Acronym: FIFDH
Address: Maison des Arts du Grütli, 16, rue du Général-Dufour, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland
Stakeholder group: NGOs and associations
Archives: Actors CPT
Acronym: UNOG
Address: Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
Website: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/organizations/united-nations-office-geneva
Stakeholder group: International and regional organisations
Housed at the Palais des Nations, UN Geneva serves as the representative office of the UN Secretary-General at Geneva. A focal point for multilateral diplomacy,UN Geneva serviced around 6,000 meetings in 2022, making it one of the busiest conference centres in the world. With more than 1,600 staff, UN Geneva is the most prominent duty station of the UN Secretariat outside the UN headquarters in New York.
Digital activities
UN Geneva hosts many meetings and processes related to disarmament, human rights, e-commerce, health, labour, development, and other areas. In addition to these meetings, UN Geneva also hosts several thematic cultural activities and organises the Ciné ONU project, which uses films to shine a light on the UN’s work on gender equality, human rights, humanitarian aid, health, peace and reconciliation, and many other issues.
Digital policy issues
Sustainable development
Led by UN Geneva, the SDG Lab is a multistakeholder innovation space for the sustainable development goals (SDGs), that inspires and promotes system change through new lenses to long-term sustainability. An example of a concrete initiative is the Geneva SDG Data Forum, launched in 2022 in partnership with the Geneva Graduate Institute and Deloitte Switzerland. The Geneva SDG Data Forum acts as an informal platform for individuals and organisations to share SDG data knowledge through a series of hands-on ateliers on data, monitoring, and accountability.
The SDG Lab also played a key role in the inception of the GESDA Open Quantum Institute (OQI) through its function as an OQI advisory board member, offering guidance and insights into potential case studies and applications of quantum technologies for the SDGs and long-term sustainability.
Other examples of initiatives launched or supported by UN GGeneva in the area of sustainable development include SDG Acceleration Actions, an initiative dedicated to mobilising Geneva-based actors working to make SDGs a reality, and Building Bridges Week, dedicated to creating an international movement for sustainable finance.
In addition, the International Geneva Perception Change project – managed by a team of the Office of UN Geneva’s Director-General– has among its four areas of work the promotion of the SDGs. SDG Mapping, for instance, showcases who does what in Geneva towards the global goals. The other three areas are related to making information accessible, changing the narratives, and promoting the work of Geneva-based organisations.
Capacity development
The UN Library & Archives Geneva serves as a space for knowledge and learning. It facilitates knowledge exchanges, encourages innovation and collaboration, and acts as a centre for research on multilateralism.
The library provides access to a diverse set of resources (books, articles, UN documents, etc.), on digital-related topics such as economy, trade, human rights, and peace and security. It also facilitates access to numerous databases (maintained by various UN entities), such as the UN Digital Library.
The library coordinates the UN Knowledge and Learning Commons, together with the Centre for Learning and Multilingualism. The Commons hosts activities and learning experiences on various subjects, including some with a digital dimension, such as technology and innovation, information literacy, hybrid meetings, digital accessibility, and multilingualism.
Several online reference services are available for users of the UN Library & Archives Geneva, for example, ask a librarian, databases and e-journals, and catalogues and online requests.
The Conference Primers platform gives rapid access to all conference summaries and to key decisions taken at meetings held at UN Geneva. It continues to grow, with advice from experts, contributions from partners, and research led by the UN Library & Archives Geneva.
In 2022, the Library & Archives also completed a major five-year project to provide online access to the entire original archives of the League of Nations between 1919 and 1946: The Total Digital Access to the League of Nations Archives Project (LONTAD). As a result, nearly 15 million pages of materials are now available online, free of charge. Thanks to this project, every person connected to the internet now has an opportunity to consult various documents of the League of Nations online
The UN Geneva’s podcasts reinforce the organisation’s outreach efforts, spotlighting issues and bringing the key messages of the UN to another platform. Scripted, recorded, and edited at the Palais des Nations, the English-language podcast UN Catch-up Dateline Geneva and the French-language podcast ONU Info Genève offer up the week’s biggest stories from International Geneva, including from UN agencies and their partners. The podcasts are available weekly via social media platforms and UN News.
