In the UN everything takes time

Following the accession of 10 of its members to the European Union, is the UNECE still relevant ? There are quite a number of reasons for giving a positive answer to this question. The UNECE will still have 55 member countries despite the fact that 25 of them are or will be part of the EU. You may recall that for more than 40 years the UNECE had 34 member countries some of which were part of a grouping that spoke with almost one voice. In fact this evolution gives the UNECE an even greater role, namely to build a bridge between EU countries and non-EU countries. This cooperation will take place in the context of this new project of a Wider Europe.

What really is this “Wider Europe” project ?
It is not yet very clear. The project is going to be developed by the European Commission in Brussels and the Council in the coming months. Its very ambitious aim is to have a kind of free trade zone, which would encompass the EU, Russia, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and Belarus, and some south-European and Mediterranean countries.

How do you see the role of the UNECE in this context ? As an organization which develops and helps to implement regional legal instruments in trade, transport, etc. the role of the UNECE is to facilitate this project. It is certain that non-acceding countries are not going to adopt the “acquis communautaires”, but it is also certain that a kind of harmonization of legislation is greatly needed in order that such a project as the Wider Europe may become a reality. The EU is basically developing bilateral contacts with non-acceding countries. What we can provide is a forum for multilateral cooperation. In this forum, it is not only the concerns of our member States which will be taken into account but also the concerns of country groupings and global concerns.

Does the EU need such a multilateral approach ? There are still within the EU many supporters of bilateral approaches, but what is now gaining ground inside the EU is the support of multilateralism. It is one of the implications of globalisation.

What will be the impact of EU enlargement on acceding countries ? It is very clear that there is no better alternative for these countries, however it is also clear that the short-term implications will not necessarily be only positive. There might be an increase of unemployment, an increase in prices, additional fiscal burden. On the other hand the acceding countries will be able to use EU resources for some years. They will be net receivers of EU resources, which will of course be of great importance during this transition period. These resources will help them reconstruct their infrastructure and become more competitive. Even if a lot of foreign direct investments are already in these countries, they expect that their accession to the EU will increase the flow of FDI. At the end of the day it will to my mind be beneficial to acceding countries from the economic point of view but also in political terms and in terms of stability.

And for non-acceding countries ?
For the non-acceding countries, the UNECE has done some studies that show that EU enlargement will have negative implications for certain sectors. Some FDI might even be diverted from non-acceding countries towards acceding ones. The Wider Europe project is precisely going to address these issues: a closer cooperation with the non-acceding countries could divert potential negative impacts and expand benefits of economic cooperation beyond the EU frontiers.

You have been here more for almost a year. How does it feel to work for the UN ? It is very different from working for a government. When you work for a government you can see the results of your decisions in quite a short time. It is very exciting. In the UN everything takes much longer. It can be a little bit discouraging, but one gets used to it. In the UN there is the necessity for more diplomacy than in a national government and you have to work with a great many counterparts, especially the Member States. At the end of the day there is the need to find consensus, which is not always easy. On the other hand it gives the opportunity to have a new perspective. When you work for a government you focus mainly on national issues except if you are minister of foreign affairs. Once you work for the UN you start to recognize there are a variety of different interests, a variety of different policies which could be implemented. And I must say that this broader perspective could be beneficial for governments if they would listen to them. One of the roles of the UNECE is to share all these experiences with Member States. For me it is like taking a new university degree, it was true when I became minister of finance; it is true now that I am with the UN.

What would you like to achieve during your leadership of the UNECE ? The Commission will continue to play its regional and global role. However one condition is that it be more responsive to the demands of its member States and to the evolving situation both at national and international level. It should be much more flexible. Right now the intergovernmental structure is heavy and complex. I would very much like to see the UNECE be more efficient in responding more rapidly to new challenges, which is far from the case at present. Flexibility is important not only at the level of intergovernmental bodies but also within the secretariat. Another aspect, which is also linked to the flexibility and efficiency issue, is to improve the quality of staff. In this respect and as compared to national civil services, the system of recruitment in the UN is very slow. To get rid of staff who do not perform properly takes enormous efforts and a great deal of time. I don’t think this is the best for the UN. There is the need to protect the employees, but there should be an equilibrium between labour protection and what is good for the Organisation.

Interview par JM Jakobowicz.