1-2
Khujand
Tajikistan

Expert Meeting on Water and Security in Central Asia
Focal point: Bo Libert, Tel: 917 23 96

The expected outcome is a possible initiative to the Kiev Conference of Environmental Ministers in May 2003, from Ministers of Environment of Central Asia on water and security in the region.

2

Drafting Group on the Future of the Environment for Europe process
Focal point: Mikhail Kokine, Tel: 917 23 47

This is the second meeting of a small group that is drafting proposals for both the organizational and substantive future of the EfE process. The draft will be considered by the Working Group of Senior Officials in November.
Web site: http://www.unece.org/env/wgso/

2-3
Scheveningen Netherlands

Workshop on the Valuation of Ecosystem Benefits from Air Pollution Abatement under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution
Focal point: Henning Wuester, Tel: 917 23 63

The workshop will address the economic valuation of benefits by reducing damage to ecosystems through the abatement of air pollution. At the workshop, recent research findings will be presented including applied scientific work from Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Netherlands. The workshop also offers an opportunity to discuss the possibilities for future research.
Web site: http://www.unece.org/env/lrtap/ExpertGroups/nebei/welcome.html

3-4

Task Force on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement
Focal point: Albena Karadjova, Tel: 917 23 45

3-4
Brussels, Belgium

UNECE/EU Joint Expert Panel on
E-Strategy and E-Policy Development in Transition Economies
Focal point: Daewon Choi, Tel: 917 24 74

This expert meeting aims to examine the current e-strategy development in transition economies and implications of EU enlargement to non-acceding countries in terms of EU Telecommunications Aquis and E-commerce Aquis, and set out the new policy directions for advancing digital economy in the region, jointly with the DG Information Society of the European Commission.

3-4
Riga, Latvia

Regional TIR Seminar
Focal point: Martin Magold, Tel.: 917 24 53

The TIR Executive Board and the UNECE TIR secretariat, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Office in Riga and the National Customs Board of Latvia organize a Regional TIR Seminar for the Baltic States in Riga, on 3 and 4 October 2002. The Seminar will be held by senior experts from the UNECE TIR secretariat with the participation of high-level officials from Customs administrations of some Contracting Parties to the TIR Convention, including the European Commission, sharing with the participants their experience in the application of the TIR Convention during the last 25 years.
Web site: http://tir.unece.org

3-5
Helsinki, Finland

Working Group on Monitoring and Assessment
Focal point: Francesca Bernardini,
Tel: 917 24 63

7-9
Bad Breisig, Germany

Workshop on Hemispheric Air Pollution under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution
Focal point: Henning Wuester, Tel: 917 23 63

The workshop will review trends and intercontinental transport of photo-oxidants, particles and their precursors across the northern hemisphere (observations, models, policy implications). It aims at bringing together experts from Europe, North America and Asia to assess the current state of knowledge.
Web site: http://www.physchem.uni-wuppertal.de/

7-9
Tbilisi, Georgia

UNECE/UNDP Sub-regional Workshop on Standard Statistical Indicators for National Human Development Reports in South-Caucasus and Central Asia
Focal point: Jean-Etienne Chapron, Tel: 917 15 86

The workshop is part of the UNDP-funded project on Human Development Statistics and Social Trends Reporting in central and Eastern Europe and the CIS. The expected outcome is the validation of a standard set of statistical indicators for national human development reports.

7-9

Working Party on Combined Transport, 38th session
Focal point: Poul Hansen, Tel: 917 32 58

The thirty-eighth session of WP.24 will, amongst others, consider the application of the European Agreement on Important International Combined Transport Lines and Related Installations (AGTC), issues concerning multimodal cargo liability and the role of railways in promoting combined transport.
Web site: http://combined.unece.org

7-10

Working Party on Road Transport
Focal points: Marie-Nolle Poirier, Tel: 917 32 59 & Christopher Smith, Tel 917 32 98

7 October - Special day to finalize work on the Revision of the Consolidated Resolution on the Facilitation of International Road Transport (R.E.4).
8-10 October - SC.1 is expected to adopt all the amendments required to introduce into the AETR the digital tachograph which measures driving times and rest periods for professional drivers. It will also consider new proposals to amend annexes 1 and 2 of the European Agreement on Main International Traffic Arteries (AGR) (the E road network) and take a decision on the follow-up to be given to a draft Protocol aimed at allowing the use of electronic consignment notes for goods transport (CMR).
Web site: http://://www.unece.org/trans/main/sc1/sclage.htlm

7-11

Expert Group on Environmental Performance Reviews
Focal point: Mary Pat Silveira, Tel: 917 13 15

The Expert Group will undertake an expert review of the Environmental Performance Reviews for Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Yugoslavia as an input to the Peer Review to be undertaken in the CEP, in November.
Web site: http://www.unece.org/env/epr/

10
Minsk, Belarus

Workshop on Removing Barriers to Implementation of Energy Efficiency Improvements in Belarus
Focal point: Evgeniy Nadezhdin, Tel: 917 13 90

Several schemes will be determined for financing small and medium size energy efficiency projects that could eliminate influence of institutional, technical and financial obstacles in implementing energy saving policy in the different sectors of Belarus economy.

10
(3 pm)

Briefing by Executive Secretary to Missions
Focal point: Susan Bartolo, Tel: 917 14 69

11
OECD,
Paris, France

Special Session on National Accounts for Transition Countries
Focal point: Lidia Bratanova, Tel: 917 17 72

14 (am)

Ad Hoc Informal Meeting of the Commission
Focal point: Susan Bartolo, Tel: 917 14 69

15-16
Venice, Italy

TER Seminar on Railway Border Crossing Facilitation
Focal point: Michalis Adamantiadis,
Tel: 917 11 28

Seminar organized by UNECE TER for representatives of Transport Ministries and Railways as well as Customs and Border Crossing Control authorities, of the TER member countries.
Representatives of the key parties involved in the railway border crossing operations of the TER member countries, will meet for the second time, to report on the progress made since their last meeting in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic on 10-12 December 2001 and to continue their debate on the railway border crossing facilitation.