Digital tools and initiatives
Geneva has been traditionally strong on peace initiatives. It is often regarded as a city of choice for mediators and special envoys because it provides a neutral, discreet, secure space for dialogue. Many peace talks, and conflict prevention and mediation efforts are hosted at the Palais des Nations.
Digital Mediation Toolkit 1.0, developed by the UN and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in 2019, assesses opportunities and risks associated with the use of digital technologies in the mediation context and provides concrete examples and advice from experts and practitioners. The digital technologies and tools currently used by mediators include social media, geographic information systems (GIS), and data analytics.
Cyber Hygiene and Digital Risk Management E-Learning Platform for Mediators is a tool, developed to raise awareness of the digital risks that mediation practitioners encounter and build the capacity needed to mitigate and manage them.
Mandate Review and Management System (MRMS), a tool used by UN Secretariat entities to support the decision-making of the member states. Each year, over 100 complex oral statements of programme budget implications can emanate from draft resolutions and decisions of the Human Rights Council, the intergovernmental body of the UN system which is headquartered in Geneva. The MRMS greatly promotes efficiency and transparency and enhances real-time collaboration in the creation of oral statements, archiving of data, and the overall workflow of this process.
UNTERM is a multilingual terminology database maintained jointly by the UN Secretariat and certain specialised agencies of the UN system, including the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). UNTERM provides terminology and nomenclature in subjects relevant to the work of the UN system. Information is provided in the six UN official languages, and there are also entries in German and Portuguese. This database is a linguistic tool created primarily to facilitate the work of the staff of the UNsystem and other people around the world who participate or are interested in the organisation’s activities.
UN Geneva’s Fully Automated Speech-to-Text (FAST) project generates conference transcripts with the help of AI. Since the launch of the English version in 2019, FAST has scaled up to process thousands of hours of recordings per year, covering meetings for 40 UN entities. In 2022, UN Geneva rolled out French and Spanish transcription, with support from the International Organization of la Francophonie. The FAST project team has been collaborating with the machine learning researchers at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to improve the latter’s proprietary speech recognition models on thousands of hours worth of UN Geneva’s training data in six languages. Thanks to the common pool of data shared by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), WIPO, WTO, and other international organisations, the retrained speech-to-text instances have become more relevant to, and accurate for, the conferencing environment and multilingual international speakers. The resulting raw transcripts are an essential building block for deploying further text analysis services underpinned by extractive or generative AI.
The Digital Recordings Portal is the online repository for all meetings recorded at the Palais des Nations and Palais Wilson. It is available in English and French, and the interface is compatible with standard accessibility tools and controllable via keyboard navigation. Since its update in 2022, meeting transcripts are generated in English, French, and Spanish and uploaded to the portal completely automatically. This allows those with hearing impairments to readily access the content of meetings held at UN Geneva. The portal also serves as a crucial tool for reporting on meeting outcomes. In 2022, more than 2,800 meetings were recorded and published on the portal, most of them in multiple languages.
With approximately 700,000 users across the globe, Indico.UN is the UN’s standard solution for participant management. The software establishes a web-based workflow, covering the creation of the event page and set-up of the registration form, participants registration, registration vetting, as well as badging and check-in activities. The system also has a series of elements related to the dissemination of information and documents, event statistics, timeline management, and accreditation of users in need of long-term badges. Indico.UN is a modular system, very easy to customise by the users of the UN-system organisations.
Extra-budgetary Cost Calculator is a financial planning tool that enables extra-budgetary conferencing clients to generate unofficial cost estimates on a self-service basis. Users can run multiple scenarios to match their available budgets by selecting which services to include or exclude, altering the duration of meetings/conferences and/or the requirements for meeting services and seeing the associated cost impact. The calculator includes costs for services provided by DCM (e.g. interpretation, documentation, and accessibility services), the Division of Administration (e.g. sound and audio-recording operators, technicians, mechanics, IT support), UN Library & Archives Geneva (e.g. cultural events), and the UN International School (UNIS) (e.g. webcasting).
Future of meetings
UN Geneva provides a key international dialogue and diplomacy platform. The Division of Conference Management (DCM) facilitates these discussions and conferences by providing high-quality services (logistically and substantively) for UN agencies, international organisations, and highly sensitive political negotiations. You can find all the information about meetings and events on UN Geneva’s meeting and events calendar.
