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“Within three decades, work under the Industrial Accidents Convention has been transformative for the UNECE region, enhancing the protection for humans and the environment and making it an example for transboundary cooperation on accident prevention and preparedness, which can serve as inspiration
The United Republic of Tanzania, which shares seven out of its nine river/lake basins with neighboring countries, is taking an important step towards stronger cross-border cooperation for sustainable water management by advancing its accession to the Convention on the Protection and Use of
“Environmental defenders continue to be exposed to significant risks of penalisation, persecution, harassment and even killings. And these risks do not spare the geographical area of the Aarhus Convention, where environmental defenders are facing reprisals, a shrinking civic space, restrictive
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) in a transboundary context, along with strategic environmental assessment (SEA), have an important role to play in climate proofing and in helping countries to achieve a sustainable and green post-COVID-19 economic recovery. EIA and SEA are also expected to be
How can the universal rights to water and sanitation be achieved in a region, which according to the latest World Meteorological Organization report, is heating up faster than anywhere else in the world? How can increasing the resilience of water and sanitation infrastructures be reflected in pan-
The 18 countries in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, which are home to some 450 million inhabitants, are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Under a “business as usual” scenario, they risk facing a 5°C increase in the mean annual temperature by the end of the century, which would
Speaking at two events on water security at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh today, UNECE Executive Secretary Olga Algayerova stressed the importance of cooperation between countries for successful climate change policies and actions, especially when it comes to addressing water security. Impacts of
The Dominican Republic has taken important steps to ensure the sustainability of its natural resources through better conservation, management and sustainable use of its transboundary waters. The Dominican Government undertook a process to accede to the United Nations Water Convention. The
Cameroon became the 47th Party to the United Nations Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) following the approval of accession at the highest level by the Cameroon President on 7 July 2022 and the deposit on 1 November 2022 by
Ecosystems such as forests, heaths and surface waters are more sensitive to atmospheric nitrogen pollution than previously thought, according to a new report published by the Coordination Centre for Effects under the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention).  The
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
UNECE Executive Secretary Olga Algayerova was in Kyiv on Sunday 9 and Monday 10 October to meet with Government officials to discuss UNECE support to the reconstruction of Ukraine. Since the start of the war, upon official requests for assistance from the government, UNECE has been providing
The 9th Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference closed today in Nicosia, Cyprus, with the adoption of a ministerial declaration affirming countries’ commitment to transition to a green economy with sustainable infrastructure at its core.   The declaration also calls on countries to join and
New assessment reveals progress on air quality and protected areas, but calls for urgent action to tackle emissions, waste, pollution and biodiversity loss  A circular economy and sustainable infrastructure offer solutions  Despite progress in certain areas, governments in the pan-European
Due to the increasing popularity of the UNECE Environmental Performance Review (EPR) Programme, the Government of Mauritania has asked the UNECE secretariat to review the country’s environmental performance. On 10–11 August 2022, the EPR Programme Manager met in Nouakchott with Ministry of
Nigeria has taken a significant step towards ensuring the sustainable management of its cross-border waters with a milestone commitment to join and implement a United Nations treaty known as the Water Convention.    This commitment, guided by a road map, will be the key outcome of the National
Ukraine will become a Party to the UNECE Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents, following the deposit of its instrument of accession with the UN Secretary-General in New York on 6 July 2022. The Convention will enter into force for Ukraine on 4 October 2022. This follows
UNECE delivers a wide range of technical assistance and capacity building activities to support the countries of the Caucasus and Eastern Europe to enhance strategic environmental assessment (SEA) and transboundary environmental impact assessment (EIA). An effective system for environmental
More than 3 billion people depend on water that crosses national borders. As climate impacts – from drought to flooding – are felt more and more acutely worldwide, and with rising demands, pollution and tensions threatening increasingly scarce water resources, cooperation on shared waters offers a
The Meeting of the Parties to the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) has elected, by consensus, Mr. Michel Forst as the world’s first Special Rapporteur on environmental defenders. 
From insufficient drinking water supply to contamination by sewage overflow and disease outbreaks from improper wastewater treatment, existing risks from climate change to water, sanitation and hygiene in the pan-European region are set to increase significantly, UNECE and the WHO Regional Office
Representatives from the water, energy, and environment sectors of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia - the three riparians of the Drina River Basin - met on 4 May 2022 to discuss ways forward on sustainable development and transboundary cooperation. The meeting of the Steering
UNECE notes with concern the attacks on industrial facilities in Ukraine since the beginning of the war and calls for a prompt end of the hostilities and the prevention of technological disasters, which could affect the population and environment of Ukraine and neighbouring countries. Since the
The centrality of transboundary water cooperation for peace and sustainable development has been stressed in recent years at the global and regional levels, notably in the Sustainable Development Goals, at the United Nations Security Council, and at the African Ministers’ Council on Water. However
A pilot project in Georgia was kicked off as part of UNECE’s longstanding support to enhancing the country’s strategic environmental assessment (SEA) and transboundary environmental impact assessment systems in accordance with the UNECE Protocol on SEA and the Convention on Environmental Impact