Belgrade, 7 September 2021 - On the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, the United Nations in Serbia is launching a coherent plan for tackling air pollution’s causes and effects, while stressing that air quality in the region remains to be a cause for alarm.   Ahead of the next heating season and expected increase in urban air pollution attributed to household heating, recent evidence shows that air pollution is responsible for up to one in five premature deaths in Western Balkan cities, with household heating being one of the two main sources of particulate matter emissions. On average, city dwellers in the Western Balkans lose up to 13–16 months of life to air pollution, while nearly 5,000 premature deaths are directly attributable to air pollution region each year. In Serbia, nearly 3,600 premature deaths every year can be attributed to exposure to fine particulate matter measuring ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5), according to the WHO study on the situation in 11 towns in Serbia. As UNICEF’s study on the impact of climate on children highlights, in Serbia, respiratory illnesses account for the most commonly reported morbidities for children and youth, accounting for 17% and 37% of all morbidities for children aged from 0-6 and 7-19, respectively, and are particularly pronounced in cities with high levels of air pollution, like Niš and Bor. Recent research  by UNDP and Institute of Nuclear Sciences Vinca has meanwhile found positive correlation between concentrations of air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, CO, NO2) and COVID-19 incidence in two cities with the highest number of COVID-19 cases: Belgrade and Niš. The observations for the lockdown period between 15 March and 6 of May 2020 have shown the strongest positive correlation for PM10 and PM2.5. In response to the air pollution stemming from household devices for solid fuel burning across Serbia, UN agencies, funds and programmes have come together with a number of partners and stakeholders to develop and launch a joint programme to address key challenges related to pollution of ambient air. The programme will complement ongoing efforts by the national and local governments. Activities include assessing the extent of energy poverty and the link between air pollution and health (UNEP); developing innovative technical solutions and business models that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of environmental pollution at the local level, as well as a web-based geo-platform for identification of stubble burning[1] (UNDP); and introducing air pollution monitoring and impact assessment in schools in 15 municipalities (UNICEF).  “Tackling Air pollution is a complex issue that requires multiple level action (national, local, individual) across several socio-economic sectors. It provides a great opportunity to introduce social, governance and technological innovations that will spur investments that benefit all, and result in better quality of life. The UN support takes place at the intersection of health, social, gender, climate, energy and environmental policies. In particular, we work with the authorities, the financing institutions and the communities  to develop solutions for more vulnerable and marginalised groups, for youth, with the ultimate objective to build positive changes around the Green Transformation – a major ambition of Agenda 2030," says Françoise Jacob, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia. "Today we call upon everyone, from governments and corporations to civil society and individuals, to take action to reduce air pollution and bring about a transformative change to people’s lives,” said Bruno Pozzi, Director of UNEP’s Europe Office. “In addition to improving our health, actions to improve air quality can help in the fight against climate change, because the sources of emissions are often the same. They furthermore improve gender equality, because air pollution disproportionately affects women. Together with country partners and members of the Issue-based Coalition on Environment and Health, we look forward to making a difference to the people of Serbia.” WHY DOES IT MATTER? Approximately 1 million households in Serbia use wood or coal fired small combustion devices and ovens as the main source of heating. These devices, even when new, are inefficient and consume disproportionally large amounts of fuel. The indoor and outdoor air pollution from these stoves is a combined result of the type of fuel used, skill of the user and the efficiency of the device. The 2019 Survey on Income and Living Conditions published by the National Statistical Office has revealed that 9,9% of households in Serbia cannot keep their homes adequately warm, while more than a quarter (26%) are not capable of covering their bills for communal services on a regular basis. A recent analysis on gender aspects of energy poverty has shown that women in Serbia are at a greater risk of being exposed to energy poverty and indoor air pollution, as they have a lower income and spend twice as much time on housework as men.  Data on SDG indicator 7.1.2 collected through UNICEF’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey indicate that only half (52%) of all households rely on clean fuels and technology for cooking, space heating and lighting. The lowest use of clean fuels and technology is recorded in households belonging to the poorest quintile (6%), compared to those in the richest quintile (97%). NOTES TO EDITORS About air pollution and the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies Air pollution causes approximately 7 million premature deaths annually, making it the single greatest environmental risk to human health and one of the main avoidable causes of death and disease globally. A UNEP report found that one in five premature deaths in the Western Balkans was due to pollution, but air pollution knows no national borders.  The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, also recognizes that air pollution abatement is important to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals. The International Day of Clean Air for blue skies was designated on 7 September by the United Nations General Assembly in 2019. This follows the international community’s increasing interest in clean air and emphasizes the need to make further efforts to improve air quality to protect human health. Nine out of ten people across the world are currently breathing polluted air, so the importance of the day has never been greater. The Day aims to build a global community of action that encourages countries to work together to tackle air pollution to ensure clean air for all. To this end, it gives people a platform that can enable cooperation to mitigate air pollution at the individual, national, regional, as well as international levels.   [1] As a result of a Clean Air Innovation Challenge launched in September 2020 by UNDP in cooperation with WHO and UNICEF – awarded to Biosense Institute in May 2021  

