The medium-term plan is a translation of legislative
mandates of the United Nations into programmes,
and serves as a four-year strategic plan of the
Organization. It sets the programme framework,
which reflects congruence between the programmatic
and organizational structures so as to enhance
accountability and foster the link between the
plan and the programme budget. Essentially, the
medium-term plan guides the allocation of resources
and provides the basis for formulating the biennial
programme budgets covered by the plan period.
As the regional arm of the United Nations for
Asia and the Pacific, ESCAP is required to prepare
its part of the medium-term plan of the United
Nations for consideration and approval by the
General Assembly.
2.
The ESCAP medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001
was endorsed by the Commission at its fifty-second
in April 1996.1/
In December 1996, it was adopted by the General
Assembly at its fifty-first session as programme
15: Economic and social development in Asia and
the Pacific, within the context of the United
Nations medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001.2/
The Commission, at its fifty-fourth session in
April 1998, introduced revisions to the ESCAP
medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001, taking
into account its decision to streamline the programme
structure from 10 subprogrammes to 7 within the
context of Commission resolution 53/1 of 30 April
1997 on restructuring the conference structure
of the Commission.3/.
At the same time, the revision served to reflect
global and regional developments that had taken
place since the adoption of the plan by the General
Assembly in 1996, including those associated with
the Asian financial crisis, as well as the level
of resources allocated to ESCAP for the biennium
1998-1999 by the General Assembly in 1997. The
General Assembly, at its fifty-third session in
December 1998, approved programme 15 of the medium-term
plan for the period 1998-2001, as revised.4/
1/
Report of the Commission on its fifty-second (Official
Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1996,
Supplement No. 16), para. 298. 2/
Medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001 as revised
by the General Assembly at its fifty-first session
(Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-first
Session, Supplement No. 6 (A/51/6/Rev.1). 3/
Report of the Commission on its fifty-fourth session
(Official Records of the Economic and Social Council,
1998, Supplement No. 20), paras. 282 and 283.
4/
Medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001 as revised
by the General Assembly at its fifty-third session
(Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-third
Session, Supplement No. 6 (A/53/6/Rev.1).
I.
Medium-term plan 2002-2005
3.
Against that backdrop, the programme structure
of ESCAP under the medium-term plan 2002-2005
will comprise the following seven subprogrammes:
Subprogramme 1
Regional economic cooperation
Subprogramme 2
Development research and policy analysis
Subprogramme 3
Social development
Subprogramme 4
Population and rural and urban development
Subprogramme 5
Environment and natural resources development
Subprogramme 6
Transport, communications, tourism and
infrastructure development
Subprogramme 7
Statistics
4.
Member and associate member governments are
expected to be actively involved in the formulation
process of the proposed medium-term plan for 2002-2005
through regular or ad hoc intergovernmental meetings.
The plan for ESCAP in its entirety will be considered
by the Commission at its fifty-sixth session in
April/May 2000 prior to review by Headquarters
bodies and the General Assembly. The draft overview
of the ESCAP programme narrative, as reviewed
and commented upon by the Advisory Committee of
Permanent Representatives and Other Representatives
Designated by Members of the Commission in August
1999, appears as Annex I to this document. It
describes the overall orientation of the programme
by indicating the broad approach or strategy in
pursuit of objectives mandated by the Commission
within the plan period 2002-2005. The programme
narrative reflects those mandates which provide
strategic direction for the programme and therefore
govern the overall work of ESCAP. It will also
serve as the basis for the formulation of specific
subprogramme narratives.
II.
Narrative for subprogramme 7: Statistics
5.
The narrative of the medium-term plan for the
seven specific subprogrammes is expected to conform
to a prescribed format and to be no longer than
one page. Each subprogramme narrative is to reviewed
by an appropriate intergovernmental body, the
Working Group of Statistical Experts in the case
of statistics. The draft text drawn up by the
secretariat for the Statistics subprogramme comprises
the following elements:
(1) Major problems to be addressed for the planned
period
The problems to be addressed relate to those
faced by national statistical agencies in fulfilling
their responsibilities to satisfy the information
needs of the government, the private sector,
research institutions, the general public, and
the international community. In an environment
where resources are likely to remain limited,
the national statistical agencies are obliged
not only to focus on basic data collection,
but also to respond to issue-oriented data needs
concerning both existing and emerging areas.
