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In her first visit to Brussels as UNECE Executive Secretary, Tatiana Molcean held strategic discussions this week with European Commissioners for environment and energy, and high-level officials responsible for industrial policy, trade and cooperation with EU acceding, candidate and neighbouring
Due to their geographical location, the world’s 32 Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) are facing common problems that negatively affect their economic engagement with the rest of the world. Long distances from the nearest seaports, inadequate transport and transit systems multiple border
Meeting for the first time since the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) was created in 1998, the Heads of State and Government of SPECA participating States adopted the Baku Declaration. The declaration endorses a roadmap for the digitalization of multimodal
Sweet potato is a tropical plant which, despite its name, is not related to potatoes. It is a nutritious food rich in vitamin A and C, antioxidants and phytochemicals. Furthermore, sweet potatoes are also a drought-tolerant vegetable, valued for their resilience in diverse agricultural systems. The
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) account for over 90 per cent of registered enterprises in the UNECE region, spreading from North America to Central Asia. These enterprises hold immense potential to drive the transition towards a circular and green economy due to their agility and
Persisting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical turbulence and high inflation continue to challenge international trade. Despite these global disruptions, countries are continuing to move towards a seamless and efficient trading environment by simplifying and digitalizing formalities in
The fifth UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation 2023 has been launched by  the five United Nations Regional Commissions and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The 2023 edition consists of 60 measures, including two new sets of measures on “
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing represents up to 26 million tonnes of fish caught annually. It occurs on the high seas and in areas within national jurisdictions, especially affecting coastal rural populations in vulnerable
Through recommendations of its subsidiary body, the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT), UNECE has contributed to the elaboration of the new regulation that establishes the European Union Single Window Environment for Customs.  The new regulation
Portuguese version International trade is a key enabler for sustainable food systems, allowing for production to take place where it is most efficient, thus increasing productivity and reducing prices. Last week, UNECE adopted four new quality standards to boost trade in certain small fruits,
In business environment, effective data exchange is instrumental to reducing the cost and time of trade transactions, especially in the context of growing digitalization of global trade. If semantically aligned and harmonized with international standards, efficient data exchange can enable trade
In today’s globalized economy, goods move through complex supply chains and cross borders – often numerous times, which involves multifaceted interactions among a variety of suppliers and trade actors. The COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have brought to light the challenges of supply chain
The countries of Central Asia and Azerbaijan, which participate in the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), have a growing shared interest in  promoting trade and transport facilitation and strengthening digital connectivity along trade corridors between Europe and East
Without scaled-up efforts to finance and sustainably manage the Critical Raw Materials needed for a rapid renewables and clean energy shift, countries of the pan-European region and North America will face huge challenges to deliver on the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals, the
Border control agencies are faced with limited resources. Streamlining risk management at the border and applying a risk-based approach to target high-risk movements of goods can help to address this challenge. Risk management can also be a tool to facilitate the clearance process during
“It is a responsibility to happen to be alive at this very moment, when scientists are telling us that we are facing an existential threat. Every person, every business, every government – especially those with the privilege of choice and power – needs to play a part in the transformation towards
16 May 2022, Geneva – participants from around the globe representing governments, National Trade Facilitation Bodies (NTFB) experts and private sector joined the online roundtable organized by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the UN Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in
Celerity is the essence of any disaster response. Swift distribution of equipment, relief goods and services to those that need them can minimize the destruction and alleviate the suffering inflicted by a disaster, restoring populations to safety, to health and to dignity sooner. But velocity of
A seminar and a high-level roundtable focusing on “Trade Facilitation in the Digital Economy” concluded years of collaboration between UNECE and the Kyrgyz Economic University (KEU). Aimed at building the capacity of local exerts, the UNECE project titled “Strengthening the capacity of the
Almost all countries in the UNECE region, covering US, Canada, Eastern and Western Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, have adopted national policies which are directly or indirectly related to the sustainable management of natural resources and the circular economy. Multiple
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the International Federation of Freight-Forwarders Associations (FIATA) announce the official release of the electronic FIATA Multimodal Bill of Lading (eFBL) data standard. The data standard, created on the basis of the mapping of the
UNECE is launching an expanded version of the Portal on Standards for SDGs, which allows users to identify standards which can contribute to the realization of individual Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Portal has been updated from 1,600 standards mapped across five SDGs to 20,000
Originating from the south of Asia, Persia, and Afghanistan, pomegranate is an ancient fruit that has been cultivated by many cultures for thousands of years throughout the Mediterranean region of Asia, Africa, and Europe.  International trade in pomegranate will be facilitated thanks to a new
Taking concerted action on gender equality and inclusion within standards development processes is an important and necessary means of ensuring the adequacy of standards to address sustainable development challenges. UNECE, with its longstanding history as a convenor of national, regional, and
UNECE and its subsidiary body, the UN Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) have finalized and published a set of aligned standards for the digitalization of intermodal transport data exchanges to support global supply chain cargo movements.   These standards comprise