Fifty-five ministers from all over the world and hundreds of global stakeholders will visit Cyprus this October, to join the 9th Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference. EfE Nicosia 2022, is the most important environmental meeting of the year and one of the most highly regarded throughout the globe, due to its significance when it comes to policy making for our common environment. This is t
he first time a country of Southern Europe will be hosting this momentous event and the first time that a total of three substantial policy papers will be adopted within the same conference. Officially starting on the 5th of October, the three-day conference is a uniquely unprecedented event for the island of Cyprus. The main processes of the conference will take place at the ‘Filoxenia’ Conference Centre, in Nicosia. Side events will take place in multiple locations throughout the island, before and after the conference, in the context of the hospitality for our valuable guests. About EfE
The Environment for Europe (EfE) process, a unique regional platform of the highest level for dialogue on environment and sustainable development, was launched by the first EfE ministerial conference held at Dobris Castle (then Czechoslovakia) in 1991. The EfE process, led and directed by countries, is a partnership of member States of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) region, with the participation of other UN Member States, organisations of the United Nations system represented in the region, intergovernmental organisations, non-governmental organisations, the private sector, academia, and other major groups. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is one of five regional commissions of the United Nations and is the oldest of them: it turns 75 in 2022. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, UNECE includes 56 member States in Europe, North America and Asia. However, all interested United Nations member States may participate in the work of UNECE. Over 70 international professional organisations and other non-governmental organisations take part in UNECE activities. Every four to five years, the EfE process organises ministerial conferences that provide stakeholders with an effective high-level platform for agreeing on general directions for cooperation, developing specific initiatives, legal documents and policies, practical actions and tools. UNECE provides the secretariat for the EfE process, while the UNECE Committee on Environmental Policy is currently responsible for organising the conferences. About EfE Nicosia 2022
The conference is a product of the cooperation between multiple public institutions of the Republic of Cyprus. Under the supervision of Dr Aravella Zachariou, Head of the Unit of Education for Sustainable Development in Pedagogical Institute and coordinator of the National Secretariat of the conference, prominent officials from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, the National Tourism Authority, the Office of the Commissioner for the Citizen, and the Press and Information Office (PIO) of the Republic of Cyprus, have jointly put the effort to prepare and facilitate an exceptional experience in every aspect. As the highlights of the eventful week of EfE Nicosia 2022 we have distinguished the following:
Wednesday October 5th:
Opening of the Conference and adoption of the agenda (plenary, 09:30 – 10:30)
Third High-level Meeting of Education and Environment Ministries (plenary and interactive discussions, 15:00 – 18:00)
Thursday October 6th:
High-Level Meeting of Education Ministers on Education for Sustainable Development (10:00 – 14:00)
High-Level Meeting of Mediterranean Ministers of Education of the Education for Sustainable Development Mediterranean Action Plan (15:30 – 18:30)
Friday October 7th:
High Level Meeting of Ministers of Education and Environment: Adoption of Conference Outcomes (plenary, 11:30 – 12:30)
Closure of the Conference (plenary, 12:30 – 13:00)
This is the event that is going to reserve a spot on the world map for Cyprus, as a significant stakeholder when it comes to environmental policy making. An event of a scale that the Republic of Cyprus have never undertaken before, and a golden opportunity for us, as the gem on the crossroads of the globe, to shine in our best colours and thus denote a special, turning-point moment regarding the role we can assume as a global actor.
