90216


International Comparison Program




       [04.06]
  ICP 2011 Round
 Western Asia Region



               UN-ESCWA




     2nd Executive Board Meeting
          February 21, 2010

              New York
                                                      Table of Contents



1.   General Aspects ................................................................................................................... 3
2.   Organizational Aspects ........................................................................................................ 3
3.   Country Participation ........................................................................................................... 3
4.   Memos of Understanding..................................................................................................... 4
5.   Funding ................................................................................................................................ 4
6.   Regional Activities............................................................................................................... 5




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                        Progress in the Preparation for the 2011 ICP Round



1.       General Aspects

     •   Participation in two interim meetings on the preparation for the 2011 round;

     •   Preparatory meeting with WB and IDB in July 2009, other meeting with IDB in June
         2009;

     •   Final approval in the ESCWA WP 2010-2011 by the SC (October 2008);

     •   Notification to MCs early September 2009;

     •   Participation in the first Regional coordinators’ meeting late September 2009.



2.       Organizational Aspects

     •   WA ICP Regional Office for 2011 round has been established in August 2009,
         constituting of an ESCWA representative, a Regional Coordinator, a Program Manager,
         and support staff;

     •   The ICP Regional Office for WA will build on the 2005 round experience in terms of
         regional organizational architecture, maintaining a Regional Executive Board for regional
         evaluation, decision taking and promotion of program results;

     •   The Regional Office includes expertise on Prices, National Accounts, and experience in
         the implementation of the 2005 ICP round.

     •   WA Regional Office - Focal Points:

                - Mr. Juraj Riecan, ESCWA representative

                - Mr. Giovanni Savio, Regional Coordinator

                - Mr. Majed Skaini, Program Manager



3.       Country Participation

     •   Invitations to ESCWA member countries to join the 2011 round were sent early
         September 2009;

     •   Positive willingness to join was reflected by all 14 member states;


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     •   Joining the 2011 round in some of the countries might depend on the availability of
         financial support to be provided to them;

     •   Egypt and Sudan would be participants in both Africa and Western Asia regions.



     ICP 2011 Participating Countries

                             GCC                            MDE

                   Bahrain                      Egypt

                   Kuwait                       Iraq

                   Oman                         Jordan

                   Qatar                        Lebanon

                   Saudi                        Palestine

                   United Arab Emirates         Sudan

                                                Syria

                                                Yemen




4.       Memos of Understanding

     •   WB-ESCWA MOU is undergoing formal procedure for clearance at ESCWA;

     •   Upon clearance, MOU will be signed between ESCWA and the World Bank;

     •   Country MOUs were reviewed and modified during the 1st RC meeting in DC, Sep. 2009;

     •   Following the signature of WB-ESCWA MOU, WA Regional Office will process the
         country MOUs and send them to countries for signature.



5.       Funding

     •   ESCWA met with WB and IsDB in July 2009 regarding the utilization of the remaining
         funds from the 2005 round, and the availability of additional funding;



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     •   ESCWA will try to identify and approach potential funding sources for supporting the
         region;

     •   WA Regional Office has provided the WB with a tentative budget plan for the 2011
         round;

     •   Funding is a crucial issue in ESCWA region especially that most of the member countries
         lack the sufficient financial resources.



6.       Regional Activities

     •   Successive to the 1st RC meeting, WA Regional Office prepared a regional timetable and
         a preliminary workplan in line with the global one;

     •   Regional activities in WA are pending the receipt of the remaining IsDB funding that is
         being transferred from the WB;

     •   Upon transfer of funds, WA regional Office will launch the 2011 round in the region
         through conducting a first meeting with the heads of NSOs of ESCWA member states.




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