As a result of globalization of economic activities,
data standards and data integrity are receiving
greater attention, and demand for internationally
comparable data is increasing. Also, as information
technology (IT) permeates all walks of life,
government agencies, including the national
statistical organizations, need assistance in
exploiting IT in all facets of their work.
(2) Overall subprogramme objective
The overall objective of the subprogramme is
to assist the countries/areas of the region
to improve their statistical capabilities for
informed decision-making and to promote their
use of information technology in the public
sector, and to make comparable statistical information
on the region widely and promptly available.
(3) Specific and measurable objectives of the
subprogramme
The specific and measurable objectives of the
subprogramme are as follows:
To contribute to the improvement
of the capacity of national statistical systems
for the purposes of informed planning, policy
formulation, decision-making and monitoring
of progress. Special efforts will be made
to improve the statistical capability of the
least developed, landlocked and island developing
countries, as well as economies in transition,
to identify, collect, process, analyse and
utilize data needed for their economic and
social development, thereby strengthening
their information and statistical base. In
the implementation of the subprogramme, greater
recognition will be given to the growing competencies
of the countries themselves in contributing
to capability-building activities through
exchange of knowledge and promotion of best
practices;
To collect and disseminate
statistical data on the countries of the region
taking into account user demands. To that
end, the focus will be on greater use of electronic
technology in the acquisition and provision
of data and information, and on reducing the
response burden of countries. Special attention
will be paid to improving accessibility and
international comparability of the data disseminated;
To strengthen the involvement
of the countries of the region in the development
of international standards, the use of improved
methodology for data collection, processing
and analysis, and the greater utilization
of statistics. In line with the recommendations
of the United Nations Statistical Commission,
the secretariat will initiate and coordinate
at the regional level the development, revision,
testing and implementation of selected international
statistical standards and, where necessary,
their adaptation to meet the conditions and
needs of the countries of the region;
To enhance the understanding
of the role of information technology and
promote the applications of that technology,
as well as information resource management
in the region, especially in the public sector.
To provide a forum for the
discussion and articulation of regional statistical
needs and priorities.
III.
Action by the Working Group
6.
The Working Group is invited to scrutinize the
draft given in paragraph 5 above, and to suggest
amendments where necessary. Particular attention
is drawn to subparagraph (3)(d) pertaining to
information technology, which appears in the current
1998-2001 medium-term plan but which the secretariat
has placed in square brackets for the present
purpose. Information technology is currently a
subject matter under the purview of the Committee
of Statistics, the terms of reference of which
include the clause:
"8. Review and analyse progress in the development
of information technology applications and information
resource management in the region, especially
in the public sector, and make recommendations
on issues concerning policies and strategies,
as well as on programmes of technical assistance,
training and research in this field."
The topic was first treated under an extrabudgetary
programme of advisory services in government information
systems located in the Data Processing Section
of the Division of Administration. The functions
of the advisers were to evaluate and advise on
computer utilization and performance in government
offices in the region. The work later took on
the title of government computerization and was
relocated in the Statistics Division, for programmatic
and governance reasons. Since the early 1990s,
the programme has laid emphasis on fostering the
utilization of modern information technology in
the public sector. The Committee on Statistics
and the Working Group of Statistical Experts have
in the past deliberated at length on the appropriate
legislative body to oversee the work in this field,
and in recent years have indicated that there
should be a specific focus on the utilization
of IT for statistical services. Recognizing that
participants in the Committee have limited expertise
in the area of public-sector computerization,
the Committee has in the past recommended the
establishment of a Working Group of Experts on
Government Computerization, to parallel the Working
Group of Statistical Experts, but it has not yet
proved possible to institutionalize this body.
7.
"Information technology applications and information
resource management", to take the phrase from
the Committee's terms of reference, would appear
to be topics with which ESCAP must continue to
be seized in the forthcoming medium-term plan
period. The Working Group may wish to deliberate
whether such issues should continue to be under
the purview of the Committee on Statistics and
the Statistics subprogramme, or whether a recommendation
should be made that they be treated under another
subprogramme, or perhaps under all subprogrammes.
In its deliberations, the Working Group should
bear in mind that any change in the status quo
would require amendments to the terms of reference
of the Committee on Statistics and one or more
of the other subsidiary bodies of the ESCAP Commission,
for which a resolution of the Commission would
be necessary.
8.
