Page 27 - DIVA_1_2021

Mr. Mario Apostolov

Regional Adviser, Economic

Cooperation and Trade Division,
United Nations Economic

Commission for Europe Deputy
Coordinator of the SPECA

In 1998, four Central Asian Presidents signed the them even more relevant now when the aim is to rebuild
Tashkent Declaration establishing the United Nations the world better after the pandemic. The 2020 SPECA
Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia Forum adopted a declaration on regional cooperation to
(SPECA) to foster economic cooperation and integration support socioeconomic recovery in the wake of COVID-
with the economies of Europe and Asia. Turkmenistan, 19.
Afghanistan and Azerbaijan joined later. The United
Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) and After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the early
the United Nations Economic and Social Commission 1990s, international policy experts pointed out the
for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) were asked to support risks of looming security dilemmas in the newly
the Programme – a commitment confirmed by the independent countries, nurtured by disputes over
United Nations General Assembly. The SPECA’s bodies, borders, demography, water, energy and other resources.
including the Governing Council and Thematic Working History had shown that such volatile regions are prone to
Groups, were set up with precise rules, terms of reference conflict, while competing external interventions simply
and reporting procedures. throw sparks on a powder keg.

After 2016, the SPECA grew into a platform for In this sense, the SPECA, a locally owned and locally
cross-border cooperation to achieve the Sustainable driven initiative supported by the United Nations as a
Development Goals in its traditional areas of neutral organization, is a unique vehicle for subregional
work: water, energy, environment, transport, trade, cooperation that the countries drive together. It has
innovation, statistics and gender equality. The United the potential to offer common solutions to common
Nations Resident Coordinators in the SPECA countries problems. It will be great if the donor community and the
increasingly support the Programme as a third United development partners support more this programme.
Nations pillar, in addition to the ECE and the United
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and It is encouraging to see the Ambassadors of the SPECA
the Pacific (ESCAP). countries gather in Geneva to talk and help each other
as friends brought together by common destiny. This
The SPECA annual events in Ashgabat, in November is one of the indications that the SPECA works and
2019, reinforced the Programme in the area of focus that Geneva has much more to offer than just formal
of the 2019 SPECA Economic Forum – connectivity meetings, buildings and organizational structures. We
through sustainable transport and trade facilitation. are grateful that most of them managed to respond very
The countries endorsed such strategic documents as fast and voice their views on international and regional
the Ashgabat Initiative on reducing barriers to transport cooperation in this issue of Diva magazine.
and trade using United Nations norms, standards
and recommendations; the SPECA strategies on trade In 2021, Uzbekistan will chair the SPECA and organize
facilitation and innovation for sustainable development, its annual events, while it is the ECE’s turn to provide
principles of sustainable trade and a regional study on coordination from the United Nations system. After years
non-tariff barriers to trade. These strategic documents of reflection, Uzbekistan is assuming the leadership in
address structural economic issues, whose importance the Programme in 2021, which is indeed a move towards
has been reinforced by the COVID-19 crisis. This makes even more stability in the region.

w w w. d i va i n t e r n at i o n a l . c h