Transboundary water cooperation takes centre stage at One Water Summit, showcasing UN Water Convention
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
UNECE fosters sustainable development by translating #GlobalGoals into norms and conventions that impact people’s lives
The One Water Summit, held in Riyadh on 3 December 2024 and co-organized by France, Kazakhstan, and the World Bank, in partnership with Saudi Arabia, brought together leaders and experts to address global water challenges. Transboundary water cooperation emerged as a key theme throughout the high-level discussions, highlighting the urgency of collaborative water management in achieving sustainable development. The Summit spotlighted the UN Water Convention, hosted by UNECE, as a key instrument for advancing transboundary water cooperation. UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean emphasized that the costs of inaction are too high, especially when we have the tools and instruments to act, like the Water Convention. She further stressed that transboundary cooperation must remain high on the agenda in upcoming global processes – notably at the 2026 UN Water conference – and in the discussions on the post 2030 agenda. The Summit served as a platform to announce major initiatives aimed at accelerating water action: the Transboundary Water Cooperation Coalition’s Knowledge Platform; Freshwater Challenge; Water Footprint Commitment; and One Water Vision Coalition. Read more
Energy
UN Regional Commissions call for urgent and equitable energy transition
At the close of the 13th International Forum on Energy for Sustainable Development, the UN Regional Commissions issued a unified call for accelerated global action to achieve an equitable and sustainable energy future. Convened in Bangkok, the Forum brought together government leaders, industry stakeholders, and experts from across five UN regions — Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Western Asia — to drive forward coordinated action on clean energy and climate goals. A statement from the United Nations Regional Commissions emphasizes the critical need for swift and inclusive action to address global energy challenges while ensuring sustainable energy for all. The statement emphasizes a commitment to supporting member States in accelerating renewable energy deployment and improving energy efficiency, with a goal to triple global renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency improvement rates by 2030, helping member States meet both SDG 7 and Paris Agreement objectives. Read more
Trade
Uzbekistan signs the National Trade Facilitation Roadmap with UNECE support
UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean and the Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the World Trade Organization issues and Chief Negotiator, Azizbek Urunov , have signed the National Trade Facilitation Roadmap of Uzbekistan, which will serve as a strategic framework guiding the country's trade facilitation reforms over the next five years and supporting its accession to the WTO envisaged for 2026. The Roadmap was developed using the UNECE methodology and is aligned with the overall strategy of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), in particular the SPECA Trade Facilitation Strategy and the SPECA Principles for Sustainable Trade. It is part of a larger effort to support Uzbekistan to integrate into and benefit from the global economy: from fostering innovation and enhancing agricultural trade through the reduction of regulatory and procedural barriers to supporting effective public-private partnerships for enhanced and resilient infrastructure, noted the UNECE Executive Secretary. Read more
Publication of the Week
Trade
UN/CEFACT Forum to focus on sustainable value chains, digital connectivity and gender-responsive policies
Amid growing emphasis on accountability of sustainability claims on goods placed on markets and the challenge of addressing greenwashing, reliable and verifiable data have become crucial for building trust in global value chains. At the same time, as goods move across multiple borders, the climate crisis has highlighted the need to examine the role of digital trade corridors to advance climate-smart connectivity for cross-border trade operations. Finally, the current low level of women’s representation and participation in trade, calls for the exploration of gender-responsive approaches that can lead to higher economic gains, innovation, more diverse and resilient economies, and inclusive growth. These challenges will be at the heart of discussions at the upcoming 43rd UN/CEFACT Forum in Rome, Italy, on 10-12 December 2024, which is closely linked to the Italian G7 Presidency and its effort to advance environmental and social sustainability, as well as to address global economic disruptions. Read more
Industrial accidents
Recommended by LinkedIn
UNECE Industrial Accidents Convention’s CoP-13 marks 20 years of assistance and cooperation
Countries from across the pan-European region have reaffirmed the need for multilateral cooperation to address major and emerging industrial safety challenges at the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UNECE Industrial Accidents Convention (CoP-13), recently held in Geneva. Industrial accidents know no borders so their impact on the environment, the economy and society often extends far beyond the place of origin. By working together, countries not only strengthen industrial safety but also their resilience in the face of disaster, noted Cedric Bourillet , Director of the Risk Prevention Directorate of the Ministry of Ecological Transition, Energy, Climate, and Risk Prevention of France, opening CoP-13, which France co-organized. Marking the 20th anniversary of the Convention’s Assistance and Cooperation Programme — which supports transition economies across Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia in improving industrial safety —CoP-13 reflected on progress made and remaining challenges. Read more
Environment
Aarhus Convention promotes transparent environmental governance
In a world grappling with the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, public demand for transparent environmental governance is growing. Effective access to reliable information, coupled with efforts to combat disinformation and greenwashing, is an important pillar of such governance. To address these issues, the Task Force on Access to Information under the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) recently held its 9th meeting in Geneva, bringing together representatives of Governments, civil society, independent review bodies, academia, international organizations, the private sector and other stakeholders. The discussions focused on the dissemination of environmental information through the use of electronic information tools; access to environment-related product information; the transparency of public authorities; and whistle-blower protection. Read more
In the News
Upcoming Events
9 - 12 December 2024
10 December 2024
10 - 12 December 2024
10 - 13 December 2024