UNUnited Nations Economic Commission for Europe

Headlines

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]

UNECE moves to enhance public participation in environmental decision making

A Task Force on Public Participation in Decision-making was established on 30 June 2010 at an extraordinary session of the Meeting of the Parties to the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention).  [Thursday, 1 July 2010]

Better management of intellectual property is key to competitiveness

Government experts and specialists from relevant intergovernmental organizations, private sector, consumer associations and academia of the UNECE member states will be meeting in Geneva on 8 and 9 July 2010 in the context of the UNECE Team of Specialists on Intellectual Property (TOS-IP) to exchange experiences and good practices in the field of intellectual property (IP). [Wednesday, 30 June 2010]

UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution aims to reduce Black Carbon emissions

The first meeting of the Ad Hoc Expert Group on Black Carbon under the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution was held in Brussels, Belgium on 17-18 June 2010. Representatives, observers and researchers from Europe, North and South America and Asia convened to review the current state of black carbon research and explore future strategies for reducing the pollutant’s emissions. [Monday, 28 June 2010]

Poland confirms its commitment to the United Nations Framework Classification for Fossil Energy and Mineral Reserves and Resources 2009

The Polish Geological Institute-National Research Institute (PGI-NRI) and the Ministry of Environment confirmed that the data in the 2010 edition of its publication “Mineral Resources of Poland” will be prepared according to the United Nations Framework Classification for Fossil Energy and Mineral Reserves and Resources Terminology 2009 (UNFC-2009). [Friday, 22 June 2010]