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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
Cities and urban areas have been at the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic which has drastically impacted the urban economy, including public services, employment and infrastructure, affecting all, but foremost the most vulnerable groups of the population. To support cities in their recovery from
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
Albania has made considerable progress in the recent years in the provision of affordable adequate housing to all. Notably, the national government has been providing support to municipal programmes for housing construction; supporting investments into construction of affordable housing,
Major industrial accidents can have far-reaching, transboundary and long-term impacts on populations and the environment. Without adequate coordination between land-use planning and industrial safety communities to ensure, for example, appropriate land use zoning and safety distances, the
The Fourth Industrial Revolution: reshaping innovation policies for sustainable and inclusive growth
Whereas economic growth is recognized as the most important instrument for the decline in global poverty levels in the past 50 years, not all countries have been equally successful at reducing poverty, and income inequality has risen considerably within and among countries. Moreover, current
UNECE is highlighting the importance of improving industrial safety on International Day for Disaster Reduction (13 October) – a day designated by the United Nations General Assembly to draw attention to the urgent need to reduce humanitarian, social, economic and environmental risks of natural
As countries seek to rapidly decarbonize their economies, investing in energy efficiency and the improved performance of buildings offers significant near term gains. Available measures can help transform the building and construction sector, which today is responsible for approximately 40% of
The COVID-19 pandemic, the subsequent economic downturn, and the far-reaching negative effects of the war in Ukraine, have created additional development challenges for Central Asian economies. This includes the countries of the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA),
Countries in Eastern and South-East Europe need to develop viable solutions and goals for forest landscape restoration, as well as learn how to tap into the necessary financing. These topics were discussed during the workshop “Forest Landscape Restoration and the Bonn Challenge in Eastern and
UNECE supports countries’ sustainable transport transition through Environmental Performance Reviews
Transport can be a powerful driver of sustainable development, but this requires balancing its economic and social value with environmental and health considerations. In order to help meet this challenge, UNECE’s Environmental Performance Reviews (EPRs) assist countries in taking an integrated
Developing the capacity of statistical systems to respond to ever-changing demands is a core component of UNECE statistical work, linked directly to several of the targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Key tools used for capacity development have traditionally been face-to-face
UNECE and partners have started implementation of a multi-year project on “Improving the energy efficiency of the global building supply chain industry and its products to deliver high performance buildings” (full project budget EUR 19.8 million), funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI
According to the UNECE Smart Sustainable Cities profile for Tbilisi, presented today in the capital of Georgia, the city has made important efforts in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, capitalizing on the growth opportunities generated by the Association Agreement between
Countries are increasingly facing multiple interlinked environmental, social, economic and health challenges – climate change, pollution from chemicals and wastes, biodiversity loss and species extinction, deforestation, land degradation, emerging zoonotic diseases, and the impact of armed
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 (
Addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate disruption, pollution and nature loss, requires an innovative approach to financing as a way to rapidly and systemically address these interlinked issues. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) offers a financing mechanisms for infrastructure projects
The Group of 7 nations (G7), six of which are UNECE member States (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the UK and the US), took bold step towards reducing barriers to trade by agreeing on the principles to govern cross-border data use and digital trade. At their meeting in London on 22 October,
Energy efficiency and renewable energy are two of the three pillars of Sustainable Development Goal 7 Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Progress in achieving the targets of SDG7 on energy efficiency and renewable energy is still insufficient in many
How can improved environmental performance promote economic growth while ensuring environmental protection and sustainable management of natural resources, supporting countries’ progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?These are among the key objectives of UNECE
Central Asian economies are taking practical steps to push for a more knowledge-based path towards economic development to overcome their remoteness from major markets and exposure to fluctuations in commodity prices.The Government of Tajikistan held discussions with domestic innovation
From the Sandoz chemical spill of 1986 in Schweizerhalle, Switzerland, to the rupture of a dam storing mine tailings containing cyanide in Baia Mare, Romania, 2000; and last year in Beirut, the explosion of ammonium nitrate stored in warehouse near residential areas, what these chemical and
The transport costs of the world`s 32 Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) are on average 50% higher than developing countries that have access to the open sea. If containerized imports are considered, LLDCs have costs that are 85% higher than the world average. As a result, LLDC exports are
In the UNECE region, buildings are responsible for approximately one third of total energy consumption and account for almost 40 percent of CO2 emissions from combustion. Standards are an effective instrument for addressing energy efficiency in buildings and supporting the achievements of the
Halfway to 2030, the future we want seems to be still well out of reach. The 2023 SDG progress report for the UNECE Region, which informed discussions at the inclusive and 1000-strong Regional Forum on Sustainable Development held last week, showed that despite some bright spots, we face a troubled