United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
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Ministers stated in paragraph 39 of the Belgrade Ministerial Declaration :
"While awaiting the UNECE Commission's endorsement and our subsequent implementation of a meaningful reform of the EfE process, we: (a) Agree that the UNECE/CEP should regularly consider and assess progress achieved under the EfE process. We also invite UNECE to provide the secretariat for the preparation of the next EfE Conference; (...)"
Detailed information on the Committee on Environmental Policy (CEP) is available on its dedicated website. Click here for the current composition of the CEP Bureau. Click here for the website of the current CEP session (15th session, 21-23 April 2008).
More details on the EfE reform and related negotiations and meetings is available on our dedicated webpage.
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Multilateral environmental treaties
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The governing bodies of five multilateral environmental treaties are serviced by a UNECE Secretariat, including:
One Convention (the "Aarhus Convention") and five new Protocols to the above mentioned Conventions were signed or adopted at the recent Aarhus and Kiev Environment for Europe Conferences.
Paragraphs 8-10 of the Belgrade Ministerial Declaration are dedicated to above mentioned multilateral environmental treaties.
For more information about work carried out under EfE on these (and other) multilateral, environmental treaties, please see the dedicated web page. |
Environmental Performance Reviews
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Since the 1993 Lucerne Environment for Europe Conference, UNECE has a mandate to lead the preparation of Environmental Performance Reviews (EPRs) for Eastern European countries. At the 2007 Belgrade Environment for Europe conference, this mandate was renewed (paragraph 6 of the Belgrade Declaration).
UNECE carries out an EPR at the request of a country. The EPR process starts with an agreement on the structure of the report between UNECE and high officials of the candidate country. An assessment team is then formed, consisting of UNECE experts and external experts from the ECE region. The team meets with experts from the country to be reviewed and drafts the EPR. Peer review of the report and its recommendations is carried out by UNECEs Committee on Environmental Policy (CEP).
Visit our dedicated web page, which provides more information on completed and planned EPRs.
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UNECE Working Group on Environmental Monitoring
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UNECE provides Secretariat functions for the "Working Group on Environmental Monitoring and Assessment" in line with the relevant mandate from the Belgrade Ministerial Declaration (paragraph 7):
"(...) We invite UNECE to continue its efforts, in cooperation with EEA and other partners, to make monitoring an effective instrument in environmental policymaking in countries of Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia and South-Eastern Europe.(...)"
The Working Group is active in the areas of harmonized and cost-effective environmental monitoring, assessment and reporting, with a view to supporting decision-making processes and contributing to streamlining international reporting in the UNECE region. Additional information can be found on the UNECE website dedicated to the activities of the Working Group as well as our dedicated web page related to state of the environment reporting under the EfE process.
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Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
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Paragraph 12 of the Belgrade Ministerial Declaration is dedicated to ESD:
"We, the Ministers and Heads of delegation of States that have adopted the UNECE Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), welcome the Statement on ESD made by their Ministers of Education and of Environment, and the outcome of their joint session, and urge countries to further strengthen efforts for the implementation of the UNECE Strategy for ESD at all levels by the end of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. We also stress the importance of the ESD process as a prerequisite and framework for capacity-building initiatives and multi-stakeholder partnerships in the region."
Note that the UNECE Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) was adopted in 2005. The work related to this Strategy is implemented by UNECE and UNESCO and contributes to the "United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development" led by UNESCO on the global level. A Steering Committee on Education for Sustainable Development has been established to decide on the ESD Strategy's implementation and review its progress. UNECE provides secretariat support to this Steering Committee. In addition, an ESD Bureau has been established to support the work of the ESD Steering Committee. Currently, the Bureau is composed of representatives of the following countries: Canada, France, Georgia, Greece (Chair of the ESD Steering Committee), Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova (Vice Chair of the ESD Steering Committee), Norway and Serbia and Montenegro. In addition, one representative from each of the following organizations participates in Bureau meetings as observers: UNESCO, Regional Environmental Centres (RECs), the European ECO-Forum and Environmental and School Initiatives (ENSI).
Click here to view our dedicated web page on education for sustainable development.
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Last update of this page: 17 April, 2008.
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