5^th ECO National Focal Points (NFPs) Meeting on Economic Research and Statistics

ECO Secretariat, Tehran, 10 July 2006

Press Release

         The fifth meeting of ECO NFPs was held on 29-30 June, 2006 at the ECO Secretariat, Tehran.  The main objective of the 5^th NFPs meeting was to intensify cooperation and develop a regional approach to address common concerns and new challenges to strengthen regional coordination among member states in the fields of economic research and statistics. The representatives of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Turkey and the  ECO  Secretariat  attended  the  meeting. 

The meeting reviewed current and future activities implemented by the Secretariat in the field of economic research and statistics including substantive joint activities/projects such as regular publication of the ECO Annual Economic Report, ECO Framework of Cooperation in Statistics and Plan of Action, ECO Statistical Bulletins, ECO Joint Economic Research Programme, etc and considered/identified imminent cooperation development issues in this regard.

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The participants particularly stressed upon regular preparation and publication of ECO Annual Economic Reports since it is one of the most important document prepared in collaboration with respective national authorities providing a comprehensive analysis of the salient macroeconomic and development issues prevalent both in individual member countries as well as in the region. The meeting decided that the Secretariat would finalize and publish the Annual Economic Report 2005 latest by September 2006 according to available inputs from member states.

The meeting considered a draft ECO Framework of Cooperation and the Plan of Action in Statistics prepared by the Secretariat and decided to adopt the said  documents as the basis for further intensifying cooperation on statistics in the ECO region. The participants agreed on the need to further detailing of the said documents and incorporating time frame activities in order to achieve concerned objectives. To this end, the ECO Secretariat was requested to establish a Working Group comprising of statisticians from member states which will study and finalize the ECO Framework of Cooperation and the Plan of Action in Statistics before the next RPC meeting.

While considering the implementation of the ECO Joint Economic Research Programme, the meeting agreed on the necessary steps to be made by the leading research institutes for the research project proposals identified under the said Programme in order to facilitate these project proposals and to secure funding from appropriate ECO sources as well as their financial and technical support from international donors, particularly UNDP, IDB, WB and ADB.

Participants from the member states presented country reports on the current and prospective economic developments in their respective countries highlighting the most important achievements and problems experienced in macroeconomic sphere and sectoral development including recent GDP growth, inflation rates, budget deficits, trade and investment flows in their respective countries. With regard to statistics cooperation, the said reports presented major activities, significant developments/practices, as well as problems in their statistical activities, with particular attention paid to the details of developments/practices concerning official statistics including problems and constraints confronted by them in this regard.

The meeting agreed on the proposal to hold regularly meetings of the Heads of National Statistical Offices of ECO member states to provide the opportunity for experts to discuss cooperation issues in the area of statistics and create conditions for the decision-making process in that area and requested the Secretariat to follow-up the issue. The meeting also suggested the Secretariat to consider organizing a meeting of the senior officials of the relevant economic research institutes / organizations / departments of the member states to discuss implementation process of ECO Joint Economic Research Programme.

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