This regional section dedicated to the North American and European region goes beyond the geographic boundaries of the two continents and encompasses learning resources and capacity development initiatives that can be helpful to any country from among the 56 member States of the UN Economic Commission for Europe situated in Europe, North America and Asia. UNECE itself supports countries in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) thanks to its:
- Role as a platform for governments to cooperate and engage with all stakeholders on norms, standards and conventions;
- Unique convening power across the region;
- Multisectoral approach to tackle the interconnected challenges of sustainable development in an integrated manner;
- Transboundary focus, which helps devise solutions to shared challenges;
- Partnerships (SDG 17) between stakeholders including governments, international and regional organizations, businesses, academia and civil society are a driving force of UNECE’s work.
This covers three main strategic areas:
- Improving connectivity within the region (SDGs, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13);
- Reducing environmental pressures and using resources more sustainably (SDGs 3, 6, 7, 12, 13, 15);
- Contributing to creating more dynamic and resilient economies (SDGs 7, 8, 9, 11, 13).