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Displaying Results 1376 - 1400 of 1422

Geneva A UNECE-sponsored private-public partnership (PPP) investment fund for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia is expected to be established before the end of this year.  This was one of the main conclusions of the fifteenth
Geneva There are a number of public misperceptions about forests in the pan-European region. According to national and regional surveys, it is common belief that forests are disappearing and using wood is a threat to forest health. But the opposite is in fact the case. Forests now cover
Geneva “Science, technology and innovation increasingly determine economic performance, the new employment opportunities and the competitiveness of industries and nations. Innovation is thus a major source of competitive advantage including during periods of dramatic change as in the current
Geneva On May 26-27 2010, the UNECE secretariat of the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP), in cooperation with Albania’s Ministry of Environment, Forests and Water Administration, held a kick-off meeting in Tirana to initiate the country’s participation under the
Geneva The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), represented by its Executive Secretary, Mr. Ján Kubiš, and the International Union of Railways (UIC), represented by its Director General, Mr Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, signed a new Memorandum of Understanding on 24 May in
Geneva According to a new publication, if Europe is to achieve its renewable energy objective of 20% by 2020, it must step up the supply of wood from its sustainably managed forests.  In Europe, only 60% of the annual natural growth of the forests is currently being harvested. For a
Geneva Representatives from the five central Asian republics agreed on a unique initiative to work together to build their respective capacities to deliver Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) on the occasion of a PPP event organized by UNECE in Istanbul, Turkey, on 29-30 April 2010.PPPs have
European forests are central to climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as for the delivery of environmental services. This role of forests and its potential for further development needs to be fully recognized. This was one of the key messages of the FAO Assistant Director
Geneva The national coordinators for the Trans-European Motorway (TEM) and Trans- European Railway (TER) projects from 13 countries from Central and Eastern Europe and the Caucasus unanimously adopted the “Innsbruck Initiative for safe, secure, prosperous and environmentally friendly
Geneva UNECE announces the launch of a new initiative to help countries in the region use the Public Private Partnerships (PPP) model for developing effective infrastructure and improved public services. This initiative will be launched at a training event entitled ‘Addressing the challenges
Geneva At an extraordinary session of UNECE’s Working Party on Road Transport (SC.1) held in Geneva on 22-23 April 2010, the Contracting Parties to the European Agreement Concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles Engaged in International Road Transport (AETR) reached agreement as part of a
Geneva The first meeting of the governing body of the 2003 Kiev Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTR), which entered into force on 8 October 2009, concluded in Geneva yesterday. The Parties to the Protocol committed to achieve full and effective implementation of the
Geneva Senior Forestry officials from the European region are meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, for the 35th Session of the European Forestry Commission (EFC).  Panelists and presenters will be providing expert insight into the key role of forests in a broad spectrum of areas. Participants
Geneva On 8 April, the Secretary-General announced that he was sending Ján Kubiš, UNECE Executive Secretary, as special envoy to Kyrgyzstan following the violence that had erupted in the country in previous days. The Secretary-General had just concluded his visit to Central Asia, including to
Geneva “Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is being implemented in the forest sector in South-East Europe with distinct advantages for companies, trade associations, Governments and their stakeholders” according to Dr. Branko Glavonjic, Chairman of the UNECE Timber Committee. He hosted
UNECE celebrates the 10th anniversary of its Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents, which entered into force on 19 April 2000. The Convention aims at preventing industrial accidents as well as preparing and responding to it should an accident occur. In its first
Geneva The Russian Federation in cooperation with Belarus and Kazakhstan announced yesterday the launch of their joint project to implement and ratify the Heavy Metals, POPs and Gothenburg Protocols under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)’s Convention on Long-range
Geneva On 11 April, UNECE received the 2010 Regional Award from the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA). The award was presented at the Association’s annual conference, held in Geneva, with 700 participants from around the globe.UNECE was selected for this honour because of
Geneva United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today that he is sending Ján Kubiš, UNECE Executive Secretary, as special envoy to Kyrgyzstan following the violence that erupted in the country in the last days. The Secretary-General “urgently appeals for dialogue and calm to
UNECE participated in the 5th session of the World Urban Forum, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 22 to 26 March 2010, under the motto “The Right to the City - Bridging the Urban Divide.” Ján Kubiš, UNECE Executive Secretary, was one of the speakers in a Dialogue on “Sustainable
Geneva Transparent and efficient land management is a pre-requisite for the correct functioning of land and real estate markets, both of which play a fundamental role in guaranteeing a country’s prosperity and sustainable development. Transparent institutions can reduce the costs of access to
Geneva The Extended Bureau of the UNECE Committee on Environmental Policy met on 16 and 17 March 2010 to further prepare the Seventh Ministerial Conference “Environment for Europe”. The “Environment for Europe” process and its Ministerial Conferences provide a high-level platform for
Geneva Environmental problems such as global warming, land degradation and loss of biological diversity, transboundary disputes linked to the use of water and other natural resources, the effects of unsustainable consumption – addressing these challenges requires a change of attitude in
Geneva Andrey Vasilyev, Director of UNECE’s Economic Cooperation and Integration Division since 2006, has been appointed Deputy Executive Secretary. He will take office on 1 April 2010. Mr. Vasilyev will bring to his new function his more than 20 years of experience with the United
Geneva “Regulations affecting the trade of timber products are evolving quickly, and this evolution should be closely monitored because of the impacts on the entire forest sector.” So concluded the workshop on “Emerging Trade Measures in Timber Markets”, organized by the United Nations