United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

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United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
AbbreviationECE
Formation28 March 1947;77 years ago (1947-03-28)
TypePrimary organ – regional branch
Legal statusActive
Headquarters Geneva, Switzerland
Head
Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Flag of Moldova.svg Tatiana Molcean
Parent organization
United Nations Economic and Social Council
Website unece.org
A coloured voting box.svg   Politicsportal
Map showing the member states of the commission UNECE member states.svg
Map showing the member states of the commission

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE or UNECE) is one of the five regional commissions under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It was established in order to promote economic cooperation and integration among its member states.

Contents

The commission is composed of 56 member states, most of which are based in Europe, as well as a few outside of Europe. Its transcontinental Eurasian or non-European member states include: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Canada, Cyprus, Georgia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, the United States of America and Uzbekistan. [1]

History

The commission was established by the Economic and Social Council on 28 March 1947 in order to "Initiate and participate in measures for facilitating concerted action for the economic reconstruction of Europe," as well as to "maintain and strengthen the economic relations of the European countries, both among themselves and with other countries of the world." [2]

It was established at the request of the United Nations General Assembly who called on the Economic and Social Council to create the commission, as well as the Commission for Asia and the Far East, in order to "give effective aid to countries devastated by war." [3]

ECE absorbed the function and resources of the European Central Inland Transport Organization upon its founding.

As the commission was established towards the beginning of the Cold War, it faced difficulties in achieving its mandate of economic reconstruction of Europe due to the Iron Curtain: separately the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation was established in 1948 in the west and the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance in 1949 in the east. The work of the commission had to concern itself only with questions that were of common interest to East and West, as to not cause confrontation. [4] However, since the fall of the Soviet Union, the economic commissions of the United Nations have been expanding their activities in the former Soviet republics.

Member states

The following are the member states of the commission, along with their date of admission: [1]

Member states
CountriesDate of membership
Flag of Albania.svg  Albania 14 December 1955
Flag of Andorra.svg  Andorra 28 July 1993
Flag of Armenia.svg  Armenia 30 July 1993
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 14 December 1955
Flag of Azerbaijan.svg  Azerbaijan 30 July 1993
Flag of Belarus.svg  Belarus 28 March 1947 [lower-alpha 1]
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 28 March 1947
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina 22 May 1992
Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria 14 December 1955
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 9 August 1973
Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia 22 May 1992
Flag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus 20 September 1960
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic 28 March 1947
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 28 March 1947
Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia 17 September 1991
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 14 December 1955
Flag of France.svg  France 28 March 1947
Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia 30 July 1993
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 18 September 1973
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 28 March 1947
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 14 December 1955
Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland 28 March 1947
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland 14 December 1955
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel 26 July 1991
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 14 December 1955
Flag of Kazakhstan.svg  Kazakhstan 31 January 1994
Flag of Kyrgyzstan (2023).svg  Kyrgyzstan 30 July 1993
Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia 17 September 1991
Flag of Liechtenstein.svg  Liechtenstein 18 September 1990
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania 17 September 1991
Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg 28 March 1947
Flag of Malta.svg  Malta 1 December 1964
Flag of Moldova.svg  Republic of Moldova 2 March 1992
Flag of Monaco.svg  Monaco 27 May 1993
Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro 28 June 2006
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 28 March 1947
Flag of North Macedonia.svg  North Macedonia 8 April 1993
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 28 March 1947
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 28 March 1947
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal 14 December 1955
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania 14 December 1955
Flag of Russia.svg  Russian Federation 28 March 1947 [lower-alpha 2]
Flag of San Marino.svg  San Marino 30 July 1993
Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia 1 November 2000
Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia 28 March 1947
Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia 22 May 1992
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 14 December 1955
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 28 March 1947
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland 24 March 1972 [lower-alpha 3]
Flag of Tajikistan.svg  Tajikistan 12 December 1994
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey 28 March 1947
Flag of Turkmenistan.svg  Turkmenistan 30 July 1993
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine 28 March 1947 [lower-alpha 1]
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 28 March 1947
Flag of the United States.svg  United States of America 28 March 1947
Flag of Uzbekistan.svg  Uzbekistan 30 July 1993
  1. 1 2 Belarus and Ukraine were already UN members in 1947, even though they were not independent.
  2. Joined UNECE as the USSR, then the Russian Federation took over its membership.
  3. In 1972, Switzerland was not a UN member. Switzerland joined the United Nations in 2002.

