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In recent years, Montenegro and its capital city, Podgorica, have been committed to accelerate sustainable and smart urban development through a variety of ambitious national and regional and local measures, such as digitalization of public services, modernization of public transport, and to…
The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo in 1994, set a bold new vision of the relationships between population, development, and individual rights and well-being. It recognized that population was not about numbers, but about people, and that individual…
As the global economy emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic and governments strengthen efforts to “build-back-better”, trade as an engine of growth has re-emerged in policy agendas. For developing countries and countries with economies in transition that are still in the process of accession to the…
Adopted in 1963, the UNECE Standard S-1 concerning the certification and commercial quality control of seed potatoes provides a framework for the international trade of seed potatoes. It is currently the only international standard that ensures that seed potatoes meet specific and harmonized…
The 61st Commission for Social Development concluded yesterday with the adoption of a resolution calling for acceleration of the implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA). The Commission session concluded the fourth global review and appraisal of MIPAA, which…
It is critical that construction industry’s general contractors, architects and governments find ways to innovate and incorporate minimum efficient standards and innovations, such as architectural upcycling and recycling, through proper and updated legislative frameworks and rules as well as…
In the face of rising prices of food and energy, and the persistence of the climate crisis, the sustainability of food systems is an issue of increasing global attention. While meat production provides an essential source of nutrition, and an important source of income for farmers, its impact on…
Governments, Mayors, leading architects, urbanists and experts will gather in San Marino on 3-6 October 2022 for the 83rd session of the UNECE Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management. The session will support regional exchange of experiences and good practices to promote…
July is a month to start enjoying the harvest of fruits and vegetables for many in Europe and the topic of reducing food loss and waste becomes very urgent. In Serbia, agriculture is an important sector of the economy, contributing around 6% of GDP. In March 2022 food production accounted for 10.4…
The third online meeting on the new Master Plan for Kharkiv on 28 May 2022 saw a group of local architects join the discussions led by the Norman Foster Foundation and the City Government of Kharkiv.  Mayor of Kharkiv Ihor Terekhov spoke of his vision to transform the city to become a great…
New multilateralism, focused on creating synergies between local, national, regional and global efforts, combined with practical, forward-looking solutions are needed to address the pressing challenges facing cities across the globe, including the coronavirus pandemic, rapid urbanization, and…
We probably all know what a potato is and how we prefer to eat it. But do you know what a seed potato is, and why seed potato certification matters? And did you know UNECE has a standard for seed potatoes? Potatoes is one of the easiest vegetables to grow, as old potatoes that have grown buds can…
Cities have the power to accelerate the achievement of the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through their work at the local level. Examples of this will be presented and discussed at the H22 +50 Session (31 May 2022), and Dialogue of Eminent Experts on smart, sustainable, and…
COP26 was a positive step forward in the fight against climate change, but as the UN Secretary General pointed out in his comments: “it is not enough. We must accelerate climate action to keep alive the goal of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.” The compromise deal reflects the…
An exhibition of urban sketches by Architect Norman Foster is opening today at the Palais des Nations on the occasion of the UNECE Ministerial Meeting on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management (6-8 October).  The sketches present visions of city planning that incorporate concepts of…
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the world’s fragilities, including the weaknesses of our food systems which exacerbate hunger, obesity, poverty, political instabilities and economic crises. To overcome common and regional challenges, the five UN regional commissions have been working jointly on…
With the UN Food Systems Summit taking place next week under the auspices of the UN General Assembly (23 September 2021), we must recognize that the food systems we have built over recent decades are unsustainable. The food choices we make every day as consumers and producers of food are having a…
Strengthening the voice and agency of older persons in decisions that affect them is essential to fulfil the 2030 Agenda’s pledge of leaving no-one behind. It is a key step in ensuring that ageing-related issues are accounted for in the design and implementation of policies across various sectors…
While transboundary rivers, lakes and aquifers, accounting for 60 per cent of global freshwater flows, are of crucial importance for the sustainable development and political stability of riparian States, the financial means for their management, development and protection are insufficient in most…
The UNECE region, in particular Europe and North America, has become the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the devastating impact on lives and health, countries in the region are suffering heavy socio-economic consequences. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is projected to fall…
On 8 March, we celebrate International Women’s Day with this year’s theme “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights”. We still have a long way to go. In October 2019, UNECE hosted a regional meeting to review the progress and discuss the challenges in the implementation of the most…
Every year we lose about 14% of the food produced before it is sold, and this does not even include the food never harvested. Even more is wasted at retail and consumer levels. At the same time, over 800 million people worldwide suffer from hunger, while food loss is a major contributor to CO2…