In reviewing the medium-term plan, the Working
Group may also wish to be mindful of utilizing
whatever comparative advantages the secretariat
has, so that activities to be identified and carried
out by the secretariat will bring about appropriate
returns and benefits. Though the MTP is a mechanism
for allocating resources, in the prevailing atmosphere
of budget constraint within the United Nations,
a working assumption is that there would be no
increase in regular budget staff resources during
the plan period. At the same time, well designed
projects would have better prospects of attracting
extrabudgetary support for the secretariat's statistical
work, especially operational activities. As the
medium-term plan offers an opportunity for drawing
up a longer term perspective on statistical development,
the Working Group, in addition to reviewing the
narrative, is invited to suggest activities which
would eventually assist the secretariat in formulating
the biennial work programmes for the periods 2002-2003
and 2004-2005.
Annex
I
Economic
and social development in Asia and the Pacific
Draft overview of the programme of ESCAP
Mandates providing strategic
direction
1.
The mandate for the programme derives from Economic
and Social Council resolutions 37 (IV) of 28 March
1947 and 414 (XIII) of 20 September 1951, by which
ESCAP was established, and was further elaborated
in a number of General Assembly, Economic and
Social Council and Commission resolutions. Further
mandates will emanate from decisions of global
conference and follow-up reviews, as well as the
United Nations Millennium Assembly.
Overall orientation
2.
The overall orientation of the programme is
to promote the economic and social development
of members and associate members in Asia and the
Pacific, and specifically to assist them to respond
more effectively and efficiently to the rapidly
changing situation in the region and thus contribute
to sustainable and equitable development. In this
context, the programme will address the potential
and challenges of globalization and liberalization,
and of rapid technological advances, especially
in the area of information. Continued attention
will be paid to accelerating the recovery process
from the economic crisis which started in 1997
and affected some of the economies in the region,
and to preventing similar occurrences in the future,
both in the countries and areas directly affected
by the crisis and in others. Emphasis will be
placed on three major regional themes: (a) the
promotion of regional economic cooperation, (b)
the alleviation of poverty in rural and urban
areas, and (c) the protection of the environment
and improvement in natural resources management.
In addition, the development of infrastructure,
especially in transport and information systems,
in support of economic and social development
will be pursued.
3.
The programme will focus its analytical work
on emerging trends and issues having an impact
on economic and social development, identify suitable
people-centred policy responses, and facilitate
dialogue and the sharing of information and experience.
Technical assistance will focus on policy advice,
the strengthening of institutional capacity and
the development of human resources.
4.
In implementing the programme, special attention
will be paid to accelerating the integration of
the least developed, landlocked and island developing
countries, as well as the countries with economies
in transition, into the regional and global economies.
Gender equality and gender main streaming, and
the rights and needs of marginalized social groups,
will be promoted within the context of the development
of a caring society. The ESCAP secretariat will
continue to collaborate with the Bretton Woods
institutions. As the main general economic and
social development centre within the United Nations
system for Asia and the Pacific, it will promote
close cooperation and coordination with the other
United Nations bodies and specialized agencies
in the provision of regional support.
Expected accomplishments by the
end of 2005
5.
By the end of the period covered by the
medium-term plan, it is expected that the programme
will have accomplished the following:
Facilitated interaction
among governments, as well as non-governmental
organizations and the private sector, to increase
understanding of the emerging challenges and
opportunities presented by globalization and
liberalization and to formulate appropriate
policy responses;
Supported the efforts of
governments in formulating sound and prudent
macroeconomic and sectoral policies for promoting
sustainable growth with equity in a globalizing
world;
Contributed to the enhanced
capacity of governments to respond to the
prevailing and emerging challenges and opportunities
through improvement in institutions and human
resources;
Contributed towards the
implementation of goals set by global conferences
by establishing a clear regional position
and providing both policy support and technical
assistance to countries and areas in the region.
Organizational unit responsible
for achieving the overall objectives
6.
The above directions will be pursued by ESCAP
and the ESCAP Pacific Operations Centre, in cooperation
with the ESCAP regional institutes.
Annex
II
Selected
legislative mandates which relate to the Statistics
subprogramme
Resolutions of the Economic
and Social Council
1993/5
1993 System of National Accounts
1995/7
2000 World population and housing census
programme
Commission resolutions
246(XLII)
Statistical services in Asia and the Pacific
* * *
* * *
A number of decisions of the Statistical Commission
also give guidance for planning the subprogramme.