New York, 12 July 2021: Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix thanked Serbia for its strong support to United Nations Peacekeeping and for the service and sacrifice of its military and police personnel deployed under the UN flag. Serbia currently provides 265 military and police personnel to five UN peacekeeping operations. Serbia’s largest contribution is to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), where 177 of its women and men serve.  It also contributes personnel to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), and the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).  Mr. Lacroix thanked Serbia for “its generous contribution of a Level 2+ hospital to our mission in the Central African Republic.  This has strengthened UN peacekeeping’s capacity to ensure that its personnel are able to receive the best possible medical care – including diagnostics, triage, disease prevention and treatment, as well as surgical interventions.” To date, the Serbian medical unit has provided medical support to thousands of patients, including treating cases of COVID-19.  In addition to aiding UN personnel, the unit has also conducted medical outreach to the local community. Mr. Lacroix also commended the fact that half of the Serbian doctors and nurses deployed to MINUSCA are women. In addition to the Level+2 hospital in the Central African Republic, Serbia is providing a mechanized infantry company to UNIFIL. “The unit has not only performed its military activities in a highly professional manner, it has also carried out humanitarian efforts to support host communities in their fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mr. Lacroix. “The UN appreciates the service and sacrifice of the Serbian men and women who serve in difficult environments, separated from their loved ones back at home.”, he added. During Serbia’s contribution to UN Peacekeeping, nine of its uniformed personnel lost their lives while serving under the UN flag. Serbia is also a signatory to the Declaration of Shared Commitments underpinning the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) initiative, which calls on Member States, the Security Council, host countries, troop- and police-contributing countries, regional partners and financial contributors to renew collective engagement with UN peacekeeping and mutually commit to reach for excellence. #  #  #  #  #
Note to editors:
The UN's Department of Global Communications runs the international multi-year communications campaign titled 'UN Peacekeeping -- Service and Sacrifice.' The campaign expresses the world body's gratitude to the countries that contribute their uniformed men and women to serve in the peacekeeping missions. https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/service-and-sacrifice
Since 1948, more than a million women and men have served as UN peacekeepers. Every day, they make a tangible difference in the lives of millions of the world’s most vulnerable people, and every day they save lives. Peacekeeping is a unique force with military and police personnel from over 120 countries serving together, alongside civilian colleagues. UN peacekeepers come from diverse cultures and speak different languages, but share a common purpose: the protection of vulnerable communities and the provision of support to countries struggling to move from conflict to peace. Tragically some make the ultimate sacrifice - over 3,500 peacekeepers have lost their lives in the cause of peace. https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/what-is-peacekeeping
Action for Peacekeeping: https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/action-for-peacekeeping-a4p
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VIENNA, 24 June 2021 — Around 275 million people used drugs worldwide in the last year, while over 36 million people suffered from drug use disorders, according to the 2021 World Drug Report, released today by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The Report further noted that in the last 24 years cannabis potency had increased by as much as four times in parts of the world, even as the percentage of adolescents who perceived the drug as harmful fell by as much as 40 per cent, despite evidence that cannabis use is associated with a variety of health and other harms, especially among regular long-term users. "Lower perception of drug use risks has been linked to higher rates of drug use, and the findings of UNODC’s 2021 World Drug Report highlight the need to close the gap between perception and reality to educate young people and safeguard public health,” said UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly. “The theme of this year’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is “Share facts on drugs. Save lives”, emphasizing the importance of strengthening the evidence base and raising public awareness, so that the international community, governments, civil society, families and youth can make informed decisions, better target efforts to prevent and treat drug use, and tackle world drug challenges.” According to the Report, the percentage of Δ9-THC —the main psychoactive component in cannabis— has risen from around six per cent to more than 11 per cent in Europe between 2002-2019, and around four per cent to 16 per cent in the United States between 1995-2019, while the percentage of adolescents that perceived cannabis as harmful declined by 40 per cent in the United States and by 25 per cent in Europe. Moreover, most countries have reported a rise in the use of cannabis during the pandemic. In surveys of health professionals across 77 countries, 42 per cent asserted that cannabis use had increased. A rise in the non-medical use of pharmaceutical drugs has also been observed in the same period.  