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Today, a new project to be implemented by UNECE with the support of Switzerland was launched in Tashkent, underscoring Uzbekistan's commitment to improving water and health governance and safe management of industrial and tailing facilities.   Uzbekistan, the most populous Central Asian country,
Faced with increasing impacts of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss, which together constitute the “triple planetary crisis”, no country can act alone. Like nature itself, these challenges know no borders, which makes international cooperation a crucial part of action to address them
On 28 February 2024, the UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus Convention, Michel Forst, released a position paper on state repression of environmental protest and civil disobedience: a major threat to human rights and democracy. The position paper provides an overview
Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) will be at the forefront of discussions at the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) on how to tackle the triple planetary crisis.  Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean will lead a UNECE delegation to UNEA-6, the world’s
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
Following the adoption last year of a methodology to measure the emissions from braking systems, UNECE’s World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) now turns to tackling emissions from tyres.    Made from a mixture of natural and synthetic rubber and plastic polymers, including
Uzbekistan has joined to the UNECE-WHO/Europe Protocol on Water and Health, thereby becoming its 29th Party and the first country in Central Asia to join this treaty. Accession to the Protocol is expected to serve as a catalyst to further drive and streamline national action on water, sanitation,
Batteries fitted to electric vans will be required to be of high quality and durable over the years thanks to a proposal agreed today by UNECE’s Working Party on Pollution and Energy (GRPE).   The proposal will now be submitted to the UNECE-hosted World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle
Today, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan signed a joint statement on the approval of the Strategic Action Programme (SAP) for the Chu and Talas river basins aimed at effective transboundary cooperation in the context of climate change to ensure health, security and economic well-being for the 3 million
Nitrogen, which is vital for plant growth, is present in animal excreta and synthetic fertilisers that are applied to land to boost crop production. But excessive and inefficient use of this nutrient means up to 80% of it leaks into the environment, mostly in various polluting forms of nitrogen:
Gathering in Geneva for the Meetings of the Parties to the UNECE Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention) and the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), Ministers and high-level government officials emphasized the crucial importance
Parties to the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention) have agreed to work to revise the Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-Level Ozone (Gothenburg Protocol), which is expected to further strengthen efforts to reduce air pollution in
Climate change is a major stress factor for the world’s water resources, heightening risks of conflict in shared basins, threatening health and undermining sustainable development.   During high-level discussions held at COP28 on the thematic days on Peace, Security, and Health and on Agriculture
Cities are a major driver of climate change, responsible for an estimated 75% of all carbon dioxide emissions globally. With two thirds of humanity projected to live in cities by 2050, cities are at the center of climate action. We need solutions to reduce urban greenhouse gas emissions and develop
The global transport sector has the highest reliance on fossil fuels of any sector. In 2021 it accounted for almost one fourth of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The road transport sector, including passenger cars, buses, heavy and light duty commercial vehicles, is the major GHG contributor
Critical Raw Materials (CRM) like lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese, graphite and rare earth elements are crucial for renewable energy technologies like solar panels, wind turbines and for battery production, driving the global shift to electrification. Yet with surging demand,
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
On 4 October 2023, North Macedonia became the 28th country to join the UNECE-WHO/Europe Protocol on Water and Health, thus committing to drive action on water, sanitation and hygiene, protecting its natural resources and fostering a healthier environment for its citizens.   The Protocol on Water
The decrease of air pollution achieved since the 1990s thanks to measures adopted under the Air Convention is leading to ongoing biological recovery from acidification in freshwater environments in Europe. This is the main finding of a new report published in the framework of the International
The world is falling behind on lowering global carbon emissions.  We only have a narrow chance of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report) or as the United Nations Secretary-General says, “our world needs
The Gambia has taken a decisive step for cooperative water action by officially becoming the 52nd Party to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (known as the UN Water Convention) and 9th Party in Africa. The Gambia’s accession comes within
Each year, across the pan-European region, an estimated 1.4 million deaths are linked to environmental risk factors, including pollution and climate change. To accelerate collective commitments for healthier people and a sustainable future, Ministers and representatives of pan-European countries
By becoming the first country from Latin America to accede to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention), Panama today made a decisive step to support the sustainable use of transboundary water resources through cooperation
Public involvement in decision-making underpins the universal right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. 25 years since the adoption of a ground-breaking global treaty known as the Aarhus Convention – unparalleled in its success in putting environmental democracy into action – this
Following strong reduction from exhaust particle emissions (PM 2.5 and 10) over the past 20 years, due to international and national vehicle regulations, non-exhaust sources now make up approximately 80% of particle emissions from vehicle use, compared to some 40% in 2000. Non-exhaust emissions