United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Encyclopedia
The United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe
(UNECE or ECE) was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. It is one of five regional commissions under the administrative direction of United Nations headquarters. It has 56 member states, and reports to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). As well as countries in Europe, it includes Canada, the Central Asian republics, Israel and the United States of America. The UNECE secretariat headquarters is in Geneva
, Switzerland
, and has an approximate budget of US$50 million.
Note: 15 of the UNECE's 56 member countries are recipients of official development assistance
.
(WP.29). 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.
The division also provides free on-line data on our 56 member countries in Europe, Central Asia and North America in both English and Russian, on economic, gender, forestry and transport statistics.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Economic Commission for Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
(UNECE or ECE) was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. It is one of five regional commissions under the administrative direction of United Nations headquarters. It has 56 member states, and reports to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). As well as countries in Europe, it includes Canada, the Central Asian republics, Israel and the United States of America. The UNECE secretariat headquarters is in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and has an approximate budget of US$50 million.
Member states
The 56 member countries are listed below.| Countries | Date of membership to the UNEC |
|---|---|
 Albania |
|
 Andorra |
|
 Armenia |
|
 Austria |
|
 Azerbaijan |
|
 Belarus |
|
 Belgium |
|
 Bosnia and Herzegovina |
|
 Kingdom of Bulgaria |
|
 Canada |
|
 Independent State of Croatia |
|
 Cyprus |
|
 Czech Republic |
|
 Denmark |
|
 Estonia |
|
 Finland |
|
 Republic of Macedonia |
|
 Early Modern France |
|
 Germany |
|
 Greece |
|
 Hungary |
|
 Iceland |
|
 Israel |
|
 Italy |
|
 Kazakhstan |
|
 Kyrgyzstan |
|
 Latvia |
|
 Liechtenstein |
|
 Lithuania |
|
 Luxembourg |
|
 Malta |
|
 Moldova |
|
 Monaco |
|
 Kingdom of Montenegro |
|
 Netherlands |
|
 Norway |
|
 Poland |
|
 Portugal |
|
 Kingdom of Romania |
|
 Russia |
|
 San Marino |
|
 Serbia |
|
 Slovakia |
|
 Slovenia |
|
 Spain |
|
 Sweden |
|
 Switzerland |
|
 Tajikistan |
|
 Turkey |
|
 Turkmenistan |
|
 Ukraine |
|
 United Kingdom |
|
 United States |
|
 Uzbekistan |
|
Note: 15 of the UNECE's 56 member countries are recipients of official development assistance
Official development assistance
Official development assistance is a term compiled by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to measure aid. The DAC first compiled the term in 1969. It is widely used by academics and journalists as a convenient indicator of...
.
Committee on Environmental Policy
UNECE’s concern 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. The committee’s work is based on three strategic pillars:- Participation in the two major international cooperative processes, the "Environment for Europe" process and the regional promotion of Agenda 21;
- The development and carrying-out of Environmental Performance Reviews in the central and eastern European countries; and
- The increase of the overall effectiveness of environmental conventions and of the exchange of experience on their implementation. See for example the UNECE Espoo Convention, Aarhus ConventionAarhus ConventionThe UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, usually known as the Aarhus Convention, was signed on June 25, 1998 in the Danish city of Aarhus. It entered into force on 30 October 2001...
and Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air PollutionConvention on Long-Range Transboundary Air PollutionThe Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, often abbreviated as Air Pollution or CLRTAP, is intended to protect the human environment against air pollution and to gradually reduce and prevent air pollution, including long-range transboundary air pollution.-Overview:The convention...
.
Committee on 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.Inland Transport Committee
The UNECE Transport Division has been providing secretariat services to the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle RegulationsWorld Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations
The World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations is a working party of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe...
(WP.29). 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.
Statistical Division
The UNECE Statistical Division helps member countries strengthen their statistical systems. It coordinates statistical activities of the member countries through the Conference of European Statisticians and its Bureau and the Database of International Statistical Activities. The UNECE Statistical division also develops guidelines and training materials on statistical methodology and practices. It works with different groups of specialists from national and international statistical organizations. It organizes meetings and provides different opportunities for statistical experts to exchange experiences on a wide range of statistical topics. The UNECE Statistical Division provides technical assistance to South-East European, East European, Caucasus and Central Asian countries.The division also provides free on-line data on our 56 member countries in Europe, Central Asia and North America in both English and Russian, on economic, gender, forestry and transport statistics.
See also
- EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
- European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
- Council of EuropeCouncil of EuropeThe Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
- OSCEOrganization for Security and Co-operation in EuropeThe Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press and fair elections...
- OECD
- Official statisticsOfficial statisticsOfficial statistics are statistics published by government agencies or other public bodies such as international organizations. They provide quantitative or qualitative information on all major areas of citizens' lives, such as economic and social development, living conditions, health, education,...
- United Nations SystemUnited Nations SystemThe United Nations system consists of the United Nations, its subsidiary organs , the specialized agencies, and affiliated organizations...
- United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the CaribbeanUnited Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the CaribbeanThe United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean was established in 1948 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. In 1984, a resolution was passed to include the countries of the Caribbean in the name...
(overlaping membership) - United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the PacificUnited Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the PacificThe Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific , located in Bangkok, Thailand, is the regional arm of the United Nations Secretariat for the Asian and Pacific region. It was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states...
(overlaping membership) - UN/CEFACTUN/CEFACTUN/CEFACT is an organisation that makes international EDI Electronic Data Interchange standards for electronic trade documents in XML format.- UN/CEFACT History, A UN mission to support trade:...
- Trade facilitaion via standardised business communication. - UN/LOCODEUN/LOCODEUN/LOCODE, the United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations, is a geographic coding scheme developed and maintained by United Nations Economic Commission for Europe , a unit of the United Nations. UN/LOCODE assigns codes to locations used in trade and transport with functions such as...
- location codes, maintained by UNECE - International E-road networkInternational E-road networkThe international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe . The network is numbered from E 1 up and its roads cross national borders...
, numbered by UNECE - World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle RegulationsWorld Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle RegulationsThe World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations is a working party of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe...
- North American UnionNorth American UnionThe North American Union is a theoretical economic union, in some instances also a political union, of Canada, Mexico, and the United States...
- Green card system - motor insurance scheme of UNECE