15(pm)-18

Working Party on General Safety Provisions
Focal point: Juan Ramos Garcia, Tel: 917 19 98

The GRSG 83rd session will continue consideration of worldwide harmonization on definition of vehicles, its masses and dimensions. GRSG will also consider a range of amendments to ECE Regulations related to vehicle general safety requirements, in particular buses and coaches safety requirements for accessibility for passengers with reduced mobility, safety glazing, protection against unauthorized use, drivers' field of vision, fire extinguishers, etc. Web site: http://www.unece.org/trans/main/wp29/wp29wgs/wp29grsg/grsgage.html

16-18

Working Party on Rail Transport
Focal points: Helmut Lehmacher, Tel: 917 24 34 & Miodrag Pesut, Tel: 917 41 36

The Working Party will discuss, among other issues, facilitation of border crossing in international rail transport, measures of productivity in rail transport, the role of railways in the promotion of combined transport, etc.
Web site: http://www.unece.org/trans/main/sc2/sc2.html

21-23
Lucca, Italy

Meeting of Parties to the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters
Focal point: Jeremy Wates, Secretary to the Aarhus Convention, Tel: 917 23 84

The first meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention will be opened by a high-level Ministerial segment, in which more than 20 European Environment Ministers and Deputy Ministers are expected to take part as well as leading representatives from environmental NGOs. The Ministerial level will consist of a panel discussion and the adoption of a political declaration. On the agenda for the second and third day of the meeting are specific substantive issues, such as pollutant release and transfer registers, genetically modified organisms, access to justice and electronic information tools; as well as key decisions which will lay the foundation for the functioning of the Convention, such as the adoption of the rules of procedure, the establishment of a compliance mechanism, work plan and financial arrangements.
The meeting will take place in the Tuscan town of Lucca in the renovated San Romano church and will be presided - for the Ministerial segment - by the Italian Minister for the Environment, Mr. Altero Matteoli. More information and all documentation are available on the Convention web site: http://www.unece.org/env/pp/mop1.htm

21-25
Berlin, Germany

UN/CEFACT Steering Committee
Focal point: Mika Vepslinen, Tel. 917 31 97

Web site: http://www.unece.org/cefact/ and www.uncefact.org

22-24

Working Party on Inland Water Transport (46h session)
Focal point: Viatcheslav Novikov, Tel: 917 24 78

Consideration of the Inventory on existing legal obstacles to inland navigation; Adoption of the list of main bottlenecks and missing links in E waterway network; Enhancing pollution prevention measures in inland navigation.
Web site: http://www.unece.org/trans/main/sc3/sc3/

22-25

Working Party on Customs Questions affecting Transport, 102nd session
Focal point: Poul Hansen, Tel: 917 32 58

The Working Party will review the status of the 14 United Nations Conventions in the field of border crossing facilitation, which are administered by the Working Party. In particular, the Working Party will consider and possibly adopt a new annex on efficient border crossing procedures to the International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods, the status of the Conventions on Temporary Importation of private and Commercial Road Vehicles, a new Convention for Customs transit by rail and the progress in the current revision of the TIR Convention as well as a large number of issues relating to the application of the TIR Customs transit procedure.
Web site: http://border.unece.org

24-25

TIR Administrative Committee, 33rd session
Focal point: Martin Magold, Tel: 917 24 53

The TIR Administrative Committee, the highest administrative organ representing all 63 Contracting States and the European Community to the TIR Convention is convened at least twice a year and is serviced by the ECE secretariat. At its autumn session, the Committee will review the activities, of its executive organ, the TIR Executive Board (TIRExB), provide guidance for all work to be undertaken under the present Phase III of the TIR revision process and adopt amendment proposals and comments to the text of the TIR Convention, 1975.
Web site: http://border.unece.org

28

Workshop on Policy and Regulatory Options for Promoting Industrial Restructuring in the ECE Region (WP.8)
Focal point: Iouri Adjoubei, Tel: 917 24 88

Outcome: a better understanding by Governments and the private sector of the regulatory measures conducive to industrial restructuring in transition economies.

28-29
Budapest, Hungary

Working Group on Water and Health
Focal point: Rainer Enderlein, Tel: 917 23 73

28-31

Working Party on Technical Harmonization and Standardization Policies
Focal point: Serguei Kouzmine, Tel: 917 27 71

Web site: http://www.unece.org/trade/wp6/welcome.htm

29

Team of Specialists on Industrial Restructuring (WP.8)
Focal point: Iouri Adjoubei, Tel: 917 24 88

The second meeting of TOSIR will listen to progress reports and discuss preparations for the forthcoming meetings.

29-30
Kiev, Ukraine

Second sub-regional Workshop on Energy Efficiency and Energy Security in CIS
Focal point: Evgeniy Nadezhdin, Tel: 917 13 90

Effectiveness of energy efficiency programmes in CIS member countries, including efficiency gains and emission reductions: historical trends, future trends and costs.

29-31

Working Party on Standardization of Perishable Produce and Quality Development (58th session)
Focal point: Tom Heilandt, Tel: 917 24 50

The Working Party will review the work done by its five specialized sections (Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, Dry and Dried Fruit, Meat, Early and Ware Potatoes and Seed Potatoes) as well as discuss questions of general interest related to the quality of food e.g. organic agriculture and quality standards; assistance to countries in transition etc.
Web site: http://www.unece.org/trade/agr