Permanent Mission of Cyprus in Geneva - Other Economic and Trade Related Organizations

The Permanent Mission also regularly follows the work of other Geneva-based agencies and organisations dealing with economy and trade-related issues, such as UNECE, UNCTAD and WIPO.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) was established at the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1947. Nowadays, it has 56 Member States, including the USA, the Russian Federation and Caucasus Countries. It reports to the United Nations Economic and Social Council. UNECE is one of the five regional commissions under the administration of the United Nations headquarters. UNECE’s major aim is to promote pan-European economic integration and cooperation among its Member Countries and to encourage sustainable development through its multilateral platform.

In particular, UNECE focuses on Sustainable Development Goals, Environmental Policy, Transport, Sustainable Energy, Trade Capacity and Standards, Forests, and Housing & Land Management. Although, UNECE is a regional Commission, nonetheless, it has a great impact on global standardization efforts, as is evident from the multitude of its recommendations and best practices that have been widely adopted by public authorities the world over.

The Republic of Cyprus became a Member of UNECE in 1960, soon after its accession to the United Nations and has since signed and ratified the Convention on Access on Information, Public Participation in Decision Making & Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, the Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents (and a number of its Protocols), the Convention on Long - Range Transboundary Air Pollution, and the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in Transboundary Context. Cyprus has also signed and ratified a series of Conventions, Agreements and Protocols in the field of Transport, such as the ones relating to Road Signs and Signals, Road Making, Global Vehicles Regulations, Touring Facilities, Dangerous Goods and International Transport of Goods. The full list can be found here.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was first held in Geneva in 1964. Nowadays, it is governed by its 194 Member States (all 193 Member States and the Holy See) and is the United Nations’ body responsible for dealing with development issues, particularly, international trade. In addition, UNCTAD offers direct technical assistance to developing countries, helping them to build capacities in order to become integrated into the global economy and improve the well-being of their populations.

Furthermore, UNCTAD serves as the focal point within the UN Secretariat for all matters related to Foreign Direct Investment and Transnational Cooperation. It is worth mentioning that, Cyprus has had numerous Bilateral Investment Treaties with various Member States of UNCTAD. Consequently, one of the main reasons why Cyprus has been elevated from a developing country to a developed country is due to UNCTAD’s supportive role in Cyprus economy. Nowadays, the Republic of Cyprus is one of the Country Members which contributes financially to the Trust Fund for the Least Developed Countries – Core Project.

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) was established in 1967 by the Stockholm Convention and is the UN’s specialized agency dealing with Property Rights. Nowadays it counts 188 Member States; through its Secretariat and its Member States, it is dedicated to promoting the protection of intellectual property in cooperation with other international organizations.

The Republic of Cyprus joined WIPO in 1984. Out of the 24 treaties administered by WIPO the Republic of Cyprus is a State Party to 12; some of the most important ones are the Bern Convention, the Madrid Agreement, the Paris Convention, and the Rome Convention. Through these and other national and international instruments, Cyprus is actively contributing to international efforts aimed at strengthening and further developing the global intellectual property system.

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