17th ECO Council of Ministers Meeting in Herat
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan will host the Seventeenth Meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) Council of Ministers (COM) between 16 and 20 October 2007 in the ancient city of Herat. The city is the capital of Herat province and is situated in western Afghanistan. The meeting will be chaired by the Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, H.E. Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta.
The Council of Ministers is the highest policy and decision making body of ECO, comprising the Foreign Ministers of the Member States. It meets at least once a year, preferably prior to the beginning of the ECO fiscal year by rotation, in one of the Member States. The Council may propose convening meetings of other Ministers for the formulation and recommendation of Plans and projects in their respective fields.
The Council of Ministers has important responsibilities including: approving policies, strategies, and work programmes of the ECO; reviewing and adopting the reports of the Regional Planning Council, Council of Permanent Representatives and Specialized Agencies/Regional Institutions; approving ECO’ annual budget and audit reports.
The 17th COM meeting in Herat will review the progress made in different sectors since its previous meeting held in Baku in May 2006. The review would cover implementation of the Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA), operationalization of the Container and Passenger Trains from Istanbul to Almaty, and the ECO Trade Agreement, the ECO Trade and Development Bank, inter-connection of power systems of member states, and progress towards establishment of ECO Science Foundation and ECO Regional Institutes.
Among other issues to be considered at Herat will be the Statute of ECO Regional Institute for Standardization, Conformity Assessment, Accreditation and Metrology (RISCAM) and Road Map for its implementation, the Statute/ MoU of ECO-Veterinary Commission, the MOU on Establishment of Regional Centre for Risk Management of Natural Disasters. The Council will evaluate progress towards implementation of the Agreement on Simplification of Visa Procedures for ECO Businessmen and the Agreement on Promotion and Protection of Investment (APPI).
Azerbaijan, chairman since May 2006, will hand over the chairmanship of the COM to Afghanistan for the coming one year. Pakistan will host the 10th ECO Summit in 2008, preceded by the 18th COM meeting. ECO Summits are held once every two years and attended by Heads of State and Government.
Participation: The Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) will precede the COM meeting. It is expected that Foreign Ministers and officials of all ten ECO countries viz. Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will participate in the meeting. In addition, representatives from the Asian Development Bank, Food & Agriculture Organization, International Centre for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas, International Trade Centre, Islamic Development Bank, Organization of Islamic States, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, United Nations, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNECE, UNEP,UNESCAP, UNIDO, UNODC and the World Bank are also invited to participate in the Council of Ministers Meeting.
The programme of the meeting is follows:
October 16, 2007 : Arrival of the Officials
October 17-18, 2007 : Senior Officials Meeting
October 19, 2007 : Documentation/ Arrival of Foreign Ministers
October 20, 2007 : Meeting of Council of Ministers
Proposed Draft Agenda for the Senior Officials Meeting
(To be held for 17th Meeting of the Council of Ministers)
1. Inauguration of the meeting
2. Election of the Chairman and his statement
3. Adoption of the Agenda
4. Appointment of the Drafting Committee
5. Preparation for the 17th Meeting of the Council of Ministers (COM):
A. Draft Agenda
B. Report by the Secretary General
C. Reports of the Heads of ECO Specialized Agencies/Regional Institutions:
i. ECO Cultural Institute (ECI)
ii. ECO Trade & Development Bank (ETDB)
iii. ECO Chamber of Commerce (ECC)
iv ECO College of Insurance (ECI)
v. ECO-Consultancy & Engineering Company (ECO-CEC)
D. Status Report on the Implementation of Projects:
i. ECO Trade Agreement (ECOTA)/Fast Track Approach
ii. ECO Re-insurance Company
iii. Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA)
iv. Container & Passenger Trains from Istanbul to Almaty
v. Interconnection of Power Systems of ECO Member States
vi. Agreement on Simplification of Visa Procedures for the Businessmen
of ECO Member States
vii. Reconstruction of Afghanistan.
