Taraba Signs Agreement in Geneva to Set Up UN Regional Centre in Slovakia

Geneva, 16 June (TASR) - Vice-premier and Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) signed an agreement in Geneva with Anaclaudia Rossbach, Deputy Secretary-general of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), on the setting up of a UN regional representation for the sustainable urban development agenda in Slovakia, TASR was told by the ministry's communications department on Monday. The UN-Habitat Centre in Slovakia will provide regional coordination in Europe, and work with the United Nations in Vienna, the European Union, its member states and other European partners, according to the statement. The head of the Environment Ministry announced the candidacy for the UN office in Slovakia late last year during the World Urban Forum in Cairo. "We are perceived as a state that has huge potential for sharing our experience in water management, infrastructure building and sustainable urban development. It is also manifestation of confidence that we can manage policy coordination based on dialogue and respect that affects more than half of the human population living in cities," said Taraba. According to him, the setting up of the UN regional centre represents an opportunity for Slovak experts, academia and scientific institutions, and at the same time it means support and the possibility of cooperation with Slovak universities and significant opportunities for the business environment. am