Drug Use Rising, but Science-Based Treatment More Available Between 2010-2019 the number of people using drugs increased by 22 per cent, owing in part to global population growth. Based on demographic changes alone, current projections suggest an 11 per cent rise in the number of people who use drugs globally by 2030 -- and a marked increase of 40 per cent in Africa, due to its rapidly growing and young population. According to the latest global estimates, about 5.5 per cent of the population aged between 15 and 64 years have used drugs at least once in the past year, while 36.3 million people, or 13 per cent of the total number of persons who use drugs, suffer from drug use disorders. Globally, over 11 million people are estimated to inject drugs, half of whom are living with Hepatitis C. Opioids continue to account for the largest burden of disease attributed to drug use. The two pharmaceutical opioids most commonly used to treat people with opioid use disorders, methadone and buprenorphine, have become increasingly accessible over the past two decades. The amount available for medical use has increased six-fold since 1999, from 557 million daily doses to 3,317 million by 2019, indicating that science-based pharmacological treatment is more available now than in the past. The Dark Web Drug markets on the dark web only emerged a decade ago but major ones are now worth at least US$ 315 million in annual sales. Although this is just a fraction of overall drug sales, the trend is upwards with a fourfold increase between 2011 to mid-2017 and mid-2017 to 2020. Rapid technological innovation, combined with the agility and adaptability of those using new platforms to sell drugs and other substances, is likely to usher in a globalized market where all drugs are more available and accessible everywhere. This, in turn, could trigger accelerated changes in patterns of drug use and entail public health implications, according to the Report. The Drug Market Rebounds and Shifts The new report shows that drug markets have swiftly resumed operations after the initial disruption at the onset of the pandemic; a burst that has triggered or accelerated certain pre-existing trafficking dynamics across the global drug market. Among these are: increasingly larger shipments of illicit drugs, a rise in the frequency of overland and water-way routes used for trafficking, greater use of private planes for the purpose of drug trafficking, and an upsurge in the use of contactless methods to deliver drugs to end-consumers. The resilience of drug markets during the pandemic has demonstrated once again traffickers’ ability to adapt quickly to changed environments and circumstances. The Report also noted that cocaine supply chains to Europe are diversifying, pushing prices down and quality up and thereby threatening Europe with a further expansion of the cocaine market. This is likely to widen the potential harm caused by the drug in the region. The number of new psychoactive substances (NPS) emerging on the global market fell from 163 in 2013 to 71 in 2019. This reflects trends in North America, Europe and Asia. The findings suggest national and international control systems have succeeded in limiting the spread of NPS in high income countries, where NPS first emerged a decade ago. Drug Risks, New Developments Spurred by Pandemic COVID-19 has triggered innovation and adaptation in drug prevention and treatment services through more flexible models of service delivery. Many countries have introduced or expanded telemedicine services due to the pandemic, which for drug users means that healthcare workers can now offer counselling or initial assessments over the telephone and use electronic systems to prescribe controlled substances.       While the impact of COVID-19 on drug challenges is not yet fully known, the analysis suggests that the pandemic has brought increasing economic hardship that is likely to make illicit drug cultivation more appealing to fragile rural communities. The social impact of the pandemic –driving a rise in inequality, poverty, and mental health conditions particularly among already vulnerable populations-- represent factors that could push more people into drug use.  *** After the embargo has lifted, the 2021 World Drug Report and further content will be available here: https://wdr.unodc.org/ The 2021 World Drug Report provides a global overview of the supply and demand of opiates, cocaine, cannabis, amphetamine-type stimulants and new psychoactive substances (NPS), as well as their impact on health, taking into account the possible effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. * *** * For further information and interview requests, please contact: Brian Hansford Chief, UNODC Advocacy Section
Phone: (+43-699) 1458-3225
Email: brian.hansford[at]un.org

Serbia is undergoing extensive reforms to consolidate a competitive market-based economy. The Government considers trade, along with investment, as an essential element to achieving structural transformation and inclusive growth. Reforms accord priority to harmonizing non-tariff measures. As part of these efforts, the Government of Serbia will use UNECE recommendations to remove regulatory and procedural barriers to trade in goods, which, by inflating transaction costs, have been undermining end-to-end supply chain efficiencies, employment generation and competitiveness in domestic and global markets. The recommendations were developed in consultation with the Government drawing on the findings of a UNECE study “Regulatory and Procedural Barriers to Trade: Needs Assessment” and “The Impact of COVID-19 on Trade and Structural Transformation in Serbia: Evidence from UNECE’s survey of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises”, which were presented today in Geneva. UNECE Executive Secretary Ms. Olga Algayerova emphasized that “UNECE’s studies on regulatory and procedural barriers to trade and COVID-19 impact assessments have proved to be an effective tool for member States to identify bottlenecks in their trade flows, which also affect the movement of essential goods. UNECE is committed to supporting the efforts of Serbia to harness trade as a driver for the sustainable economic recovery needed to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.” Trade as an engine for