Social media channels
Facebook @UN Geneva
Flickr @UN Geneva
Instagram @ungeneva
Linkedin @ungeneva
X @UNGeneva
YouTube @UN Geneva
Acronym: UNECE
Established: 1947
Address: Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Website: https://www.unece.org/info/ece-homepage.html
Stakeholder group: International and regional organisations
- UN Regulation No. 155 on Cyber Security and Cyber Security Management
- UN Regulation No. 156 on Software Updates and Software Updates Management Systems
- World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29)
- Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles
- Access to the text of UN Regulations
Artificial intelligence for energy
AI and other technologies are inspiring energy suppliers, transmission and distribution companies, and demand sectors (buildings, industry, transport) to establish new business models to generate, deliver, and consume energy in a more sustainable way.
UNECE established a task force on digitalization in energy to offer a platform for cross-industry experts from the energy sector and digital innovation to develop a unified voice on digitalisation in energy.
The group found that AI and digitalisation have the potential to reduce residential and commercial buildings’ energy use by as much as 10% globally by 2040 if applied throughout a building’s value chain and life cycle. In particular, applications of AI may help optimise a building’s orientation for solar heat gain and predict power and heat needs, thus increasing overall energy security and maximising the integration of renewable energy sources.
The group also found that AI and digitalisation could help achieve energy savings of at least 10%–20% in the industrial sector (which consumes around 38% of global final energy and produces 24% of greenhouse gasses).
UNECE has partnered with the University of Zürich to develop an AI-powered tool that will offer a real-time interactive compendium of information and data resources on the resilience of energy systems. The platform will equip policymakers with a cutting-edge tool that will inform their policy decisions by facilitating knowledge management and dissemination capabilities. It is also meant to help identify technology and policy breakthroughs and mobilise financial flows for resilience. The European Investment Bank, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the International Energy Agency, the International Telecommunication Union, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the World Meteorological Organization, the World Bank, and other organisations contribute their knowledge base to support and shape this tool.
Automated driving
- Revised Framework Document on Automated/Autonomous Vehicle (2022)
- Guidelines and Recommendations Concerning Safety Requirements for Automated Driving Systems (document endorsed in June 2022)
- Guideline for Validating Automated Driving System (document endorsed in June 2022)
- Paper on Artificial Intelligence and Vehicle Regulations (2018) and update (2022)
- UN Regulation No. 157 on the Type Approval of Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS) (2020), amended in June 2022
- Resolution on the Deployment of Highly and Fully Automated Vehicles in Road Traffic
- Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (1968)
- All You Need To Know About Automated Vehicles (2022)
- UN Regulation on Uniform Provisions Concerning the Approval of Vehicles with regard to Cyber Security and of their Cybersecurity Management Systems
- UN Regulation No. 156 – Software Update and Software Update Management System
- Key Performance Indicators for Smart Sustainable Cities (2015)
- Resolution on the Deployment of Highly and Fully Automated Vehicles in Road Traffic
- Artificial Intelligence and Vehicle Regulations I. Introduction II. Some Terms And applications
- World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29)
- Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles
- Global Forum for Road Traffic Safety (WP.1)
- UNECE Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management
- Advisory Group on Advanced Technologies (AGAT) | UNECE
- ITU and UNECE co-organise the annual Future Networked Car symposium
- ITU and UNECE have developed key performance indicators for smart sustainable cities
- United for Smart Sustainable Cities – UNECE is one of the coordinators
- Artificial Intelligence Demystified – Background, Principles and the Main Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Related Concepts
Blockchain
UNECE’s subsidiary body UN/CEFACT has been exploring the use of blockchain for trade facilitation. For instance, work carried out within the Blockchain White Paper Project has resulted in two white papers: One looking at the impact of blockchain on the technical standards work of UN/CEFACT and another looking at how blockchain could facilitate trade and related business processes. The ongoing Chain Project is focused on developing a framework/mechanism for the development and implementation of blockchain services infrastructure, and creating a whitepaper on strategy for the development and implementation of interoperable global blockchain technology infrastructure. Another blockchain-related project looks into the development of a standard on the creation of a cross-border inter-customs ledger using blockchain technology.
