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In 2021, Chile was the world’s fourth largest importer of second-hand and unsold clothes, and the first in Latin America. Imports reached some 126,000 million tons, originating principally from China, the United States and the Republic of Korea.    About 40% of these clothes are imported through…
How can regional and international cooperation be fostered in a region that faces unprecedented water scarcity? How can the benefits of this vital resource be shared to increase resilience to climate change? The Third Baghdad International Water Conference titled "Water Scarcity, the Mesopotamian…
Young professionals from industry, academia, and civil society came together to discuss and explore solutions for sustainable resource management at the UNECE Resource Management Week 2023. Hosted by the UNECE Resource Management Young Member Group (RMYMG), the highly interactive session provided a…
In a move towards sustainable resource management, several countries have presented case studies of how the United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) can scale-up harmonized resource management. UNFC provides a common language and standards for the classification of all energy…
While companies and stakeholders across industries will not tire to make promises that include their willingness to become more transparent, we still see little actual progress. Research by Deloitte has shown that 65% of procurement leaders across sectors have limited or no visibility beyond their…
Participants in the motor industry’s complex supply chains, regulators as well as investors seeking to invest sustainably are increasingly interested in considering the carbon footprint of vehicles over their entire lifetime - from material extraction and production to manufacturing, use and…
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…
“It's now or never, if we want to limit global warming to 1.5°C”, stated the IPCC authors earlier this year. “Without immediate and deep emissions reductions across all sectors, it will be impossible”, they continued. With worsening climate effects all over the world, all eyes turned to COP27…
The transition from linear to circular economies requires fundamental rethinking of trade policies and regulations. “Harmonized System” codes (HS codes) are a key pillar of the tariff infrastructure for international trade. These HS codes were designed at a time when circular economy considerations…
The global economy must be urgently steered away from unsustainable production and consumption patterns, which fuel the climate crisis, deplete natural resources and negatively impact both people and the environment. Global value chains are predominantly linear in nature, and the lack of…
The United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) is now published in Hungarian. This version, alongside recently published editions in Greek and Portuguese, will support policymakers to implement enhanced sustainable resource management in the UNECE region.  UNFC is universally…
Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) - such as lithium, nickel, copper, cobalt, manganese, graphite and rare earth elements - are essential to deliver on the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the build-up to COP27, UNECE and partners are mobilizing to address the challenges of…
Building resilient energy systems to address the ongoing global energy crisis will be top of the agenda of the upcoming Sustainable Energy Week (19-23 September). Representatives from UNECE's 56 member States will discuss how to ensure energy for optimal social, economic, and environmental…
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…
Circular economy transformation is a new area of cooperation between the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Government of Tajikistan. Under the overarching leadership of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, UNECE together with the UN Tajikistan, and in…
All too often we take the air we breathe and share for granted. Only when we breathe very polluted air, when we can smell and see the pollution, do we realize that the air around us is a precious good that needs to be protected, much like the water we drink. On the International Day of Clean Air…
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…
The United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) is now published in Greek and Portuguese. These translations will support policymakers to implement enhanced sustainable resource management in the UNECE region. A universally acceptable and internationally applicable scheme for the…
As the sun sets in northern México, less than 100 kilometres from its border with the United States, news from the latest coal mining disaster near Sabinas, in the state of Coahuila, is heartbreaking for the families awaiting at the surface. Military divers who have bravely attempted to make their…
In 2022, international cooperation in energy and critical raw materials is high on the agenda. Optimal use of critical raw materials, for which demand is set to continue rising, will be crucial in delivering the green transition in energy, mobility and the digital world.  This will be in the…
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…
In June 2022, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Members agreed on the Ministerial Outcome Document, which marked for the first time the recognition of the importance of the multilateral trading system in addressing the triple global environmental crises of climate change and related natural…
With blockchain opening up many avenues in international trade – from facilitating financing and customs procedures to tracking due diligence and sustainability compliance – countries and companies are looking for  successful practices to scale up their efforts to maximize the potential of this new…
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…
In view of the upcoming COP 27 of the UNFCCC, taking place in Egypt later this year, the growing threats on climate created by the textile and leather sectors call for our urgent action. If we continue down this path, we will fail by 50% to meet our 2030 emissions reduction targets, resulting in…