I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
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The European Union welcomes Madame Tatiana Molcean, Under-Secretary General of the UN and Executive Secretary of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and thanks for her remarks.
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We fully support the UNECE as a key platform to promote international convergence of policy and regulatory approaches. The normative activities, notably for transport and environment, have strong added value for Member States and should remain priority areas of work.
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An example of our aligning priorities is the Aarhus Convention, the leading international agreement on environmental democracy. The convention aims to protect every person’s right to live in a healthy environment and guarantees the public three key rights on environmental issues: access to information, public participation and access to justice.
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Another example is the field of Road Safety, where UNECE and CoE’s mandates are complementary in implementing the rules into national laws; promoting consistent legal enforcement; supporting judicial cooperation; prosecution of traffic offences and exchange of information across borders.
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We also value UNECE’s work in developing better land governance. Last October in Geneva, the EU participated in the 5th meeting of the UN Forum of Mayors, under the theme “Cities Shaping the Future”, emphasizing the critical role of cities and local administration in shaping a sustainable future.
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In closing, we wish Madame Molcean all the best and look forward to our continued cooperation.
The following countries aligned with this statement: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, San Marino, Serbia and Ukraine.
