Press Releases
Displaying Results 701 - 725 of 1431
The OECD estimates that countries could reduce trade cost by about 5% only by simplifying trade documents, automating trade, and customs processes. The revision of two Recommendations and the adoption of a new one by the UN Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) last
The 2017 UNECE call for Ideas4Change for the SDGs is now in its final stage. About 100 ideas were received from 22 different countries in our region, proposing innovative solutions for a better world. The five startups that made it to the final are: Catalytic Innovations (USA), Debatelier
The World Trade Organization (WTO) estimates that the implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) will reduce trade cost by 13-14 percent in developed and developing countries around the world. The UN Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT), serviced by
Twenty-five years ago today, a key regional instrument aimed at protecting people and the environment from the devastating effects of industrial accidents was adopted. On 17 March 1992 in Helsinki 26 countries and the European Union signed the UNECE Convention on the Transboundary Effects
Traditionally forestry and forest-related jobs have always been in the domain of men. This is no longer the case. Women have been entering the work force for some time carrying out what is typically known as “a man’s job” and the share of women working in the forest and owning forests is
Transport ministers from across Europe and the Globe came together at the 70th anniversary session of UNECE’s Inland Transport Committee (ITC) to sign a ministerial resolution, which not only recognizes the 70 years of accomplishments of ITC but also commits to continuing to support the
The port of Aqaba, Jordan’s only sea port, was reformed in 2004 through a public-private partnership (PPP), which helped to reduce average port stays from 8 days to a few hours. Port productivity has more than tripled and the cost to export per 20-foot container dropped from USD 720 in 2004 to
Today, the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) has formally entered into force. This will cut total trade costs for about 14% on average, and will result in massive savings of over 1 trillion USD annual to economies, the majority of which will accrue to developing economies. “The first
UNECE and Life announced today the winners of the 2017 Global Road Safety Film Festival. Among the top three winners were a film about drink driving, and two films about distracted driving.The winner of the Gran Prix Prize, “Reflections from Inside Dawn” produced by NGO “We save lives” from the
Thirty years ago, one of the worst environmental disasters in Europe was caused by a fire breaking out in an agrochemical warehouse at a Sandoz pharmaceutical company site near Basel, Switzerland. It was not the accident itself that caused the real disaster, but the contaminated fire-water —
For all the countries sharing the Sava River Basin (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia), hydropower is a major source of energy, sometimes the main source (i.e., in Montenegro and in Croatia). Collectively, hydropower in from the Sava River constitutes 11% of the
Experts from UNECE member States and the secretariat will be visiting Albania from 31 January to 8 February 2017 for a field mission in the framework of the third environmental performance review (EPR) of the country. The third review of Albania will evaluate the country’s efforts to abate
The adoption of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 marked a key milestone for the world. It is now time to take action and to find concrete solutions that can help countries achieve their commitments under these
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the World Coal Association (WCA) signed today a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that formalizes their long-term collaboration. Through this MoU, UNECE and WCA will work to facilitate a dialogue between governments and the coal
Domestic demand and intra-European trade will support economic activity amid a challenging international environmentEconomic activity in Europe will expand at a subdued pace in 2017 and 2018, as the global economy continues to be trapped in a prolonged period of slow growth, according to the
Regional growth will still be muted given persistent uncertainty and continued fragilitiesFollowing the terms-of-trade shock and economic downturn of 2014-2015, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region entered a period of tentative stabilization in 2016 and is expected to return to
Concerted policy efforts to revive investment and growth are needed to facilitate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals Although a modest global recovery is projected for 2017-18, the world economy has not yet emerged from the period of slow growth, characterised by weak
The potential synergies between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and China's “One Belt One Road” (OBOR) Initiative were at the centre of the discussions between senior officials from the UNECE Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) programme and China’s National Development and Reform
What are the policy changes needed to overcome the political, legal, regulatory, institutional and technical barriers to the development of renewables in Ukraine? What needs to change for the private sector to invest in sustainable energy? How to stimulate investments for renewables to reach 11
Housing is a fundamental human need that can influence public health, security and wellbeing of both present and future generations. With over 50% of Albania’s inhabitants currently residing in urban areas, the transition toward more sustainable housing in the country could have an extremely
UNECE and the Laser International Foundation Europe (LIFE) are putting the call out to filmmakers across the globe to submit their films to the 2017 Global Road Safety Film Festival, taking place on 20 and 21 February at Palais des Nations in Geneva.The Festival aims at raising awareness among
UNECE received the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award, in acknowledgement of its outstanding contribution to improving road safety. The awards were presented at a ceremony in London today. His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent declared: “The UNECE provides a unique platform for
What are the policy changes needed to overcome the political, legal, regulatory, institutional and technical barriers to the development of renewables in Georgia? What needs to change for the private sector to invest in renewable energy? How to stimulate investments to take advantage of Georgia’s
Prevention of industrial accidents and preparedness to respond promptly if they occur were at the heart of the discussions in Ljubljana this week at the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents. Parties adopted a
Every year 1.25 million people are killed and around 50 million injured in road traffic crashes, which makes it one of the most pressing health emergencies and development issues of our time. Every day 500 children lose their lives because of road crashes. It is the leading cause of death for