UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2021-2025)
UNECE is a signatory of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and contributes in particular to the following strategic priorities:
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Outcome 1.1: By 2025, people benefit from resilient, inclusive and sustainable growth ensured by the convergence of economic development, and management of environment and cultural resources.
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Outcome 2.1: By 2025, people benefit from more inclusive and higher quality educational programmes focused on 21st century skills for enhanced employability, well-being and active participation in society.
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Outcome 3.1: By 2025, people have access to better quality and inclusive health and social protection systems.
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Outcome 3.2: By 2025, people contribute to, and benefit from more accountable and transparent governance systems that deliver quality public services, and ensure rule of law.
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Outcome 4.1: By 2025, there is stronger mutual understanding, respect and trust among individuals and communities
UNECE works in close cooperation with the Resident Coordinator and the United Nations Country Team.
Key highlights
Energy
UNECE is ready to support Bosnia and Herzegovina to use the guidelines and best practices for MSMEs to assure resiliency and progress towards a circular economy in sustainable resource management and critical raw material supply chain solutions (SDG7, SDG9 and SDG12).
The country is a beneficiary of the UNECE project “Enhancing national capacities to develop and implement energy efficiency standards for buildings in the UNECE region”. The “Gap Analysis between the Performance Objectives Set Forth in the Framework Guidelines for Energy Efficiency Standards in Buildings and Current Energy Efficiency Standards and their Implementation in the Countries of South-Eastern and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and in the Russian Federation” offers analysis of the situation in the country in this sector, with recommendations on the next steps.
Environment
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a Party to 5 UNECE environmental conventions and several of their protocols.
In the Drina River Basin, shared by Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, UNECE supports riparian countries in working together across borders to jointly address water and energy challenges for effective climate action (SDG6, SDG7 and SDG13).
Advancing the implementation of the Aarhus Convention and its Protocol, namely identifying a focal point to work with the UNECE Aarhus Convention secretariat, could strengthen governance-human rights-environment nexus. Likewise, ratifying the Gothenburg Protocol, Protocol on Heavy Metals, Protocol on POPs to the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution could assist the country in fulfilling EU pre-accession requirements (SDG13).
Forests
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s forest cover (43%) is significantly higher than the UNECE region’s average. UNECE’s work is focused on strengthening the country’s policy framework on forest landscape restoration, sustainable forest management, and urban and peri urban forestry. Key areas of focus include dealing with fire and over exploitation of timber/fuel wood, as well as under-utilization of timber resources in some areas (SDG13 and SDG15).
Gender equality
The standards body of Bosnia and Herzegovina has signed the Declaration on Gender-Responsive Standards and Standards Development (SDG5, SDG9 and SDG12).
Statistics
UNECE stands ready to support the development of the national statistical system through a global assessment and/or sector reviews and to assist in the the preparations for the census and production of statistics on ageing (SDG3 and SDG11).
Transport
Bosnia and Herzegovina has acceded to 28 UN legal instruments on inland transport. It is invited to accede to the 2008 Additional Protocol to the CMR concerning the Electronic Consignment Note (e-CMR) and the Agreement concerning the Adoption of Uniform Conditions for Periodical Technical Inspections of Wheeled Vehicles and the Reciprocal Recognition of Such Inspections (1997).
Adoption of a Framework Road Safety Strategy is one of the priority tasks for improvement of the national road safety system.
Bosnia and Herzegovina would benefit from connecting its national custom system with the eTIR International System, which was recognized as the UN tool/convention for facilitating and simplifying borders crossing procedures by digitalizing TIR-related transport documents (SDG8 and SDG9).
THE PEP activities can be a way to support the country in lowering emissions from transport (SDG3, SDG11 and SDG13).
Trade
UNECE has provided extensive assistance on trade facilitation and the Single Window for export and import clearance. Currently, experts from Bosnia and Herzegovina participate in the annual seminars on Single Window and Data Sharing in the Western Balkans organized by the UNECE Regional Adviser (SDG8 and SDG9).
The country could accelerate circular economy transition by active participation in the UNECE Circular STEP stakeholder engagement platform to exchange experience, challenges and learn about good practices and tools for this transition (SDG8 and SDG9).
Urban development
To promote access to decent, adequate, affordable and heathy housing for all and implement The Geneva UN Charter on Sustainable Housing principles, it was proposed to Bosnia and Herzegovina to develop a Country Profile on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management (SDG3 and SDG11)