Introduction by the UNECE Executive Secretary

It is clear that 2008 has been a year of turmoil worldwide, first manifested by the prospect of a dramatic food crisis and the sharp rise in oil prices, followed by the start of a global financial crisis which has itself triggered the beginning of a severe economic recession. Such turbulence calls for a stronger global governance. And this in turn can only be achieved through a renewed spirit of multilateralism characterized by the will of all countries of the world to look beyond their individual interests and develop a common approach to face these critical challenges. Such spirit is also needed at the regional level. In recognition of this, UNECE, which for most of 2008 worked under the able leadership of Marek Belka and after his departure in October 2008 under that of Paolo Garonna, has, throughout the year, intensified its efforts to promote regional and subregional cooperation in all of its wide-ranging activities, a significant number of which actually extend well beyond the UNECE region.

Last year’s Report featured a new format: the first section was a collection of thought-provoking essays that reflected the activities of UNECE from a more analytical assessment and wider view. Following the positive feedback this format has been continued. The first section of the Report for 2009 includes ten essays written by UNECE staff with the aim of facilitating a greater appreciation and knowledge of the technical work carried out by the organization. It is interesting to note that six of the ten essays deal in varying degrees with the issue of climate change. This is now a concern shared by the entire international community and an area where the central role of the United Nations is uncontested, as testified by the fact that the Secretary-General has put climate change firmly at the top of the United Nations agenda. It is indeed a monumental challenge confronting humankind in this new century: the imperative need to both mitigate and adapt to climate change will have a major impact on everyday life through changes in consumption and production patterns, which themselves require significant changes in technology, legislation and economic policies.

UNECE is well equipped to be a driving force for addressing this challenge in the region and beyond, having a strong mandate and recognized expertise in areas which are crucial for climate change adaptation and mitigation, namely through its environmental conventions, its regulations in vehicle construction, its work in the field of energy efficiency, forestry and timber, and more recently its initiatives to promote green housing as well as to improve the indicators measuring natural capital and sustainable development.

Key areas of cooperation in 2008…

In its second section the Report provides an overview of the activities carried out during the last twelve months by UNECE in its various areas of work and technical programmes. Here attention is drawn not only to the major events that took place in 2008, but also to other key activities in which UNECE has been involved together with other regional organizations and institutions, both United Nations and non-United Nations. In this respect it is striking to note that all of the initiatives referred to highlight the strong partnerships we enjoy with a broad array of stakeholders and the value placed on the concrete contribution UNECE can offer. Our cooperation with the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on the issue of water in Central Asia, with the United Nations Environment Programme in the field of energy, as well as our involvement in the newly established Regional Coordination Council for Eastern Europe, are just a few examples of such cooperation where UNECE brings an increasingly recognized expert contribution to important undertakings in the region.

Along the same lines, it is worth underlining that the Executive Secretary participated in the meeting gathering together the Heads of Governments of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), in May in Minsk. At this event the CIS decided to start developing an economic strategy covering a number of areas – in particular energy, transport, trade, competitiveness and innovation – which correspond to priority sectors of UNECE work. Given UNECE’s acknowledged expertise in these areas, it was proposed that the organization make a substantive contribution to the further elaboration and finalization of the strategy, and subsequently to its implementation. It is interesting to note that UNECE was the only external body invited to the meeting.

Another high level event during this year was the meeting of the Transport Ministers and High-Level Officials from countries across the Euro-Asian region and Western Europe. Convened by UNECE, it took place in February and discussed the development of Euro-Asian Transport Links. The meeting culminated in the signing of a Joint Ministerial Statement on Future Development of Euro-Asian Transport Links. The Ministers endorsed the identified Euro-Asian routes and their priority development, as well as the creation of a mechanism ensuring efficient coordination and monitoring of project-related activities.

As mentioned above, the issue of water in Central Asia has triggered a strengthened cooperation with other regional entities involved in this sensitive and important field. A special international conference “Water Unites – Strengthening Regional Cooperation on Water Management in Central Asia” was held in Almaty in November. The event, which was organized by the Government of Germany, UNECE, the Executive Committee for the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea and UNDP, was a follow-up to the first “Water Unites” conference (Berlin, 1 April) which saw the launch of the “Berlin Water Process”. The Process is an important part of the water and environment pillar of the European Union’s Central Asia Strategy, which UNECE is helping to implement. The conference offered a solid foundation for further constructive cooperation between the countries of the region, the various United Nations organizations and other members of the international development community.

UNECE was also integrally involved in the first ever European Forest Week in October. The event, organized under the auspices of UNECE, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe and the European Community, addressed the themes forests and climate change, energy, water, and “working together”. The Week revealed that while partnerships and cooperation among forest sector organizations are well established, bundling synergies is crucial to ensure that the solutions forests can offer to combat climate change, provide renewable energy, and reduce the overall environmental footprint are conveyed to other sectors and society as a whole.

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2008 to be the International Year of the Potato and UNECE used this opportunity to play its role, through an international cookbook and a two-week exhibition, in raising awareness of both the potato’s fundamental importance as a staple food for so many of the world’s people and the UNECE’s key work on developing a range of International Standards for Potatoes to facilitate international trade. At this time of global food crisis, for populations struggling to feed themselves, the potato offers a good option for both food security and also income generation and hence contributes to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

… the challenges ahead.

It is essential for UNECE to continue to respond to the major challenges facing the world in 2009 and, in particular, climate change which, as previously noted, has been placed by the Secretary-General at the top of the United Nations agenda. In addition to the climate change related work which they do by themselves, the five regional commissions are seen as conveners to support regional and national action in this field. In the UNECE region, we intend to make full use of this unique position and vantage point from which key aspects of climate change mitigation and adaptation can be concretely addressed, both through our direct contribution and through our catalytical role in enhancing a multi-stakeholder and region-wide cooperation in this area of common and serious concern.

Gender equality is another challenge cutting across all parts of the world, including the UNECE region. This is why UNECE is committed to make further progress in promoting gender activities. Driven by member countries, this progress will consist of strengthening gender mainstreaming in the UNECE programme of work and most significantly launching the preparatory process for the fifteenth anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which will be reviewed in all regions in 2009 and then globally in 2010.

This year will also see the first biennial session of the Commission. This is important because the Commission will review the reform that it adopted in December 2005. That reform was intended to further strengthen UNECE as an organization promoting economic integration and sustainable development throughout the whole region. Is UNECE continuing to respond sufficiently to the needs of its member States? Are further adjustments necessary? These are some of the questions that will be debated, bearing in mind that UNECE – its secretariat and its member States – must remain a dynamic institution always striving to do better.