“UN Environment Conference” – 2018

The Ministerial Conference “Innovative Solutions to Pollution in South East and Southern Europe” was organized by the UN Environment and the Government of the Republic of Serbia, with the support of the Italian Ministry of Environment, Land, and Sea.

The focus of the conference was the current environmental pollution, challenges, and risks it poses to our environment, and the solutions that should be implemented to minimize pollution or, if possible, prevent it completely.

One of the events of the conference was the “Call for posters” organized by the Secretariat of the Conference. This initiative was inspired by the Ministerial Declaration “Towards a pollution-free planet,” adopted during the 2017 UN Environment Assembly. The main purpose of this Assembly is suggesting to “prevent, mitigate, and manage the pollution of the air, land, and soil, freshwater and oceans.”

The conference was attended by high-level government officials from South East and Southern European countries, EU Commission, interested members of the European Union, development agencies, international organizations, civil society, the private sector, research institutions, and other relevant stakeholders.

The International Consulting Group (ICG) took part in the initiative by presenting a poster concerning landfill recycling and production of energy using the pyrolysis method. This topic fell under the UN theme: “Promoting green technologies to mitigate and manage pollution.”

Based on this conference’s insights, a strategic platform for the development of a joint approach and vision for southeast European countries will be presented at the Fourth United Nations Environment Assembly. This platform is a critical cornerstone for the discussion of a pollution-free environment for this region.

Sandra Glišić, PhD