DUSHANBE, November 10, 2009, Asia-Plus — The fourth session of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) is scheduled to take place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from November 12-13, according to the UN News Center.
The session will discuss effects of the economic and financial crises on development of Central Asia’s states.
The session participants will consider ways to mitigate the consequences of the global economic crisis through strengthening of regional cooperation and development of collective initiatives for protection of the vulnerable groups of the population and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Representatives from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan as well as international organizations will analyze the role of regional cooperation in speeding up the process of economic recovery.
The United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) was launched in 1998 to strengthen subregional cooperation in Central Asia and its integration into the world economy. The member countries of SPECA are Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) jointly provide overall support to the activities under this program.