- White Paper: Technical Applications of Blockchain to UN/CEFACT Deliverables (2019)
- White Paper: Blockchain in Trade Facilitation (2019)
- Briefing Note on Blockchain for the United Nations SDGs (2018)
- UN/CEFACT Chain Project
- UN/CEFACT Project: Cross Border Inter-ledger Exchange for Preferential COO Using Blockchain
Critical infrastructure
UNECE achieved a transformative milestone with regard to cybersecurity in the broad automotive sector with the adoption of UN Regulation No. 155 (Cyber Security and CSMS) and UN Regulation No. 156 (Software Updates).
Before that, cyber risks related to connected vehicles were apparent but not systematically addressed. Security researchers alerted the public of them by revealing various vulnerabilities. There were only narrow standards and guidelines for securing vehicles, such as standards for secure communication among Electronic Control Units (ECUs) and for hardware encryption.
UNECE’s World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles (GRVA) WP.29) adopted two important new regulations on cybersecurity and over-the-air software updates and led to the situation where cybersecurity became non-negotiable for securing market access via type approval for those countries applying this regime. GRVA also developed recommendations on uniform provisions concerning cybersecurity and software updates for countries applying the self-certification regime.
- Proposal for Recommendations on Uniform Provisions Concerning Cyber Security and Software Updates (Global recommendation)
Under the 1958 Agreement (binding to 54 countries)
- UN Regulation No. 155 on Cyber Security and Cyber Security Management
- UN Regulation No. 156 on Software Updates and Software Updates Management Systems
- World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29)
- Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles
- Access to the text of UN Regulations UNECE is one of five regional commissions of the UN. Its major aim is to promote pan-European economic integration. To do so, it brings together 56 countries in Europe, North America, and Central Asia, which discuss and cooperate on economic and sectoral issues.
UNECE works to promote sustainable development and economic growth through policy dialogue, negotiation of international legal instruments, development of regulations and norms, exchange and application of best practices, economic and technical expertise, and technical cooperation for countries with economies in transition. It also sets out norms, standards, and conventions to facilitate international cooperation.
Digital activities
UNECE’s work touches on several digital policy issues, ranging from digital standards (in particular in relation to electronic data interchange for administration, commerce, and transport) to the internet of things (IoT) (e.g. intelligent transport systems). Its activities on connected vehicles and automated driving systems are essential to seize the benefits of technical progress and disruptions in that field and to operationalise new mobility concepts such as Mobility as a Service (MaaS). Its UN/CEFACT develops trade facilitation recommendations and electronic business standards, covering both commercial and government business processes. UNECE also carries out activities focused on promoting sustainable development, in areas such as sustainable and smart cities for all ages; sustainable mobility and smart connectivity; and measuring and monitoring progress towards the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
UNECE’s work in the field of statistics is also relevant for digital policy issues. For example, the 2019 Guidance on Modernizing Statistical Legislation– which guides countries through the process of reviewing and revising statistical legislation – covers issues such as open data, national and international data exchanges, and government data management.
UNECE carries out extensive work in the area of sustainable transport leading on several UN Conventions. Accession to the conventions continues to increase as more and more member states realise the benefits in the time taken and associated costs in the movement of goods. Numerous digitised systems have been developed, and are maintained, hosted, and administered under the auspices of UNECE. For a number of other tools and mechanisms, work is underway.
Digital policy issues
Digital standards
UNECE’s intergovernmental body UN/CEFACT continues making great strides in the area of digital standards. In a recent collaboration with the International Federation of Freight-Forwarders Associations (FIATA), it developed the electronic FIATA Multimodal Bill of Lading (eFBL) data standard. The basis of the mapping of the Negotiable FIATA Multimodal Transport Bill of Lading (FBL) with the UN/CEFACT Multimodal Transport (MMT) reference data model, allows the exchange of BL data in a standardised way, facilitating interoperability between all modes of transport and industry stakeholders. Similar to other data standards developed by UN/CEFACT, the data standard is offered as open-source for all software providers and industry stakeholders to implement. UNECE’s standardisation work builds on a family of reference data models in alignment with its strategy to become the next generation of global standards for trade and transport information exchange. Other digital standards in the areas of supply chain management, agriculture, and travel and tourism (e.g. Buy Ship Pay Reference Data Model, Textile and Leather Data Model (Part 1 and Part 2), and Travel and Tourism Experience Programme Data Model) are a great step toward paperless trade and benefit all actors of the supply chain by reducing costs, increasing security, and gaining efficiency.
