The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is one of the five
regional commissions of the United Nations. It is the forum where the countries
of western, central and eastern Europe, central Asia and North America – 56
countries in all – come
together to forge the tools of their economic cooperation. That cooperation
concerns such areas as economic cooperation and integration, energy, environment,
human settlements, population, statistics, timber, trade, and transport.
The Commission offers a regional framework for the elaboration and harmonization
of conventions, norms and standards. The Commission's experts provide
technical assistance to the countries of
Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) and
of south-east Europe. This assistance takes the form of advisory services,
training seminars and workshops where countries in transition can share
their experiences and receive support from other countries in the region.