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Improving energy efficiency is supposed to be easy to do and contributes to energy security, a better environment, quality of life, and economic well-being for all. Energy efficiency is called “the first fuel” as it is the best way of getting more out of existing resources, supporting economic…
The UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) has been in force for almost 20 years. While it has strongly impacted cooperation on the ground in the ECE region and beyond, it has strangely not attracted much attention from…
Travelling – be it for work or holiday – and long distance commuting has become part of everyday life for many people. You might live in France but work in Switzerland, or your colleague may fly to Rome every week-end to visit the family. Cross-border commuting belts are growing in size and are…
How to use administrative data and household surveys to measure international migration? This was one of the topics discussed by some 30 expert from national statistical offices in CIS countries, national migration services, EU countries, and international organizations in Minsk, Belarus from 28…
Countries keep better records of individuals entering the country than of individuals who leave. This makes emigration difficult to measure. In order to mitigate this problem, UNECE launched the Migration Clearing House, a data exchange depository which uses data on out-migration flows from…
Sustainable development is high on the United Nations agenda this year. To stand up for sustainable development and environmental protection, UNECE is contributing to World Environment Day celebrations taking place in Geneva from 3 to 5 June 2015. World Environment Day, celebrated annually on 5…
Georgia is preparing draft legislation on environmental impact assessment (EIA) and strategic environmental assessment (SEA) in accordance with the UNECE Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention), its Protocol on Strategic Environmental…
Countries in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia need to increase water-use efficiency in view of pressures on the subregion’s water resources, in particular from economic development and climate change. Opportunities and challenges to achieve this were at the centre of the debates…
Emissions of air pollutants have been reduced considerably in the UNECE region over the past few decades as a result of integrated air pollution management strategies developed under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention). However, as evidenced by recent…
How can countries tap the potential of older people? How can governments identify areas in which older people’s participation in society is limited? What can they do to remove barriers so that people of all ages can be actively engaged in society?These are pertinent questions for all…
What is the “right” poverty measure? Can we devise a universal poverty indicator to monitor the poverty aspect of SDGs? How to assess the closely related issues of inequality, vulnerability and social exclusion? What can be UNECE’s role in promoting comparability and the much-needed…
After countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia experienced a marked decline in poverty rates at the beginning of the 2000s, there was concern that the 2008 economic crisis might halt or even reverse this trend. However, in most Eastern European and Central Asian countries with poverty data,…
In 2015, there will be several landmark events for the international community – the Addis Ababa Conference on Financing for Development, the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the General Assembly, and the Climate Conference in Paris. In the run-up to these crucial events,…
Need some quick facts and figures about Canada, the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan or Turkey? Have a look at UNECE Countries in Figures 2015 and you will probably find it!UNECE Countries in Figures 2015 provides you with essential data on the economy, population, gender, computer use by age and much…
Enrolment in childcare varies considerably within the UNECE region. While in Denmark two thirds of children under 3 are registered in childcare facilities, in Poland and Tajikistan less than 5% are. However, some countries with low rates of childcare enrolment at the beginning of the…
With help from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Belarus is currently assessing its legislation with a view to implementing the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment (Espoo Convention) and its Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment (Protocol on SEA).…
It is estimated that over US$40 trillion of global investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency and carbon abatement will be needed to avoid a 2 degree Celsius rise in global temperatures. “That is one trillion dollars every year for the next 40 years, and this money needs to come from the…
The use of nitrogen fertilizers and the combustion of fossil fuels have led to a doubling of the flow of nitrogen compounds around the world in the past 100 years. Nitrogen (N) is important for plant growth and sufficient amounts are needed for plants to achieve optimum crop yields. However,…
While increasing carbon dioxide levels are the dominant factor contributing to climate change in the Arctic, short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) also play a significant role. Targeting SLCPs by reducing black carbon and methane emissions will help to slow Arctic warming in the near term.The…
Import and export operations in Ukraine take 28 and 29 days respectively and most of the time goes to document preparation. Facilitating trade by removing bureaucratic and regulatory barriers in Ukraine is an urgent task.Implementing the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement is, therefore, …
The 66th session of the Economic Commission for Europe concluded on 16 April with the endorsement by member States of the High-level statement on the post-2015 development agenda and expected sustainable development goals in the UNECE region. The High-Level Statement recalls that “UNECE is…
With more than 100,000 entries and a community of users from 249 countries, dependent territories and special areas, the United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations (UN/LOCODE) is a public good that needs to be preserved, maintained and improved. UN/LOCODE is used to identify ports,…
The ability to measure and monitor the outcomes of policies for active and healthy ageing is a priority topic for both academic research and current policymaking, a UNECE/European Commission international seminar demonstrated last week in Brussels.The seminar, entitled 'Building an evidence base…
Algeria and Morocco are currently looking into revising their national legislation on environmental impact assessment (EIA) and strategic environmental assessment (SEA) to reduce the environmental impact of economic activities both nationally and across borders, while ensuring sustainable…
Moving towards a truly sustainable energy future means using the right energy resource where it makes sense. The United Nations Framework Classification for Fossil Energy and Mineral Reserves and Resources 2009 (UNFC) is unique amongst the major resource classification schemes worldwide in that…