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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
Cargo carriage by rail between Europe and Asia will be made easier, quicker and thus cheaper thanks to the adoption of a new United Nations Convention unifying applicable legal rules.    Until now, rail transport of goods from Asia to Europe was not covered by one uniform legislative system,
The UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety (Special Envoy) will travel to China to meet representatives from various sectors, advocating for effective implementation of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 with an aim of halving the number of victims on
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
The majority of the buses and coaches currently in use worldwide are not equipped with safety-belts. And if they are, they are equipped with safety-belts designed to protect adults by means of 2-point or 3-point harness seat belts. These types of safety-belts are not suitable for use on and by
Groundwater, an invaluable source of freshwater, faces numerous challenges, including overexploitation, pollution, and insufficient data to assess groundwater quantity and quality. UNECE has opened a public consultation on the draft supplemental specifications for groundwater resources for the
New loan options with Performance-Based Payments (PBPs) will be made available to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and seven target groups of creditworthy but underserved individuals/households from North Macedonia. The loans are to be used for investments in renewable energy (RE) and
Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) are essential for the production and deployment of low-carbon technologies, such as wind turbines, solar panels, electric vehicles, and batteries. However, they also pose significant challenges regarding supply, demand, environmental and social impacts, and governance
The UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, is visiting Saudi Arabia to meet Ministers and stakeholders from the private sector, calling for further actions to address the challenge of road safety. While Saudi Arabia has made significant progress in tackling its traffic
With the wider European region facing the impacts of several overlapping crises, including the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ripple effects of the war in Ukraine and other conflicts in the region, speakers at a high-level regional population conference in Geneva today stressed that
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
The UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, is gearing up for a crucial mission to India, where road safety challenges persist at alarming rates. According to the WHO, one of every 10 road deaths globally occurs in India. The visit, scheduled from 16-20 October, aims to
A joint assessment by the Government of Ukraine, the World Bank Group, the European Commission and the UN released in March 2023 estimated the cost of reconstruction and recovery at USD 411 billion. As the destruction of the war continues, UNECE is stepping up its support in preparation for
Leaders from over 40 cities worldwide have reaffirmed the value of sharing experience, knowhow and partnerships as part of an inclusive multilateral process at the Third UNECE Forum of Mayors.   City representatives shared their experiences in finding urban regeneration solutions that meet the
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
Faced with complex challenges of rapid urbanization, the cities of Almaty (Kazakhstan) and Podgorica (Montenegro) will benefit from new UNECE recommendations to help sharpen their efforts for smart and sustainable development. The Smart Sustainable City Profiles, presented today to the UNECE
The 3rd Forum of Mayors will bring together some 50 city leaders from around the world at the United Nations in Geneva on 2-3 October to share practical experiences of urban regeneration, and to help harness cities’ unique role in addressing some of the key challenges of our time.   Mayors will
The United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety, Mr Jean Todt, and Jean-Charles Decaux, co-CEO of JCDecaux, launched today a new UN Global Road Safety campaign to address road traffic crashes, which are the leading cause of death for people aged 5 to 29 around the world.  Road
To meet the objectives of the Paris agreement, energy systems will need to undergo a profound transformation and become fully resilient, finding the right balance between the three pillars of resiliency (as defined in UNECE’s publication “Building Resilient Energy Systems”): energy security,
A milestone for advancing sustainable resource management worldwide has been reached with the endorsement of the United Nations Resource Management System (UNRMS) by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). UNRMS is a set of principles and requirements that guide the planning,
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 Special Envoy Jean Todt will visit Honduras (August 21-22), El Salvador (August 23-24), Brazil (August 26-29), and Paraguay (August 30-31) to meet with ministers and representatives of the public and private sector and NGOs, to advocate for the effective implementation of the Global Plan for
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 26 July 2023 the appointment of Tatiana Molcean of Moldova as the next Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).  She will succeed Olga Algayerova of Slovakia, to whom the Secretary-General is
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
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