General on regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields (English)

E/2012/15/Add.1 Report of the Secretary-General on regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields: Matters calling for action by ECOSOC or brought to its attention (English)

E/2012/15/Add.2Regional cooperation in the economic, social andrelated fields: Matters calling for action by the Economic and Social Council or brought to its attention (English)
E/2012/15/Add.3Matters calling for action by the Economic and Social Council or
brought to its attention: Economic Commission for Latin America
and the Caribbean (English)

2011

E/2011/15 Report of the Secretary-General on regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields (English)
E/2011/15/Add.1Report of the Secretary-General on regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields: Matters calling for action by ECOSOC or brought to its attention (English)
E/2011/15/Add.2 (ADVANCE UNEDITED VERSION — English)

2010

E/2010/15Report of the Secretary-General on regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields (English)

E/2010/15/Add.1Report of the Secretary-General on regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields: Matters calling for action by ECOSOC or brought to its attention (English)