The United Nations Economic Commission For Africa

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa(UNECA / ECA), an international organization, was set up on the basis of the development of colonial countries and the need of modernization after the World War II. As the very first international organization which has covered the whole Africa, UNECA aimed at helping all the African nations get rid of the original colonialism once was established and the inner pressure among the former metropolitan states, so that it would stimulate a total independent and self-reliant economic system among the specific continent. Secretariat is regarded as the core administrative office of the organizational mechanism of ECA, and the Council of Ministers the major policy-making body. The main crew of the Secretariat are employed by the UN. Although the initial officials once relied on the support from the UN during the preliminary stage, it has achieved the Africanization and institution personnel’s specialization step by step. The financial resource of ECA mainly comes from two channels, namely the UN budget allocations and independent financing. Due to the steady increase of funding from UN, the operational effectiveness of ECA depends tremendously on the support from independent financing; therefore the amount of independent financing has grown annually. The accomplishment of evolution was gained in the 1980s; ECA would run an annual and specific conference by the Council of Ministers, which was organized by the chiefs of economic departments of all member states. Besides, ECA organized a series of informal decision mechanism, such as African Development Forum and so on. As a regional economic organization, ECA focused on guiding those local African nations to generate their own economic work, among which those talents breeding and capacity building should be totally involved. Through these affiliated agents, ECA could advance the basic work and the execution of related projects made by the decisive department. ECA also provides consultation and advice for the member states on international trade talks, which may promote the negotiation and signing of trade agreements among the nations and protect their profits in the global trade. ECA assists African nations to accumulate their modernization on the field of agriculture and industry, to upgrade the productivity in such areas, to expand investment in the transportation system, and to coordinate the related construction on the traffic infrastructure, so that it would helps Africa to accomplish cooperation and integration among African continent. Referring to the social improvement, ECA helps African countries to promote the level of informatization and the progress of the society, which ensures that Africa keep pace with the trend of the times. Furtherly, in order to improve the status of African women, ECA carries out a lot of programs to help African women to engage the procedure of daily economy and society of Africa. To promote the integration remains to be one of the ECA’s essential missions, based on which, the first thing ECA has to target on establishing regional organizations, such as African Unity Organization, Sub-regional economic organizations etc. Meanwhile, under the aid from the office of sub-regional, it promotes the integration of the sub-regional economic organizations in Africa. Even though Africa has encountered with economic crisis, ECA would keep helping African countries cooperate with one another, especially promoting the development of Lagos Plan of Action together and the independence and integration of Africa’s economy after 1980 s. When the new century arrives, ECA focuses on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development and it will continue to contribute its great efforts on the grand undertaking of Africa’s cooperation and integration.