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As the international community marks 75 years since the adoption of the groundbreaking Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UNECE calls for commitment and practical measures from governments and all stakeholders in the region to uphold the human rights of all persons including those with…
Global goals – just like regional and national goals — can only be achieved if we work together. This is a reason that revitalizing partnerships is at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
With this in mind, under the umbrella of the Regional Collaborative Platform, regional…
Delegations from over 40 countries in the wider European region convened in Geneva on 19-20 October to review progress towards the goals adopted by the landmark 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and discuss priorities for the future.
The two-day conference,…
Forest ecosystems in the Caucasus, Central Asia and Eastern Europe are struggling with the complexity of changing climatic conditions, human and natural pressures threatening their vitality and resilience.
To address these challenges and promote sustainable forest management, data on forest…
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…
Every year, forest fires set new records. The 2023 wildfire season in the Northern Hemisphere could not have been worse.
The wildfire that ravaged northeastern Greece in August was the largest single wildfire recorded in the European Union (EU), burning more than 810 square kilometres.
In the…
The building industry currently accounts for 39% of global energy-related CO2 emissions, 11% of which result from manufacturing building materials and products such as steel, cement, and glass. And yet, to date, emission reduction efforts have not really focused on decarbonizing the construction…
On today’s World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, focused on Gender-Based Violence in Older Age: Policy, Law and Evidence-based Responses, UNECE calls for commitment and concrete measures to end violence against older women in the pan-European region and North America.
A challenge in all regions …
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…
Young people are emerging as crucial champions for the achievement of the sustainable development agenda of countries in the UNECE region. The ideas and perspectives of new generations, who are acutely aware of the environmental challenges that the world faces, can help shape the policies and…
While many of us have taken pain relievers, we do not always remember that one of the most extensively used medicines in the world – with an estimated annual consumption of 40,000 tons – salicylic acid, commonly known as aspirin, is based on a tree-derived ingredient.
The theme of this year’s…
Innovation and Technology, which is the focus of this year’s International Women’s Day, presents powerful opportunities for gender equality, and offers welcome hope at a time of great challenges for women’s empowerment. In fact, the regional progress report on the Sustainable Development Goals (…
This year’s Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (Geneva, 29-30 March 2023) is taking place against the background of multiple crises: the lingering aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic; the war in Ukraine; food, energy and cost-of-living crises; economic downturn; and financial vulnerabilities…
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…
In the past years, Central Asia has been facing major climate-change related challenges – drought, floods, desertification, sandstorms, extreme cold and heat spells – and many more. Not only have these affected rural areas, but cities have been suffering, too. Accentuated by increased traffic…
The buildings and construction sector accounted for 36% of final energy use and 39% of energy and process-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2018. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, building materials including steel, cement and glass emitted over 2.2 Gigatonnes of…
Meeting the goals of the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and overcoming the challenges of sluggish economic growth, social exclusion and environmental degradation requires the contribution of both men and women. More-over, many sustainable development challenges affect women more…
Climate change is progressing faster than trees can adapt. Challenges and uncertainties to the state of the world’s forests and their future are growing.
This summer, Europe saw record-breaking temperatures and a series of heatwaves that intensified drought conditions. With more than 760…
The heads of national statistical offices participating in the Conference of European Statisticians have (CES) welcomed UNECE’s new Guidance for measuring the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on women and men.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt many aspects of daily life. The…
Four years ago, the countries in the Caucasus and Central Asian region pledged to restore more than 3 million hectares of degraded forests by 2030 under the global Bonn Challenge. To support them in turning their pledges into reality, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and…
Single-use cutlery pollutes our oceans and takes thousands of years to decompose in landfills and trash heaps. Plastic forks and knives may photo-degrade with exposure to the sun, but they become microplastics that continue to pollute our environment. In addition to reducing our overall material…
UNECE was engaged at the main global forum to assess and discuss progress in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) – the seventh session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2022) held in Bali and online, 25-27 May 2022, fully embracing its theme: “…
As an established convenor of standards developing organisations, UNECE encourages the integration of a gender perspective, providing practical steps for organisations to advance women’s full and effective participation in standards and standards development. With the objective of strengthening…
Cities, which are already responsible for around 75% of global CO2 emissions, are also at the forefront of fighting climate change and simultaneously are particularly vulnerable to its impacts. Urban trees and forests have been highlighted as a solution that can help to achieve the SDGs and make…
The transition to a decarbonized energy sector is a critical step for keeping global warming below 2°C. To succeed, countries will need to phase out, or at least substantially limit the use of coal. While the benefits of the green transition are numerous, it will require a deep structural shift…