E. Review, approval, adoption and consideration of the ECO activities:
i. The Meetings of the Council of Permanent Representatives (CPR)
ii. ECO Secretariat’s budget for 2007
iii. Unpaid contribution of the member states for the Secretariat’s budget
iv. Kazakhstan’s proposal for its contribution to the Secretariat’s budget
v. ECO Secretariat’s Audit Report for 2006
vi. Appointment of ECO Audit Board
vii. The 17th0 Meeting of the Regional Planning Council (RPC), including:
a. ECO’s Annual Calendar of Events for 2007-2008
b. ECO’s Work Program for the year 2007-2008
viii. Other sectoral Ministerial meetings held after the 13th COM Meeting:
a. 3rd Ministerial Meeting on Environment, Alamty (June 2006)
b. 1st Meeting of ECO Interior Ministers, Tehran (November 2006)
c. 3nd Ministerial Meeting on Industry, Lahore (November 2006)
d. 3rd Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture, Tehran (March 2007)
e. 2nd Ministerial Meeting on Finance, Ankara (April 2007)
ix. Status of Signing/Ratification of ECO Agreements
x. Follow-up of the implementation of decisions of 16th COM and 9th Summit
F. Administrative Matters
a. Appointment of Deputy Secretary General
G. Modalities for the Establishment of ECO Regional Centres
H. ECO Science Foundation
I. ECO College of Insurance
J. ECO Regional Institute for Standardization, Conformity Assessment, Accreditation and Metrology (RISCAM)
K. Any other business
L. Date and venue of the next meeting
6. Endorsement of the Report for submission to 17th COM for its adoption
7. Closing the meeting
Proposed Draft Agenda for the 17th Meeting of the Council of Ministers (COM)
1. Inauguration of the meeting
2. Election of the New Chairman and his statement
3. Adoption of the Agenda
4. Statement/Report by the Secretary General
5. Statements/Comments by the Ministers/Heads of Delegations
6. Statements by Heads of International Organizations
7. Statements/Reports by the Heads of ECO Specialized Agencies and Regional Institutions:
i. ECO Cultural Institute (ECI)
ii. ECO Trade & Development Bank (ETDB)
iii. ECO Chamber of Commerce (ECC)
iv ECO College of Insurance (ECI)
v. ECO-Consultancy & Engineering Company (ECO-CEC)
8. Status Report on the Implementation of Projects:
i. ECO Trade Agreement (ECOTA)/Fast Track Approach
ii. ECO Re-insurance Company
iii. Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA)
iv. Container & Passenger Trains from Istanbul to Almaty
v. Interconnection of Power Systems of ECO Member States
vi. Agreement on Simplification of Visa Procedures for the Businessmen
of ECO Member States
vii. Reconstruction of Afghanistan.
9. Review, approval, adoption and consideration of the ECO activities:
i. The Meetings of the Council of Permanent Representatives (CPR)
ii. ECO Secretariat’s budget for 2007
iii. Unpaid contribution of the member states for the Secretariat’s budget
iv. Kazakhstan’s proposal for its contribution to the Secretariat’s budget
v. ECO Secretariat’s Audit Report for 2006
vi. Appointment of ECO Audit Board
vii. The 17th0 Meeting of the Regional Planning Council (RPC), including:
a. ECO’s Annual Calendar of Events for 2007-2008
b. ECO’s Work Program for the year 2007-2008
viii. Other sectoral Ministerial meetings held after the 13th COM Meeting:
a. 3rd Ministerial Meeting on Environment, Alamty (June 2006)
b. 1st Meeting of ECO Interior Ministers, Tehran (November 2006)
c. 3nd Ministerial Meeting on Industry, Lahore (November 2006)
d. 3rd Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture, Tehran (March 2007)
e. 2nd Ministerial Meeting on Finance, Ankara (April 2007)
ix. Status of Signing/Ratification of ECO Agreements
x. Follow-up of the implementation of decisions of 16th COM and 9th Summit
10. Administrative Matters
a. Appointment of Deputy Secretary General
11. Modalities for the Establishment of ECO Regional Centres
12. ECO Science Foundation
13. ECO College of Insurance
14. ECO Regional Institute for Standardization, Conformity Assessment, Accreditation and Metrology (RISCAM)
15. Any other business
16. Date and venue of the next meeting
17. Adoption of the Report
18. Vote of Thanks and closing of the meeting
…………
More information regarding Herat meeting will be available soon.
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