The 20th anniversary of the Carpathian Convention is being celebrated by UNEP.
About Carpathian Convention
- The Carpathian Convention was adopted and signed by the 7 Parties (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Ukraine) in May 2003 in Kyiv, Ukraine, and entered into force in January 2006.
- It is the only multi-level governance mechanism covering the whole of the Carpathian area and besides the Alpine Convention the second sub-regional treaty-based regime for the protection and sustainable development of a mountain region worldwide.
- The Convention provides a framework for cooperation and multi-sectoral policy coordination, a platform for joint strategies for sustainable development.
- The Carpathian Convention pursues comprehensive policy and cooperation to promote environmental protection and sustainable development of the region.
- It seeks to address environmental challenges and improve the quality of life for current and future generations.
About Carpathian Mountains
- The Carpathian Mountains are the second longest mountain system in Europe covering an area of about 210,000 square kilometers. Seven countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, and Ukraine) share the territory of the Carpathian region, five of them are EU members.
- The Carpathian mountain region provides important ecosystem goods and services such as food, fresh water, forest products and tourism and is part of three major river basins: the Danube, the Dniester (to the Black Sea) and the Vistula (to the Baltic Sea).