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Experts from UNECE member States and the secretariat will be visiting Bulgaria from 11 to 21 April 2016 for a field mission in the framework of the third environmental performance review (EPR) of the country. The team will meet governmental officials and representatives of international…
Pulses have been an integral part of human diets for thousands of years, with ancient civilizations growing beans, chickpeas and lentils as far back as 7000 - 8000 BC. Pulses still form a core part of traditional food and culture in many countries. Rich in nutrients, minerals…
For many years Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) were a rather narrow financial model for transferring project risk to the private sector. It was, for the most part, not viewed as a ‘development’ model, but rather as a value-for-money alternative to traditional public procurement. A change is…
Europeans currently eat large amounts of meat, dairy products and eggs, exceeding health recommendations for the consumption of saturated fat and red meat. In addition, livestock production in the EU is the driver of around 80% of the losses of nitrogen from agriculture. The nitrogen that is…
Cycling is a green and healthy mode of transport, since it has the potential to significantly improve health and reduce mortality due to inactivity and to reduce local air pollution caused by motorised traffic. Overall, it is a great way to connect people with their urban environment and to take…
Managing methane emissions from energy-related extractive activities is a win-win for delivering on the global promises on climate change and sustainable development. This was the key message delivered by UNECE Executive Secretary Christian Friis Bach in his keynote address to the Global Methane…
Earlier this month in New York, countries from around the world expressed their appreciation for the work done by UNECE to improve official statistics for the measurement of climate change. Almost twenty countries spoke at the 47th session of the United Nations Statistical Commission, the global…
The Generations and Gender Programme (GGP) was awarded the status of Emerging Project by ESFRI, the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructure, initiated by the European Council. The GGP is a collaboration of 16 European partners, coordinated by the Netherlands Interdisciplinary…
Countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) chose largely different models of political and economic reforms in the transition from a planned to a market economy over the period 1996- 2014. This led to the emergence of different demographic and urbanisation dynamics, with…
UNECE is assisting Belarus to better align its innovation policies with national development objectives, with a particular focus on promoting innovation as a way to implement the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Agenda. A Team of experts under the guidance of UNECE undertook a fact-finding…
In Central Africa, most watercourses cross borders. There are 16 transboundary rivers, lakes or aquifers, among them the mighty Congo River — the second largest river in the world in terms of water flow after the Amazon. However, these shared rivers also bring a risk of conflict. For this reason…
Forests maintain water quality, regulate surface and ground water flows, and help to mitigate the risks of water-related disasters. Forests and water are closely connected and mutually interdependent. The way we manage our forests is key to the quality of the water we drink, to protect us from…
How to ensure access to decent, adequate, affordable and healthy housing for all? How to reduce the impact of the housing sector on the environment? How to make the most of technological developments to make cities really “smart” and improve the quality of life of their inhabitants? What are the…
The preparation of the 2016 assessment report highlighting the main achievements of and remaining challenges facing the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution is nearing its final stages. The report summarizes current scientific knowledge on transboundary air pollution issues…
Cyber security and data privacy are two of the main risks that need to be addressed to safely capture the benefits of connected cars. Experts from the automotive and telecom sectors as well as regulators explored the policy options to address these risks at the UNECE/ITU symposium on the Future…
The percentage of women in parliament has increased across the UNECE region over the last ten years, bringing the average in UNECE member countries from 19% in 2005 to 25% in 2015. In 2015, women accounted for at least 10% of members in all national parliaments. In 2005, 9 countries were…
“Increasing the uptake of energy efficiency has never been more urgent than today. If the multiple benefits of energy efficiency were known more widely, surely related measures would be implemented better and faster.” This was the strong message on the critical importance of energy efficiency to…
Air pollution is damaging ecosystems and has adverse effects on crops. In order to improve the understanding of these impacts, and notably that of ground-level ozone pollution on crops and other vegetation, the International Cooperative Programme on Effects of Air Pollution on Natural Vegetation…
Entrepreneurship is a source of innovation and productivity in the global economy. In the 20th century, economic development has relied on big businesses and mass production. Now, smaller firms and creative networks of experts provide knowledge-driven goods and services. In addition, the…
How can advanced fossil fuel technologies help Kazakhstan reduce the carbon footprint of its energy sector while moving towards a clean energy strategy and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals? This will be the focus of a workshop organized by UNECE and UNDP on 9-10 March 2016 in Astana,…
How to measure the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? What implications will technological advancements have on the production of statistics? These are two of the topics that will be discussed by the statistical community next week in New York (8-11 March) at the 47th session of the United…
Empowering people to participate in decisions that can affect their environment and health is of key importance to UNECE. To this end, the present publication consists of two separate, but closely linked sets of recommendations: (i) Maastricht Recommendations on Promoting Effective Public…
Effective public participation is the key precondition for transparent and accountable governance. It helps Governments to tackle inequality by ensuring that all persons, including those from the poorest segments of society and rural communities, are able to participate in decisions that impact…
While mopeds and e-bikes are a common choice for transportation particularly in developing countries, helmets continue to be a difficult safety issue. Between 2008 and 2020, 3.4 million fatalities may be caused by motorcycle accidents, 3 per cent of which will be children. Wearing a…
Air pollution has a wide variety of impacts, affecting human health, ecosystems and climate, both near the source and far away. Over the past 10 years the Task Force on Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution has worked with an…