BELGRADE – The Secretariat of the Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians, administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have signed a Joint Declaration to strengthen cooperation.

The declaration, concluded on the sidelines of the Seventh Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Carpathian Convention held in Belgrade from 11-13 October 2023, marks an important milestone for cooperation aiming to spearhead new joint initiatives for sustainable industrial development of the Carpathian region.

The Joint Declaration will facilitate new engagement opportunities and initiatives focusing on country-level, sub- and inter-regional technical cooperation projects, technology transfer, know-how and expertise exchange, advancement of sustainable business linkages for enhanced environmental sustainability, economic competitiveness and innovation ecosystem building in the Carpathian region.

As noted by Harald Egerer, Head of the Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention, “The seven Central and Eastern European countries Parties to the Carpathian Convention have welcomed the strengthened partnership with UNIDO as the leading UN agency for industrial development. UNIDO’s mandate, expertise and network will support innovative solutions to tackle the challenges of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and loss of nature affecting the Carpathian region and help preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the Carpathian Mountains, which is a treasure of European and global importance.” In the Joint Declaration, both institutions confirmed their commitment to increase cooperation in areas such as the circular economy, waste management, clean energy and energy efficiency, agribusiness and food security, sustainable forestry, industrial policy research, investment promotion and support for the private sector of the countries of the Carpathian region.

Chief of Cabinet and UNIDO Special Representative for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Josef Karl Pelikan represented UNIDO at the Seventh Meeting of the Countries of the Carpathian Convention and was accompanied by Ranko Vujačić, Senior Advisor of the Division of Member States and Funding Relations. In his remarks, Karl Pelikan emphasized, “The need for UNIDO’s close and well-coordinated work with the Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention is gaining additional relevance in view of the major multifaceted crises unfolding in Europe and beyond, directly affecting the natural environment and creating the heightened risk of loss of biodiversity of the countries of the Carpathian region.”

Tapping into UNIDO’s expertise, well-established cooperation with the countries that are parties to the Carpathian Convention, and the existing synergies of the thematic priorities, mean the formalization of the partnership will be instrumental in facilitating new engagement opportunities and initiatives for the sustainable development of the Carpathian region and beyond.

On the sidelines of the Conference, the UNIDO delegation also met Serbian government officials to discuss opportunities for strengthened cooperation. At the meeting with Slobodan Cvetković, Minister of Economy of Serbia, Nenad Stošić, Head of Department for International Cooperation and European Integration and Nenad Milivojević, Counsellor, Sector for Privatization, Bankruptcy and Industrial Development of Ministry of Economy of Serbia, the delegation discussed the opportunities for cooperation to support the strategic objectives of the Industrial Policy Strategy of Serbia from 2021 to 2030.

Meetings also took place with Milan Milanović, Acting Assistant Minister for Multilateral Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Vukašin Grozdić, State Secretary, Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, to discuss the opportunities for regional cooperation in the Western Balkans in the areas of innovation ecosystem building and automotive clusters. The meeting with Aleksandra Imšigarić Durić, Assistant Minister for Managing Environmental Protection of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, served to identify synergies for cooperation in the areas of the environment and climate change to support Serbia’s strategic priority on enhancing resource efficiency and green technologies in the area of environmental protection. The meeting with the Chamber of Commerce of Belgrade helped identify further opportunities to engage the private sector of Serbia in UNIDO’s technical cooperation activities, including through transfer of knowledge and cutting-edge technology.

The Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians is a sub-regional treaty adopted in 2003 which aims to foster sustainable development and the protection of the Carpathian region with a view to, inter alia, improving quality of life, strengthening local economies and communities, and the conservation of natural values and cultural heritage. It represents a unique framework of cooperation bringing together the seven member countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine, and benefits from a large support network of observers and partner institutions, and representatives of academia, NGOs and the private sector.

For more information, please contact:

Solomiya Omelyan, Chief, UNIDO Regional Bureau for Europe and Central Asia

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