- UN/EDIFACT
- UN/CEFACT eCert
- UN/CEFACT FLUX
- UN/CCL
- XML Schemas
- Various other standards cover areas such as supply chain management, transport and logistics, agriculture, accounting and audit, travel and tourism, and the environment.
- UN Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT)
UN/CEFACT Github Repository
- UN/CEFACT Collaborative Environment (CUE)
- UNECE Trade Facilitation Implementation Guide
- UN/CEFACT Streamline Presentation of Standards
- UN/CEFACT Guidance Material
Internet of things and artificial intelligence
As the UN centre for inland transport, UNECE hosts international regulatory platforms in the field of automated driving and intelligent transport systems. It hosts multilateral agreements and conventions ruling the requirements and the use of these technologies (such as the UN agreements on vehicle regulations and the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic). Its activities (e.g. facilitating policy dialogue and developing regulations and norms) contribute to enabling automated driving functionalities and ensuring that the benefits of these technologies can be captured without compromising safety and progress achieved in areas such as border crossing and interoperability. It also collaborates with other interested stakeholders, including the automotive and information and communications technology (ICT) industries, consumer organisations, governments, and international organisations.
Another area of work for UNECE is related to harnessing smart technologies and innovation for sustainable and smart cities. In this regard, it promotes the use of ICTs in city planning and service provision and it has developed (together with ITU) a set of key performance indicators for smart sustainable cities. UNECE also works to facilitate connectivity through sustainable infrastructure. For instance, it assists countries in developing smart grids for more efficient energy distribution, and it administers international e-roads, e-rail, and e-waterway networks.
UNECE launched the Advisory Group on Advanced Technology in Trade and Logistics (AGAT) in 2020 on topics, such as distributed ledger technologies (DLT) including blockchain, IoT, and AI.
The UNECE High-Level Group on Modernisation of Official Statistics (HLG-MOS) has been at the forefront of modernisation initiatives in the field of official statistics. These initiatives include innovative areas such as big data, synthetic data, and machine learning (ML). A UNECE guide, Machine Learning for Official Statistics, can help national and international statistical organisations to harness the power of ML to modernise the production of official statistics. Responding to the growing interest in LLM, HLG-MOS is working on a white paper to establish a common understanding of LLM’s potential within the statistical community by exploring implications and opportunities for official statistics.
In trade, the newly released UN/CEFACT JSON-LD Web Vocabulary complements and enhances the capabilities of AI systems for trade-related exchanges. It aims to support the interoperability of trade by allowing supply chain actors to more easily integrate a common vocabulary in their business tools (e.g. software applications, AI algorithms) to ensure that data shared between different entities (e.g. suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, transporters, financiers, and regulators) is consistent and easily interpretable, reducing errors and misunderstandings.
Artificial intelligence for energy
AI and other technologies are inspiring energy suppliers, transmission and distribution companies, and demand sectors (buildings, industry, transport) to establish new business models to generate, deliver, and consume energy in a more sustainable way.
UNECE established a task force on digitalization in energy to offer a platform for cross-industry experts from the energy sector and digital innovation to develop a unified voice on digitalisation in energy.
The group found that AI and digitalisation have the potential to reduce residential and commercial buildings’ energy use by as much as 10% globally by 2040 if applied throughout a building’s value chain and life cycle. In particular, applications of AI may help optimise a building’s orientation for solar heat gain and predict power and heat needs, thus increasing overall energy security and maximising the integration of renewable energy sources.
The group also found that AI and digitalisation could help achieve energy savings of at least 10%–20% in the industrial sector (which consumes around 38% of global final energy and produces 24% of greenhouse gasses).
UNECE has partnered with the University of Zürich to develop an AI-powered tool that will offer a real-time interactive compendium of information and data resources on the resilience of energy systems. The platform will equip policymakers with a cutting-edge tool that will inform their policy decisions by facilitating knowledge management and dissemination capabilities. It is also meant to help identify technology and policy breakthroughs and mobilise financial flows for resilience. The European Investment Bank, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the International Energy Agency, the International Telecommunication Union, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the World Meteorological Organization, the World Bank, and other organisations contribute their knowledge base to support and shape this tool.
