UNUnited Nations Economic Commission for Europe

Headlines

UNECE/FIBA road safety campaign gains momentum as 2010 FIBA World Championship enters final rounds

The information campaign on road safety launched by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) gains momentum as the Basketball World Championship 2010 enters its final rounds. [Wednesday, 6 September 2010]

UNECE works on standard for sound device to equip silent vehicles

On 7 September 2010, the Working Party on Noise (GRB), a subsidiary body of the UNECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29), will host a live demonstration of sound devices that could equip “silent cars”. [Tuesday, 7 September 2010]

UNECE and FIBA launch global road safety campaign during the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) today launch a new information campaign on road safety to coincide with the Basketball World Championship 2010, which will be held in Turkey from 28 August to 12 September. [Thursday, 26 August 2010]

Central Asian experts undertake training in Moscow under UNECE project on dam safety

An international training course for high-level officials and experts from Central Asia opened today in Moscow. In a week-long training, delegations from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will have the opportunity to find out about the experience of the Russian Federation with regard to the maintenance and management of hydro-technical installations in that country, as well as to hear about recent scientific developments in this area. [Monday, 16 August 2010]

Economic crisis drives UNECE region wood harvest to an all-time low

The consumption of wood and paper products fell by 11.6% in the UNECE region in 2009, the largest year-on-year drop since the oil crisis of the 1970s, according to the UNECE/FAO’s Forest Products Annual Market Review 2009-2010 released today (graph 1).  [Thursday, 5 August 2010]

The Protocol on Water and Health is a key tool to deliver access to clean water and sanitation to all

28 July 2010 will mark an important milestone in international efforts aimed at improving the global situation in water supply and sanitation with the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of a resolution recognizing access to clean water and sanitation as a human right. The resolution is calling on States and international organizations to provide financial resources, build capacity and transfer technology, particularly to developing countries, in scaling up efforts to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all. [Wednesday, 4 August 2010]

Raising awareness on the protection of intellectual property rights is key for development

Every year, the countries of the UNECE region spend billions of dollars financing public research, but struggle to translate these investments into innovation-driven economic growth, in part because universities and businesses don’t always understand how to protect and exploit the intellectual property generated through public research. [Monday, 19 July 2010]

Executive Secretary discusses strengthening cooperation in the Aral Sea Basin

Ján Kubiš, UNECE Executive Secretary, visited the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) on 16 July in Almaty. The visit is part of broader efforts by UNECE to actively support the sustainable development of Central Asia, in particular by strengthening transboundary water cooperation. UNECE efforts build on the solid basis of international legal instruments, in particular the UNECE environmental conventions, as well as on internationally accepted tools and approaches like integrated water resources management and the river basin approach. [Friday, 16 July 2010]

The UNECE project on the development of sustainable biomass trade and export opportunities in the Russian Federation to expand to algae biomass

The UNECE project on the “development of sustainable biomass trade and export opportunities for selected regions of the Russian Federation” is entering a new phase with the introduction of algae biomass production. [Wednesday, 14 July 2010]

New international treaty to better integrate environmental and health concerns into political decision-making

A new international treaty is set to ensure that environmental considerations inform and are integrated into governments’ strategic decision-making, in support of environmentally sound and sustainable development. [Tuesday, 6 July 2010]