Supporting the Establishment of Investment and Trade Linkages Between the Black Sea Countries
Black
Sea Trade and Investment Promotion Programme (BSTIP)
What is BSTIP?
BSTIP is a joint initiative of the Government of the Hellenic
Republic , of the Government of the Republic of Turkey , the Organization
of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) and the United Nations
development Programme (UNDP). It is managed from a Programme Management
Office located in Athens with an additional liaison unit hosted by the
BSEC Headquarters in Istanbul .
BSTIP's main objectives
A) Developing networking arrangements
The present programme aims at the expansion of the intra-regional
trade and investment links in the sub-region by identifying the untapped
investment and trade potential and putting into place the mechanisms
to exploit it. As such, BSITP is based on a unique three-fold strategy
as follows:
a) Promote business-to-business (B2B)
contacts in the sub-region through the organization of thematic sector
focused partnership fora in co-operation with the local business support
organizations (BSI);
b) As a result of these events, key
inputs in the identification of constraints affecting intra-regional
investment and trade expansion will be provided and addressed;
c) Intra-regional trade and investment
activities will be mainstreamed in the working plans of the local BSIs,
which will be essential partners of the Programme, hence contributing
to build their capacity.
B) Supporting the introduction
of the Global Compact in the sub-region
Launched in 2000 by the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the
UN Global Compact brings business together with UN agencies, labor,
civil society and governments to advance ten universal principles in
the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. Through
the power of collective action, the Global Compact seeks to mainstream
these ten principles in business activities around the world and to
catalyze actions in support of broader UN goals. With over 3,000 participating
companies from more than 100 countries, it is the world's largest voluntary
corporate citizenship initiative.
The BSTIP will support the introduction
of the UN Global Compact in the countries of the sub-region. It will
be an important tool for promoting networking arrangements and create
awareness on the broader concept of responsible investment.
C) Building capacity on the
EU and WTO legislation
The status of some of the states covered by the programme as EU and
WTO candidate countries will have a direct impact on the concerned business
communities. It is expected that the Programme will develop targeted
initiatives to make those business communities aware on the implications
for their enterprises of the EU and WTO accession process. A special
emphasis will also be devoted to those countries which are not yet in
the EU Accession Process but they need to assist their private sector
in being fully aligned to the quality requirements of the EU market
in order to strengthen their export competitiveness.
