Yearbook of the United Nations, 2001. Part 3, Economic and social questions. Chapter 5, Regional economic and social activities

Abstract

The five regional commissions continued to provide technical cooperation, including advisory services, to their member States, promote programmes and projects, and provide training to enhance national capacity-building in various sectors. Four of them held regular sessions during the year: the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) did not meet in 2001 but was scheduled to meet in May 2002. In 2001, ECA took the lead in promoting an African-developed and -led programme for development, which was adopted by African heads of State and Government as the New Partnership for Africa's Development, designed to eradicate poverty and to place African countries on a path of sustainable growth and development. The General Assembly endorsed the Partnership and called on the international community to provide financial support for its implementation. It also reviewed implementation of the programme for the Second Industrial Decade for Africa (19932002). The Assembly recommended the promotion of further cooperation between the United Nations and a number of regional organizations. The Economic and Social Council established the Consultative Committee on Scientific and Technological Development and Technological Innovation of ESCWA, and further encouraged the investigation into a Europe-Africa permanent link through the Strait of Gibraltar.