driving inclusive development Driving Serbia’s reforms is a trade-led development approach, which is consistent with the multilateral trading system, even though Serbia is not yet a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and is anchored in bilateral and regional cooperation arrangements. Serbia’s trade-led development efforts entered a new phase in 2010, which marked the entry into force of the Interim Agreement on Trade and Trade-Related with the European Community. The agreement, which is an integral part of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union (EU) that entered into force in 2013, sets the context for developing a free trade area between Serbia and the EU and provides an impetus for scaling up Serbia’s reform and development efforts. Serbia is a service-driven economy, the sector generating more than 50 per cent of GDP and providing jobs to some 70 per cent of the labour force (2019). The industrial sector ranks second, with 20 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) and 25 per cent of total employment in 2019, followed by agriculture and construction. The Government is taking steps to address challenges linked to its trade deficit (USD 6.7 billion in 2020); limited range of trading partners; and the weak productive capacity of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which account for 99 per cent of active registered enterprises. MSMEs are mainly involved in activities with low value-added, and only a small segment is engaged in export activities on a continuous basis. Structural reforms over the past years coupled with the Government’s relief and support measures to alleviate the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic are showing results. Real GDP grew by 1.7 per cent during the first quarter of 2021 in relation to the corresponding quarter in 2020, and the central bank estimates that growth will reach 6 per cent in 2021. However, unemployment seems to be lagging, estimated at 9.9 per cent by the end of the fourth quarter of 2021. Moreover, despite improvements, inequalities remain a challenge, with 23.2 per cent of the population found to be at risk of poverty in 2019. Actions to support the achievement of SDGs UNECE recommendations build on reform achievements to date and are geared to generating efficiency gains throughout the supply chain and supporting enterprise development. They involve practical, action-oriented measures that address the country’s immediate and long-term capacity needs drawing on international best practices and UNECE best practice recommendations, standards and guidelines in the areas of trade facilitation and regulatory cooperation as well as successful experiences in enterprise development. The recommendations are grouped under 6 areas with a view to: Addressing the MSMEs’ financial crisis by expanding the scope of emergency credit schemes to address the MSMEs’ liquidity crunch and publishing detailed information on application procedures. Bolstering transparency in trade by going beyond online publication of up-to-date information on trade rules and procedures to strengthening the capacity of State agencies, with a view to enabling them to prepare explanatory material on the implication of these rules and maintain continuous consultations with the private sector. Transitioning to a paperless trading environment following a concerted effort to streamline, harmonise and standardize information requirements, in order to set the context of establishing an online system for a one-time submission to data elements following the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) recommendations and business standards. Further reducing clearance time by, among others, synchronizing the working hours of control agencies, streamlining control procedures, further developing the risk management system and equipping border crossing points (BCPs) with the required facilities. Consolidating the national system of quality infrastructure with additional resources for addressing capacity shortfalls in the areas of standardization, conformity assessment and metrology. Bringing the enterprise sector, particularly MSMEs, up to regulatory requirements in domestic and global markets through targeted programmes that are geared towards developing their productive capacity. By generating supply chain efficiencies and supporting enterprise development, the recommendations will help drive progress on multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 1 (no poverty), 8 (decent work and economic growth), 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) and 17 (partnerships for the goals). UNECE will be assisting the Government of Serbia in implementing the recommendations in collaboration with development partners, and working closely with the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office in Serbia. The findings and recommendations emerging from the studies will also be reflected in the UN Development Cooperation Framework, which seeks to support the country in addressing key SDG priorities and gaps. For more information, please visit: http://www.unece.org/tradewelcome/studies-on-regulatory-and-procedural-barriers-to-trade.html Note to editors UNECE study on regulatory and procedural barriers to trade in Serbia was conducted upon the request of the Government of Serbia, using the UNECE survey-based evaluation methodology. The study was carried over the period 2019-2020 with funds from the United Nations Development Account. Similar studies were carried out in Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Moldova and Tajikistan. The studies were conducted upon the requests of the Governments. UNECE assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on trade and structural transformation in Serbia was conducted upon the request of the Government of Serbia, using the UNECE questionnaire that was adapted to the national context. In total, 726 agricultural and manufacturing enterprises from across the country participated in the survey, which was carried over the period May-October 2020 in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia. UNECE carried out similar COVID-19 impact assessments in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova. The assessments were carried out in 2020 upon the request of the Governments with funds from the United Nations Development Account.