10th Meeting of the Parties to UN Water Convention to advance cooperation on global water challenges

In response to recent devastating floods in Central and Eastern Europe and a drought emergency in Southern Africa, cross-border water management has become a pressing issue on the global political agenda. Against this backdrop, the 10th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention will convene in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from 23 to 25 October 2024. This major event is co-organized by the Government of Slovenia and the Secretariat of the Water Convention/Protocol on Water & Health , hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe . Convened exactly seven months after World Water Day, which focused on leveraging water for peace, this session marks a significant milestone for the Water Convention. It aims to support peace through water, including the signing of transboundary agreements, and to address ongoing global environmental crises. Participants will focus on crucial topics such as climate change adaptation, the source-to-sea approach, the water-food-energy-ecosystems nexus, and financing transboundary water cooperation. One of the key outcomes expected from the meeting is the adoption of an innovative work programme for 2025-2027, alongside other important decisions, including on more financial sustainability of the Convention. Read more

Gender equality

UNECE regional report highlights the need for more progress in women’s economic rights and elimination of gender-based violence

In the past five years, the confluence of different crises has negatively affected the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action on gender equality throughout the UNECE region. The COVID-19 pandemic, escalating climate emergency, eruptions of armed conflict and geopolitical tensions have disproportionately affected women and girls, exacerbating existing inequalities. At the same time, the rise in authoritarianism and anti-rights movements is threatening the progress made and endangering women's rights activists. According to the UNECE regional synthesis report, although gender equality is generally improving in the UNECE region, most SDG related targets are likely to fall short by 2030 at the current pace. Progress can be measured for less than half of the targets. “We urgently need to invest in comprehensive economic and social policies aimed at driving women’s full participation, supported by accountable institutions and mechanisms, including gender budgeting,” noted UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean . “Advancing gender equality must remain a bold and unwavering priority, especially given ongoing and emerging challenges." Read more

 Publication of the Week

Forests

UN Petite Forest Network Debuts at Future Green Cities

Petite forests, or small, dense clusters of native trees, are designed for compact urban spaces like streets, plazas, and schoolyards. These micro-forests offer significant benefits for enhancing biodiversity, combating climate change, and fostering community engagement. The UN Petite Forest Network officially launched on 25 September 2024 at the Future Green Cities event, co-organized by UNECE and Earthwatch Europe . The event brought together city representatives and organizations, such as International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH), World Urban Parks to share insights into urban greening. Gemeente Utrecht and Liverpool City Council shared first hand their experiences in their urban greening projects, offering valuable lessons on the opportunities and challenges associated with creating these miniature forests in urban settings. At UNECE, a first milestone for the United Nations Petite Forest Network was the inauguration of the first Petite Forests in San Marino in 2022 and during Foresta 2023. San Marino’s Petite Forests stand demonstrate the power of collective action on climate change. It highlights how small actions in underutilized spaces can have a significant and lasting impact. Read more

Innovation

ETIN Action Forum 2024 promotes peer learning and exchanges for sustainable transformations

Transformative innovation, or innovation that accelerates sustainable transformations, is the driving force behind redefining how we live, work, and interact with our world—sparking fundamental shifts in our consumption, production, and the creation of social value. This concept lies at the heart of efforts to address the complex challenges of our time, from climate change and digital disruption to socio-economic inequalities. In this context, the UN-ECE Transformative Innovation Network (ETIN) brought together innovation stakeholders from Europe, Western Balkans, Central Asia and beyond at the recent ETIN Transformative Innovation Action Forum. The forum focused not only on the latest trends and concepts but also on addressing the challenges and contextual factors that influence the implementation and scaling of transformative solutions. Held at the European Institute of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology House in Brussels, the event was co-organized by UNECE, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), and the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG R&I) of the European Commission . It provided a platform to exchange insights on advancing transformative innovation and addressing barriers to its implementation for sustainable impact. Read more

In the Media

City AM - ‘Build baby build’: Break infrastructure ‘inertia’ to boost growth, report urges

ANSA - A masterplan to think about the future of Mykolaiv after the war

AgNews - Brazil Revolutionizes Pesticide Regulation with Landmark Law

Construction News - Steel safety checks take game-changing leap to digital

Upcoming Events

Beijing+30 Regional Review Meeting

21 - 22 October 2024

Tenth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention  

23 - 25 October 2024 

22nd session of the Steering Committee of the Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme

28 - 30 October 2024