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United Nations Assistant Secretary-General Kalman Mizsei is participating in Mini-Davos Ukraine Economic Forum on 16 -17 June 2005

Kiev, Ukraine, 15 June 2005 — Kalman Mizsei, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, will visit Ukraine on 15-17 June 2005 to participate in the Ukrainian Economic Forum, meet with members of the government and business community, and discuss economic and social reforms and the current investment climate in Ukraine.

Kalman Mizsei was an initiator of the Blue Ribbon Commission for Ukraine, an independent body of national and international experts. The experts drafted Proposals to the President: A New Wave of Reform, a practical vision for Ukraine on the crucial challenges that must be addressed within the first year of a new government administration. The purpose of the report was to assist the Ukrainian President by formulating proposals for a new wave of reforms in five broad areas critical to the achievement of sustainable economic growth. The report was presented to all top governmental officials, including Viktor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine, on the eve of his inauguration in January.

UNDP Ukraine uses the Blue Ribbon Commission report, the Ukrainian Government’s action plan entitled ‘Towards the People,’ and the EU-Ukraine Action Plan as the platform for mobilizing a wide range of national and international communities (development, business, civil society, policymakers) in supporting the new President in implementing further reforms in Ukraine.

At the meeting of the Swiss-based World Economic Forum in Kiev, Mr Mizsei will discuss the investment climate in Ukraine, address how to make the government more responsive to citizens and the business community, and assess the results of Ukrainian reform thus far.

“I think we all agree that there is an obvious positive energy in this country following the recent presidential elections, and that investment opportunities are huge. The question is what we can do to make these opportunities less risky”, Mr Mizsei said.

UNDP, in cooperation with other development institutions, is conducting research on economic reform in Ukraine, and supports the government’s efforts to make Ukraine a prosperous, modern European county.