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How can public participation procedures in environmental decision-making be best designed to ensure that the public’s views are taken into consideration and improve the quality of the decisions taken? What public notification methods are the most effective nowadays? How can the human and…
The role of international organisations (IOs) is critical in the development of rules and standards that can help advance the well-being of citizens in an increasingly globalised world. This was one of the main conclusions of an event organised by OECD on 2 November on “International…
The United Nations digital ambassador, Elyx, participated from 1 to 3 September in a field exercise simulating an oil spill in the Danube Delta, organised by UNECE to improve the response to industrial accidents.Elyx began on 15 August a 70-days trip to highlight UN’s work around the world on…
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require the support of entrepreneurs, with start-ups having a key role to play. “Start-up Nations” and entrepreneurs came together this week at UNECE with the support of the Government of Israel to share their experiences in harnessing…
Have you ever tried the curved cucumbers? or an orange differently shaped than others? Do you know they are actually perfect for human consumption? Even if you know they are, would you give it a try? How many of us know what a ‘Best Before Date’ (BBD) on food labels really means? A survey…
Fossil fuels comprise currently 81% of global primary energy supply. There is no plausible scenario in which their share of the energy mix drops below 40% by 2050 even in a scenario that meets a 2°C target. Some analysts would argue the future share of fossil energy will be much higher…
The need to develop water quality cooperation with neighbouring countries was at the centre of the debates in Astana this week. A seminar discussed a draft Review of Policy and Recommendations for Kazakhstan in the Field of Transboundary Water Resources Management, prepared by UNECE experts in…
Given the close links between the energy, water management and environmental protection sectors, improved cooperation between the countries in Central Asia is crucial to achieve the relevant Sustainable Development goals. This was the main conclusion of the 20th session of the SPECA…
The Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention), adopted in Helsinki on 17 March 1992, entered into force 20 years ago, on 6 October 1996. Over the past two decades, the Water Convention, which is serviced by UNECE, has become a…
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development requires countries to pursue concerted and accelerated action on energy in their national programmes. In order to understand the full implications of the development imperatives, countries need to apprehend what has been agreed both in their own…
Forests are the most efficient way to sequester carbon, and forest products provide materials that are often much more carbon friendly than other alternatives. Properly managed forests and forest products have great promise in helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (…
To say that we live in an information age is starting to seem like an understatement. Data are available in unimaginable quantities and humankind is continuously producing more. Around 90% of existing data have been created in the past few years and according to estimates, the amount of data is…
Approximately 71% of the total surface water flow in Latin America is derived from shared basins, which cover 55% of the total area of the region. In South America, international basins provide 75% of the total flow, and in Mexico and Central America, 24%. Increasing impacts from climate change…
Buildings consume 70 per cent of generated electrical power in the developed world and are responsible for 40 percent of CO2 emissions. Radical improvement in their energy efficiency is thus crucial to global sustainability and to achieving several of the Sustainable Development Goals. However a…
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require massive investments in innovation and in infrastructure, including ICTs, to improve cross-border connectivity. UNECE and ESCAP are supporting the countries of Central Asia in this endeavour. UNECE carries out national innovation…
The Paris Agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), agreed in December 2015, will come into force in November following today’s vote of the European Parliament, which agreed to ratification by the European Union.With this vote, preceded by clear commitments…
Ghana’s international trade accounted for 85% of GDP in 2015. However, in Ghana it still takes 4.5 days to complete an export transaction and 11.7 days to complete an import transaction. As a result, some of the key issues that haunt traders are delayed customs clearance, poor infrastructure,…
Almost all countries in the world conduct a population and housing census at least every ten years, to produce key data for planning and administration at national and local level. In recent decades, census methodology and technology has developed significantly. Countries in the UNECE region are…
With the adoption by Member States of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015, the discussion has focused on the implementation at the national and regional levels. Experiences of the first year clearly demonstrated that regional cooperation and action at the regional level…
Current systems of energy provision and demand need to change significantly in order to address the so-called energy ‘trilemma’ – how to consistently provide affordable energy services, achieve security of energy supplies and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy conversions to mitigate…
Trade facilitation is gaining interest from countries all around the world following the conclusion of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement in Bali in 2013. As a result, the work of the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT), which develops a body of…
Experts on active safety and advanced driver assistance systems under the World Forum for harmonization of vehicle regulations have just adopted technical provisions as a first step towards the introduction of self-steering systems. The group defined 5 categories of automation…
How best to implement Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs)? What synergies with other international instruments, in particular with the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention) and its protocols, can be used? These were some of the main topics…
Effectively adapting water management to climate change will require the allocation of additional funds for transboundary and regional projects, or at least considering transboundary aspects in national projects, where relevant. With more than 60% of all freshwater courses worldwide and the…
Data from the Generations and Gender Programme (GGP) , a system of national longitudinal Generations and Gender Surveys (GGS) and contextual database, proved popular with researchers at the European Population Conference. Research findings from some 40 studies drawing on GGS data were presented…