Committees and programmes

Committee on Environmental Policy

The concern of UNECE with problems of the environment dates back at least to 1971, when the group of Senior Advisors to the UNECE governments on environmental issues was created which led to the establishment of the Committee on Environmental Policy, which now meets annually. The Committee provides collective policy direction in the area of environment and sustainable development, prepares ministerial meetings, develops international environmental law and supports international initiatives in the region. CEP works to support countries to enhance their environmental governance and transboundary cooperation as well as strengthen implementation of the UNECE regional environmental commitments and advance sustainable development in the region.

Its main aim is to assess countries' efforts to reduce their overall pollution burden and manage their natural resources, to integrate environmental and socioeconomic policies, to strengthen cooperation with the international community, to harmonize environmental conditions and policies throughout the region and to stimulate greater involvement of the public and environmental discussions and decision-making.

CEP is the overall governing body of UNECE environmental activities. The committee's work is based on several strategic pillars: [5]

Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry

The first task of UNECE after the Second World War was to coordinate reconstruction effort in Europe. Timber was crucial for construction, and energy, but the forests had been heavily overcut and production and trade were at a standstill. The ECE Timber Committee emerged from the International Timber Conference held in 1947 in Mariánské Lázně in the former Czechoslovakia.

The main pillars of the committee's activities have been: the collection and publication of the best available statistics on forests, wood production and trade; the exchange of information on forest working techniques and training of forest workers; periodic surveys of the long-term outlook on forests; technical work on the rational use of wood; reviewing forest product markets; and share experiences on forest and forest sector policy. [7]

Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management

In 1947, UNECE set up a Panel on Housing Problems, which later evolved into the Committee on Human Settlements and after the reform in 2005/2006 into the Committee on Housing and Land Management. The committee is an intergovernmental body of all UNECE member States. It provides a forum for the compilation, dissemination and exchange of information and experience on housing, urban development, and land administration policies; and in areas such as Birmingham, a more fiscal issue-UK. [8]

In 2020, the CUDHLM created the Forum of Mayors [9] at the Palais des Nations, an event allowing mayors from the UNECE region to exchange their best practices on urban development, housing and land management. UNECE is the first UN Regional Economic Commission to implement such an initiative that facilitates the cooperation between the UN, Member States and cities. [10]

Inland Transport Committee

The UNECE Transport Division has been providing secretariat services to the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29). [11] In addition to acting as secretariat to the World Forum, the Vehicle Regulations and Transport Innovations section serves as the secretariat of the Administrative Committee for the coordination of work, and of the administrative/executives committees of the three agreements on vehicles administered by the World Forum. [12]

Among other things, ITC has produced: [13]

The World Forum services three UN Agreements:

Statistical Division

The UNECE Statistical Division provides the secretariat for the Conference and its expert groups, and implements the statistical work programme of UNECE. The Conference brings together chief statisticians from national and international statistical organizations around the world, meaning that the word "European" in its name is no longer an accurate description of its geographical coverage. The Statistical Division helps member countries to strengthen their statistical systems, and coordinates international statistical activities in the UNECE region and beyond through the Conference and its Bureau, and the Database of International Statistical Activities. The Statistical Division develops guidelines and training materials on statistical methodology and practices, in response to demands from member countries. It works with different groups of specialists from national and international statistical organizations, and organizes meetings and online forums for statistical experts to exchange experiences on a wide range of topics. The UNECE Statistical Division also provides technical assistance to South-East European, East European, Caucasus and Central Asian countries.

The division also provides:

  1. On-line data on the 56 UNECE member countries in Europe, Central Asia and North America in both English and Russian, on economic, gender, forestry and transport statistics.
  2. A biennial overview of key statistics for member countries.
  3. A set of wikis to support collaboration activities and disseminate information about good practices.

UNECE conducted the Fertility and Family Survey in the 1990s in 23 member States, with over 150,000 participants, with hundreds of resulting scientific publications. [15] This activity has hence continued in the form of the Generations and Gender Programme. [16]

Sustainable Energy Division

The Sustainable Energy Division supports the UN's energy program, including security of energy supply, economics, and environmental protection, in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy, clean electricity, natural gas, coal, and resource classification. It is the secretariat responsible for Committee on Sustainable Energy and various expert groups supporting access to affordable and clean energy for all, as well as help reduce greenhouse gas emissions of the energy sector in the region. [17]

The Expert Group on Resource Management created the United Nations Framework Classification for Resources, the first widely accepted natural resource management system for classifying, managing, and reporting energy, mineral, and raw material resources in the world. [18]

