The UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) was launched in 1998 to strengthen sub regional cooperation in Central Asia and its integration into the world economy. The members of SPECA are Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) jointly provide overall support to the activities under this programme.

It is expected that along with the SPECA member states, representatives of two UN economic commissions and representatives of the international financial institutions.

Participants will consider issues of mitigating economic shocks through strengthening of regional cooperation and development of collective initiatives on protecting vulnerable layers of the population in Central Asian region and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, as well as the role of the regional cooperation in speeding up economic rehabilitation.