12th session of the SPECA Working Group on Trade

The United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) was launched in 1998 to strengthen intra-regional cooperation in Central Asia and its integration into the world economy. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) jointly provide overall support to the activities under this Programme. Among SPECA’s areas of work is the Working Group on Trade in Central Asia.

At the International Conference on Strengthening Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation in Central Asia and the Future Role of SPECA and the special meeting the SPECA Regional Advisory Committee (Astana, Kazakhstan, 25-27 May 2005), it was decided to establish a SPECA Project Working Group (PWG) on Trade. The PWG on Trade had its first session on 14 December 2006 and adopted the Work Plan. The major objective of the PWG on Trade is to foster regional cooperation to promote global and regional trade of the SPECA member countries.

UNECE and ESCAP are organizing the twelfth session of the SPECA Working Group on Trade on 19 September 2018, back-to-back with the 2018 SPECA Economic Forum and session of the SPECA Governing Council (20-21 September 2018). The Working Group supports the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda in Central Asia, in the area of sustainable trade, (notably SDGs 17.10 and SDG 17.11). The meeting will focus on four deliverables of the SPECA Working Group on Trade:

• SPECA regional strategy for trade facilitation;
• Regional cooperation for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals related to trade;
• The link between water management, trade and environment in the SPECA region;
• Non-tariff measures in trade in the SPECA region.

Participants in the meeting and SPECA participating countries are requested to contribute to the background documents on those issues, with which the Working Group will deal in the coming 3-4 years.

The event will review national and regional plans and strategies of the SPECA countries for sustainable trade development and facilitation. It would strengthen cooperation among trade diplomats of the SPECA countries.