United Smart Cities (USC)

The United Smart Cities programme is a joint effort between UNECE and the Organization for International Economic Relations (OiER). [19]

Numerous private business entities and other international and European agencies support the programme, including Environment Agency Austria (EAA), the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), UN-Habitat, and the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP). The programme promotes areas of strategic smart city policy and development. The key focus areas as detailed by the programme are:

  1. Urban mobility
  2. Sustainable housing
  3. Clean energy
  4. Waste management
  5. Information and Communications Technology (ICT)

Executive secretaries

YearsCountryExecutive secretary
1947–1957Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Gunnar Myrdal
1957–1960Flag of Finland.svg  Finland Sakari Tuomioja
1960–1967Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Yugoslavia Vladimir Velebit
1968–1982 Janez Stanovnik
1983–1986Flag of Finland.svg  Finland Klaus Sahlgren
1987–1993Flag of Austria.svg  Austria Gerald Hinteregger
1993–2000Flag of France.svg  France Yves Berthelot
2000–2001Flag of Poland.svg  Poland Danuta Hübner
2002–2005Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia Brigita Schmögnerová [20]
2005–2008Flag of Poland.svg  Poland Marek Belka [21]
2008–2012Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia Ján Kubiš [22]
2012–2014Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina Sven Alkalaj [23]
2014Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark Michael Møller (acting) [24]
2014–2017 Christian Friis Bach [25]
2017–2023Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia Olga Algayerova [26]
2023–presentFlag of Moldova.svg  Moldova Tatiana Molcean [27]

Statistical Journal of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

See also

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References

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  2. United Nations Economic and Social Council Session 4 Resolution36. Economic Commission for EuropeE/RES/36(IV) 28 March 1947.
  3. United Nations General Assembly Session 1 Resolution46. Economic reconstruction of devastated areasA/RES/46(I) 11 December 1946.
  4. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (n.d.). "History". United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. United Nations. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  5. "UNECE Homepage". www.unece.org.
  6. EPR Programme
  7. ECE Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry (2017). 70 years working together in the service of forests and people. New York: European Forestry Commission, United Nations, United Nations. Economic Commission for Europe/Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Forestry and Timber Section. ISBN   978-92-1-117142-6. OCLC   1011422671.
  8. "UNECE". Archived from the original on 8 October 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
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  10. Geneva Cities Hub (2022). "Forum of Mayors".
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  12. "Programmes: Vehicle Regulations and Technological Innovations". Archived from the original on 26 September 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
  13. 1 2 3 "Road Map for Accession to and Implementation of the United Nations 1998 Agreement" (PDF). UNECE. March 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  14. UNECE, United Nations Road Safety Conventions, published June 2020, accessed 17 December 2021
  15. "Fertility and Family Survey (FFS)". unece.org. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  16. "Fertility and Family Survey (standard country tables), FFS". edac.eu, the European Data Center for Work and Welfare. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  17. Brkic, Iva (2020). Pathways to sustainable energy: accelerating energy transition in the UNECE region. United Nations. Economic Commission for Europe. Geneva. ISBN   978-92-1-117228-7. OCLC   1178639864.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  18. United Nations Framework Classification for Resources : update 2019. Geneva: United Nations. Economic Commission for Europe. 2020. ISBN   978-92-1-117233-1. OCLC   1151188428.
  19. "United Smart Cities (USC) – United Nations Partnerships for SDGs platform". sustainabledevelopment.un.org. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  20. "Secretary-General Appoints Brigita Schmögnerová as New Executive Secretary of Economic Commission for Europe". UNECE.
  21. "Secretary-General appoints Marek Belka of Poland as Executive Secretary of Economic Commission for Europe". UNECE.
  22. "Secretary-General appoints Ján KUBIŠ of Slovakia to head United Nations Economic Commission for Europe". UNECE.
  23. "EXCOM welcomes Executive Secretary". UNECE.
  24. "Acting Director-General of UNOG Michael Møller takes on functions of Acting Executive Secretary of UNECE". UNECE.
  25. "The Secretary-General appoints Christian Friis Bach of Denmark as the next Executive Secretary of UNECE". UNECE.
  26. "Algayerova Appointed to Head the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe". TASR.
  27. "UN Secretary-General appoints Ms. Tatiana Molcean of Moldova as next Executive Secretary of UNECE | UNECE".
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  29. "Publications: STATISTICAL JOURNAL of the UNECE". UNECE. Retrieved 11 June 2015.