Press Releases
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On 23 November 2020, Italy became the thirty-eighth Party to the UNECE Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs) to the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention).
The objective
UNECE’s Committee on Environmental Policy adopted the Recommendations of the Third Environmental Performance Review (EPR) of Romania on 10 November 2020. The Third EPR of Romania assessed progress made in the environmental performance of the country since 2012 and made recommendations to
On 3 September 2020, Albania accepted the amendment on genetically modified organisms (GMO amendment) to the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention), raising the total number of the
On 2 September 2020, the Compliance Committee to the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) adopted a statement on the application of the Aarhus Convention both during the COVID-19 pandemic,
On Tuesday 4 August, a huge warehouse explosion in the port area of Beirut left over 135 people dead, 5,000 injured, 100 missing and 300,000 homeless, according to media reports. The explosions appear to have been caused by tons of ammonium nitrate. “I express our solidarity with the people of
“Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water and sanitation for all is badly off track. This is hindering progress on the 2030 Agenda, the realization of human rights and the achievement of peace and security around the world. Water and sanitation cut across all three pillars of the United
Pollution in the air is not only harming human health and the environment but is also degrading surfaces of historical buildings and monuments. The impact of dirty air on materials is enormous and can destroy our cultural heritage, an important component of our individual and collective identity
Shared among Albania, Greece, Kosovo*, Montenegro and North Macedonia (the five ‘Riparians’), the Drin River Basin provides water resources for drinking, energy, fishing and agriculture, biodiversity, tourism and industry. The Strategic Action Programme (SAP) for the sustainable management of
Prevention, preparedness and response are key pillars of the UNECE Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents which will celebrate its 20th anniversary of entry into force on 19 April 2020.The Convention was negotiated in response to the 1986 Sandoz chemical spill, which put
Water is crucial for climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as health, hygiene, sustainable development and life. The global climate crisis is inextricably linked to water.: 90% of all disasters are water-related. Over two billion people live in countries experiencing high water
Today, the Republic of Montenegro officially becomes the 27th Party to the Protocol on Water and Health, thus joining countries effectively working together within the framework of the Protocol to accelerate action on sustainable management of water resources and improve health and well-being
On 27 January 2020, Kazakhstan acceded to the UNECE Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs) to the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention), becoming the thirty-seventh
When 32 Member States signed the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution in 1979, it was not evident that it would develop into a successful regional framework for controlling and reducing the damage to human health and the environment caused by transboundary air pollution. Yet, the
Montenegro is to become the 27th Party to the Protocol on Water and Health in the next months and 8 other pan-European countries confirmed that they are on their way to accession!These announcements came as more than 225 participants from 40 countries gathered in Belgrade for the 5th
Ensuring equitable access must be central to efforts to realize the basic human rights to water and sanitation. However, despite significant progress in the provision of water and sanitation in the pan-European region, the latest data of the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply
Environmental assessments are tools that benefit people and nature. Their use ensures the soundness and transparency of economic and territorial planning decisions, preventing damage to the environment and health from economic growth. The Republic of Moldova committed to apply strategic
Over the past eight years, North Macedonia has taken important strides in improving its environmental performance in several areas, including reducing its dependence on fossil fuels to generate electricity in favour of renewables, and strengthening waste and chemicals management. However, a
The countries of Central Asia - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - are facing an increased vulnerability of natural ecosystems. Yet, the socio-economic development of these countries is very much dependent on natural resources, particularly those – such as water
Air pollution kills 7 million people every year according to WHO data. It is by far the world’s largest single environmental health risk and a leading cause of death by cancer. Air pollution is also closely linked to climate change and is a major cause of environmental degradation,
Peacefully resolving the overriding political, economic and social concerns of our time requires a multifaceted approach. This includes mechanisms to address the links between the natural environment and human security. Building up on over a decade of successful cooperation, the partners of
Water management must play a central role in adapting to the worst effects of climate change and reducing greenhouse gases, according to a new UN-Water Policy Brief.Released in the context of the Climate Action Summit and the opening of the 74th UN General Assembly in New York, the brief argues
Political authorities and water stakeholders from all over the world will gather in Dakar in March 2021 for the ninth World Water Forum under the theme "Water Security for Peace and Development". The Forum, co-organized by the Government of Senegal and the World Water Council, will for the first
UNECE will support Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine to further enhance strategic environmental assessment (SEA) and transboundary environmental impact assessment (EIA) to prevent and mitigate damage to the environment and health from economic growth.
Another tragic industrial accident hit Brazil on 25 January 2019 when the Brumadinho dam failed at an iron ore mine in the South East of the country, killing over 65 persons with roughly 300 still missing. This comes just over 3 years since the Bento Rodrigues dam collapse in the country. Brazil
Mongolia is well on track with its efforts to implement and monitor the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and enjoys a remarkable ownership of the Sustainable Development Goals among public officials. Having made green development a clear policy objective, the country struggles to preserve