UN/SG's Recent Appointments

Ban Ki-moon made a number of high-level appointments as he entered his 2nd term:- Jan Eliasson, former Swedish Foreign Minister, is Deputy Secretary General;
- Maged Abdelaziz, Egypt's UN Ambassdor since 2005, as Special Adviser on Africa;
- Angela Kane, of Germany, as High Representative for Disarmament Affiars; and
- Sven Alkalaj, former Foreign Minister of Bosnia-Herzegovina, as Executive Secretary of UNECE.

Rio+20: Last regional preparations

The Chairs' Summary of the UN/ECE Regional Preparatory Meeting for UNCSD (Rio+20)  has been transmitted to New York to serve as input for the 2nd Intersessional Meeting from 15-16 December 2011.

Aral Sea: 3rd Programme Underway

It was announced during the joint session of the UNECE Timber Committee and the FAO European Forestry Commission that, in cooperation with the Governments of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, a regional project on the forestation of the dry bed of the Aral Sea will be undertaken. The project is part of the 3rd Aral Basin Sea Basin Programme undertaken by the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) to improve environmental, social and economic conditions in the region.

In addition to this noteworthy project, 15 other project proposals fall under the specific focus "improving the instituional and legal instruments".

UNECE: EfE-7

The 7th “Environment for Europe” Ministerial Conference in Astana (Kazakhstan) from 21-23 September concluded with the adoption of a Ministerial Declaration titled “Save water, grow green!” Through the Declaration, ministers agree to take the lead in the transition to a green economy and to make substantive contributions to the discussions on green economy within the context of sustainable development, poverty alleviation and UNCSD (Rio+20).
Report
Chair's Summary

UNECE: Forest Sector in 2010-2030

The European Forest Sector Outlook Study II (EFSOS II) covers the 27 members of the EU, as well as Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, illustrating the consequences of today's policy choices for the future of forests.

UNECE: 2nd Transboundary Water Assessment

 

The "Second Assessment of Transboundary Rivers, Lakes and Groundwaters," covers over 140 transboundary rivers, 25 transboundary lakes, about 200 transboundary groundwaters, and 25 sites designated under the Ramsar Convention and other wetlands of transboundary importance. It presents a broad analysis of transboundary water resources, pressure factors, quantity and quality status, and transboundary impacts, as well as management responses and future trends.

"Europe's Environment: An Assessment of Assessments"

UNECE and the European Environment Agency (EEA) have launched an Assessment of Assessments report recommending ways to align environmental information and policy making, with a focus on water and the green economy. The recommendations were issued to the ministers meeting at the 7th Environment for Europe Conference, convening in Astana (Kazakhstan) from 21-23 September.

UNECE: MDGs Database

The UNECE Statistical Division has launched a database of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) indicators. The database contains official estimates of over a 100 indicators used to monitor MDGs nationally and internationally.

Role of Forests in a Green Economy

The International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) has prepared a briefing for UNCSD (Rio+20), which draws on reports from UNEP, UNECE, FAO and civil society organisations regarding the role of forests in transitioning to a more sustainable economic system.

UNECE: Conference on Eco-innovation

The international conference titled: "Promoting Eco-innovation: policies and opportunities," took place in Tel Aviv (Israel) from 11-13 July and gathered policy-makers, academics and private sector representatives, who reviewed policy experiences in varying UNECE member States. Among the  ideas presented, speakers emphasized the need to embrace a broad concept of eco-innovation, going beyond a focus on research and development to include life-cycle considerations and the environmental impact of consumption patterns. Participants also discussed how eco-innovation policies should not be seen as a niche area, but rather as a mainstream strategic concern with multiple ramifications. The conclusions  are expected to provide an input to the UNCSD (Rio+20)
Conference Presentations

Assessment: Transboundary wetlands

The Ramsar Secretariat is collaborating with the Secretariat of the UNECE Water Convention in carrying out the 2nd Assessment of transboundary rivers, lakes and groundwaters in the UNECE Pan-European region. It includes about 30 transboundary Ramsar Sites and other important transboundary wetlands, and is being prepared by sub-regions including Caucasus, South Eastern Europe, North Eastern Europe, Central Asia as well as Central and Western Europe. The final result will be presented at the 7th Ministerial Conference “Environment for Europe,” in Astana (Kazakhstan) from 21-23 September.

Press Release

Forest Sector Contribution to UNCSD (Rio+20)

A stakeholders meeting on the development of an action plan on forests and the green economy was held in Geneva (Switzerland) from 10-11 May  under the auspices of the Forestry and Timber Section of UNECE and the Food and FAO in cooperation with UNEP.

The draft action plan, as further developed by the stakeholder meeting, is expected to be reviewed by the UNECE Timber Committee and FAO European Forestry Commission meeting scheduled to take place from 10-14 October 2011, in Antalya (Turkey). It will then be presented as a regional sectoral contribution from the forest sector at UNCSD (Rio+20)

Meeting Website

UNECE: Compendium of Legal Instruments

UNECE has published the “Compendium of Legal Instruments, Norms and Standards 2011,” which contains a list of conventions, norms and standards that have been negotiated under its auspices.These legal instruments cover: environment, transport, timber, energy, trade, housing and land management.

UNECE: Final Preparations for Astana

UNECE's Committee on Environmental Policy concluded, on 27 May, its special session devoted to the final preparatory activities for the 7th "Environment for Europe" Ministerial Conference from 21-23 September and approved the draft ministerial declaration outlining the pan-European agenda for the upcoming years.

UNECE press release
Documents of the special session

UNECE Annual Report

UNECE has published its 2011 Annual Report, in which achievements in 2010 and opportunities in 2011 are summarized. The report includes sections that describe the work done by UNECE during 2010 on: advancing the pan-European environmental agenda; sustainable energy; timber and forestry; and fostering sustainable transport development.

UNECE Report 2011

UNECE: 2010 MDG Report

UNECE has published the report "The MDGs in Europe and Central Asia: Achievements, Challenges and the Way Forward.” On MDG-7 (environmental sustainability), the report notes that tangible progress has been made in integrating the environmental dimension into sectoral policy-making, reducing carbon dioxide emissions, increasing energy efficiency and strengthening the sustainable management of forests. The report also notes, however, that: the level of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions remains too high in Western Europe; considerable efforts need to be made for improving energy efficiency in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia (EECA); access to safe drinking water is still a major problem in rural areas of countries of south-east Europe; and the number of households living in informal settlements is increasing in a number of countries of the EECCA and south-east Europe regions.

UNECE: Recent Forest Assessments

On the occasion of World Forest Day, UNECE convened experts to review the status of and trends in forests and forest resources in Europe and North America. The seminar was titled, "How successful is Sustainable Forest Management in the UNECE Region? State of forests and forest management in the UNECE region in the context of current needs and challenges."  [UNECE Press Release] [FRA 2010 Main Report] [Preliminary (regional) findings of the 2011 State of Europe’s Forests] [Sixth FOREST EUROPE]

Aral Sea: 3rd basin programme for 2011-2015

The Board of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea reviewed the draft 3rd Aral Sea basin programme for 2011-2015 during a meeting on 15 December, 2010. UNECE Press Release