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About us
In his
1998 report on the United Nations regional commissions within
the context of a programme for reform of the United Nations, the
Secretary-General reaffirmed the role of the commissions in
exercising “team leadership and responsibility for coordination
and cooperation … of the relevant economic and social activities
of the United Nations system in their respective regions”. In
order to place the regional coordination effort directly under
his aegis, he requested the Deputy Secretary-General to convene
yearly meetings, in each of the geographical areas, between the
regional commissions and all the United Nations funds and
programmes, agencies and entities engaged in regional and
intercountry activities.
The RCMs were established pursuant to
ECOSOC Resolution 1998/46 which recognized, inter alia, that “the
team leadership role of the Regional Commissions calls for their
holding regular inter-agency meetings in each of the 5 regions
(Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America & Caribbean and
West Asia) with a view to improving coordination among the work programmes of the organizations of the United Nations system in
that region.” The first set of meetings was held in 1999 and
chaired by the Deputy Secretary General (UN-DSG). Starting in
2000, the Executive Secretaries have been chairing the meetings.
In light of the renewed emphasis on system-wide coherence, the
Executive Secretaries invited the DSG to chair the latest round
of meetings in three of the regions, in late 2007 and early
2008.
The Regional Coordination Mechanism (RCM) in the West Asia
convenes annually and sometimes bi-annually, between 1999-2006;
break since then in light of security situation in region; next
meeting planned for September 2008. It operates in a plenary
discussions fashion. It consists of 25 participating UN regional
agencies including the World Bank and IMF covering not only the
14 ESCWA member countries but extends to all 22 Arab countries.
The 11th RCM meeting in 2006 marked the participation of the
League of Arab States (LAS) where it extended the mandate of RCM
for West Asia to cover the Arab region.
Its recent focus has been on MDGs and on
“Delivering as One”. The 12th Meeting of the Regional
Coordination Mechanism (RCM) in the Arab Region – formerly known
as “Regional Coordination Group (RCG)” - will be held in the UN
House, Beirut, on 13 and 14 September 2008.
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Ms. Migiro, UNDSG |
The functions of the RCM are entrusted to the ESCWA secretariat. The RCM web page is one of the support activities provided to the RCM in the Arab region. This web site provides links to the web sites of other members of the RCM in the region, where information and documents related to their activities can be accessed. For the purpose of facilitating coordination this web site intends to share information among members of the RCM in the Arab region where relevant information is regularly posted. |
