Environmental Policy
Introduction
The environmental challenges in our region are many and interlinked. Air pollution caused some 600,000 deaths in 2012, and more than 100 million people still do not have access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. Added to these, releases of hazardous chemicals, climate change, effective engagement of the public in decision-making and access to environmental information and justice are among major concerns we need to address urgently.
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Key areas of work
In focus
#WaterAction – UN Water Convention receives major push at UN 2023 Water Conference
Forty-six years after the last similar conference, the 2023 UN Water Conference (New York, 22-24 March 2023) resulted in a Water Action Agenda and significantly increased momentum for transboundary water cooperation and UNECE’s instruments, the Water Convention and Protocol on Water and Health.
The UN Secretary-General urged countries to accede to the Water Convention, and Nigeria and Iraq followed the call and became Parties to the Water Convention during the Conference. 10 other countries expressed their willingness to accede and thereby committed to the sustainable management of their shared waters. More than 40 commitments on transboundary cooperation were submitted to the Water Action Agenda, also facilitated by the Transboundary water cooperation coalition. Now, the Water Action Agenda needs to be implemented - water needs to have a prominent role in upcoming processes (e.g. 2023 SDG Summit). The follow-up steps under the Water Convention will be discussed at the 18th meeting of the Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management (Geneva, 19-21 June 2023) and at the tenth session of the Meeting of the Parties (Ljubljana, 23–25 October 2024).
Upcoming Events
02 - 03 October, 2023
Skopje
North Macedonia
03 - 05 October, 2023
Bishkek
Kyrgyzstan
Recent Events
29 September
Ganja city
Azerbaijan
28 September
Ganja city
Azerbaijan