Automated driving
- Revised Framework Document on Automated/Autonomous Vehicle (2022)
- Guidelines and Recommendations Concerning Safety Requirements for Automated Driving Systems (document endorsed in June 2022)
- Guideline for Validating Automated Driving System (document endorsed in June 2022)
- Paper on Artificial Intelligence and Vehicle Regulations (2018) and update (2022)
- UN Regulation No. 157 on the Type Approval of Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS) (2020), amended in June 2022
- Resolution on the Deployment of Highly and Fully Automated Vehicles in Road Traffic
- Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (1968)
- All You Need To Know About Automated Vehicles (2022)
- UN Regulation on Uniform Provisions Concerning the Approval of Vehicles with regard to Cyber Security and of their Cybersecurity Management Systems
- UN Regulation No. 156 – Software Update and Software Update Management System
- Key Performance Indicators for Smart Sustainable Cities (2015)
- Resolution on the Deployment of Highly and Fully Automated Vehicles in Road Traffic
- Artificial Intelligence and Vehicle Regulations I. Introduction II. Some Terms And applications
- World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29)
- Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles
- Global Forum for Road Traffic Safety (WP.1)
- UNECE Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management
- Advisory Group on Advanced Technologies (AGAT) | UNECE
- ITU and UNECE co-organise the annual Future Networked Car symposium
- ITU and UNECE have developed key performance indicators for smart sustainable cities
- United for Smart Sustainable Cities – UNECE is one of the coordinators
- Artificial Intelligence Demystified – Background, Principles and the Main Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Related Concepts
Blockchain
UNECE’s subsidiary body UN/CEFACT has been exploring the use of blockchain for trade facilitation. For instance, work carried out within the Blockchain White Paper Project has resulted in two white papers: One looking at the impact of blockchain on the technical standards work of UN/CEFACT and another looking at how blockchain could facilitate trade and related business processes. The ongoing Chain Project is focused on developing a framework/mechanism for the development and implementation of blockchain services infrastructure, and creating a whitepaper on strategy for the development and implementation of interoperable global blockchain technology infrastructure. Another blockchain-related project looks into the development of a standard on the creation of a cross-border inter-customs ledger using blockchain technology.
- White Paper: Technical Applications of Blockchain to UN/CEFACT Deliverables (2019)
- White Paper: Blockchain in Trade Facilitation (2019)
- Briefing Note on Blockchain for the United Nations SDGs (2018)
- UN/CEFACT Chain Project
- UN/CEFACT Project: Cross Border Inter-ledger Exchange for Preferential COO Using Blockchain
Critical infrastructure
UNECE achieved a transformative milestone with regard to cybersecurity in the broad automotive sector with the adoption of UN Regulation No. 155 (Cyber Security and CSMS) and UN Regulation No. 156 (Software Updates).
Before that, cyber risks related to connected vehicles were apparent but not systematically addressed. Security researchers alerted the public of them by revealing various vulnerabilities. There were only narrow standards and guidelines for securing vehicles, such as standards for secure communication among Electronic Control Units (ECUs) and for hardware encryption.
UNECE’s World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles (GRVA) WP.29) adopted two important new regulations on cybersecurity and over-the-air software updates and led to the situation where cybersecurity became non-negotiable for securing market access via type approval for those countries applying this regime. GRVA also developed recommendations on uniform provisions concerning cybersecurity and software updates for countries applying the self-certification regime.
- Proposal for Recommendations on Uniform Provisions Concerning Cyber Security and Software Updates (Global recommendation)
Under the 1958 Agreement (binding to 54 countries)
- UN Regulation No. 155 on Cyber Security and Cyber Security Management
- UN Regulation No. 156 on Software Updates and Software Updates Management Systems
- World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29)
- Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles
- Access to the text of UN Regulations
Acronym: IOM
Established: 1951
Address: Route des Morillons 17, 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex, Switzerland
Stakeholder group: International and regional organisations
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is an intergovernmental body that tackles questions pertaining to migration, internally displaced persons, refugees, and migrant workers. Initially known as the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM), the organisation was established in 1951 in order to resettle people after WWII. Today, the IOM has 173 member states and nine observer states.