UNDP Leads the Way in Kamchatka

UNDP Resident Representative Philippe Elghouayel led a team of bilateral donors, UN agencies, and journalists on a three and a half-day mission to the Kamchatka Region in June of this year. The team reviewed UNDP’s Global Environment Facility (GEF) projects in the region, familiarized itself with UNDP’s activities in the region, and learned first hand about the environmental and socio-economic challenges in the Kamchatka Region. Kamchatka’s unique and unspoiled natural areas are not only part of the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) global 200 areas, but listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

The main members of the team were Rafael Asenjo, UNDP/GEF Executive Coordinator; Wolfgang Reuther, UNESCO Country Director; Evelyn Wheeler, US Embassy; Wayne Primeau, Canadian Embassy; Nina Gostieva, Reporter for RTR TV Channel; Laure Mandeville, correspondent for Le Figaro; Sophie Lambroschini, correspondent for Le Point; and Peter Newton, UNDP Programme Manager. The team was accompanied by Mr. Anatoly Efimenko, Chairman of the Kamchatka State Committee for Environmental Protection, and Vitaly Menshikov, Director of Kamchatka’s Nature Parks Directorate, while in Kamchatka.

UNDP/GEF is working on the design and development of four projects in close collaboration with federal and regional authorities that focus on globally important biodiversity issues in and around the Kamchatka Region.

Mr. Elghouayel and the team had a fruitful exchange with Governor Vladimir Biryukov and other Kamchatka Region officials. The Governor endorsed UNDP/GEF’s approach, thanking the organization for its continuing commitment to the projects in Kamchatka. The team held meetings with Kamchatka Duma members, the NGO community and business leaders. Meetings were also held with Victor Danilov-Danilian, Chairman of the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Environmental Protection, and other officials after the mission team returned to Moscow.

The highlight of the mission was the field visit, by helicopter, to the Kronotsky and Nalychevo protected areas. While in Kamchatka, Mr. Elghouayel and the team with region officials also visited project sites of eco-tourism, fishery, energy and housing.

The journalists used the opportunity to bring home the story of Kamchatka. The RTR National TV Channel broadcasted a report on important environment and economic transition problems that Kamchatka faces today.

The first Steering Committee meetings for the projects are scheduled for mid-September in Petropavlovsk.

 For more information please contact:

The Third St.Petersburg Economic Forum

The Third International Economic forum took place on June 16-18, 1999 at the Headquarters of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly in Tavritchesky Palace. The Forum chaired by Mr.Yegor Stroyev, Chairman of the Council of Federation of the Russian Federation, brought together high level official delegations from the CIS countries, representatives of the national and international business community, international organizations (EBRD, UNDP, UNESCO, ILO, etc.) as well as representatives of non-governmental organizations.

The UNDP delegation headed by Mr.Philippe Elghouayel, Resident Representative of UNDP/UNFPA was composed of Mr.Renaldo Barakh, Deputy Secretary of the Regional Commission for Latin America and Caribbean, Mr.Ronaldo Sandenberg, Minister for Special Projects of Brazil, Eugene Youkel, Head, UNDP Regional Support Center in Bratislava, Jerzy Skuratovitch, Director, UNDP, SURF, Bratislava and Alexander Avanessov, UNDP Senior Regional Advisor. This team participated in the plenary discussion and the round table «Russia and the CIS in the world economy» which was attended by Mr.Sergey Stepashin, ex-Prime-Minister of the Russian Federation, and Mr.Michelle Comdessus, Executive Director of the IMF.

In the framework of the round-table a special section on «CIS-Latin America cooperation: investment promotion» was held under the chairmanship of Mr.Philippe Elghouayel and Mr.Alexander Smirnov, Chaiman of the CIS Economic Committee of the CIS countries in the rank of the Minister. The presentations were made by the co-chairmen as well as the mentioned representatives of ECLAC, Brazil and the UNDP Support Center in Bratislava. The discussion occurred revealed a lot of interest from representatives of the private sector and academic institutions who took part in the round-table. Particularly, the issue of investment promotion strategies of the government of Latin America and lessons of experience of Brazil in dealing with the severe financial crisis in early 1999 while attracting investment from abroad raised a lot of questions and discussions.