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The COVID-19 pandemic and the regional conflicts have negatively affected economic development in Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus (EESC), significantly disrupting international trade, investment and cooperation. To achieve a resilient recovery and support the transition to knowledge-based and…
In a rapidly evolving world, grappling with climate change and the triple planetary crisis, transformative innovation stands as a crucial solution to these pressing challenges. Strategic learning is increasingly recognized as a key component in both ecosystem development and the broader realm of…
With a long history of reliance on resource-based industries for growth, countries of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) - Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan - have embraced the power of innovation…
UNECE presented its innovation policy insights during the Small Business Act for Europe (SBA) stakeholder meeting at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on 19 June 2023 in Paris. This meeting was a platform for experts on small and medium enterprises (SME) policy,…
Countries in the Eastern Europe and South Caucasus (EESC) sub-region (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine) must boost their efforts to diversify and upgrade their economies through innovation for long-term, sustainable growth and resilience, in light of recent crises…
The transition towards a circular economy could create an estimated 4.5 trillion USD of global economic growth by 2030, while helping to restore natural systems. Within the landlocked countries of Central Asia, this transition can help economies diversify away from a dependence on exports of finite…
Innovation and Technology, which is the focus of this year’s International Women’s Day, presents powerful opportunities for gender equality, and offers welcome hope at a time of great challenges for women’s empowerment. In fact, the regional progress report on the Sustainable Development Goals (…
During its recent mission in Turkmenistan, a UNECE delegation presented a proposal for a new analytical project - “Trade and Innovation for Sustainable Development of Turkmenistan” - to the government and international stakeholders, aimed at supporting the country to enhance innovation governance…
Eight years remain to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and yet, the world is not on track to attaining most of the targets. We are far from a fully realized circular economy transition, or from limiting the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The…
Innovation will be crucial for rebuilding Ukraine’s economic and social systems to ensure the country’s long-term prosperity, resilience and sustainability. To support Ukraine in addressing these challenges, UNECE organized a study tour to Geneva for three Ukrainian officials.
The study tour (14-…
The tenth meeting of the Task Force on Public Participation in Decision-making under the Aarhus Convention (Geneva (hybrid), 10–11 October 2022) focused on effective public participation in decision-making in the context of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and on health-related issues…
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent economic slowdown, as well as the widespread negative repercussions of the regional conflicts, such as disruptions in international trade and investments, have made it increasingly difficult for the Eastern Europe and South Caucasus (EESC)…
As part of UNECE’s effort to support innovation-led, sustainable development in Armenia, UNECE’s Innovative Policies Development (IPDS) makes progress in identifying binding constraints to innovation during a fact-finding mission to Yerevan.
Aimed at providing a comprehensive assessment of…
Public procurement represents 10 per cent of Georgia’s GDP. Therefore, innovation-enhancing procurement (IEP) can be a powerful policy lever to catalyze innovation and promote sustainability. Using public procurement to drive innovation is one of the recommendations arising from the Innovation for…
Cities and urban areas have been at the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic which has drastically impacted the urban economy, including public services, employment and infrastructure, affecting all, but foremost the most vulnerable groups of the population. To support cities in their recovery from…
SPECA countries are facing unique challenges, stemming from at least three crises: the need to deal with the regional and global repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the political upheaval in Afghanistan, and the conflict in Ukraine. With the correct policies and mechanisms for subregional…
World trade continues to be severely affected by global supply chain disruptions, exacerbated by shocks including the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. These challenges attest to the value of supporting and reinforcing trade facilitation measures to enhance resilience in all regions…
In the past few years, multiple shocks ranging from pandemics to conflicts have restricted the movement of goods and services, resulting in the number of countries facing significant disruptions in supply chains is increasing every year, affecting timely delivery of essential goods, such as food…
The Covid-19 pandemic continues to hit hard the countries of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) and highlights the need to diversify from current, resource-dependent models of economic development. This will mean putting ‘innovation and technology that…
The heads of national statistical offices participating in the Conference of European Statisticians have (CES) welcomed UNECE’s new Guidance for measuring the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on women and men.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt many aspects of daily life. The…
Making drinking water and sanitation services affordable for all is key to guaranteeing the human rights to drinking water and sanitation. In the human rights framework, water and sanitation services are unaffordable when paying for them would compromise the ability to pay for other essential needs…
Countries of the Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus (EESC) sub-region (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine) have a lot of potential to continue the transition to a more sustainable economic growth model that is less vulnerable to external shocks. Innovation, or…
Countries in the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) are falling behind potential on many metrics of innovation performance. R&D spending remains below 1 per cent of GDP, almost entirely publicly funded, and SPECA countries rely extensively on natural resources,…
UNECE was engaged at the main global forum to assess and discuss progress in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) – the seventh session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2022) held in Bali and online, 25-27 May 2022, fully embracing its theme: “…
As countries work towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the importance of innovation as a leading driver is growing. Systematically trying out new ideas to create value, govern, and organize society to the benefit of all is essential to find out what works and what does not. These ideas…