Circular economy and UNIDO Project
This section summarizes the principles of the circular economy and demonstrates how the GEF-UNIDO Project contributes to using natural resources in a sustainable way, decontaminating hazardous substances, recovering recyclable materials for further use, and reducing the area of landfills. Read more
About project
The project creates conditions and opportunities for efficient and environmentally sound destruction of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and persistent organic pollutants (POP) in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. The project will support these countries in fulfilling their commitments under the Montreal Protocol and Stockholm Convention. Read more
Montreal Protocol
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty, signed on September 16, 1987, in Montreal, Canada. The agreement provides for phase-out of production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances, some of which have been widely used as refrigerants and foaming agents in refrigerators and heat insulation. With the last amendment, the Kigali Amendment, a schedule of phase-out for fluorinated greenhouse gases also used as refrigerants was set. Read more
Stockholm Convention
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is an international environmental treaty, signed in 2001 and effective from May 2004. The document aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of the most hazardous POPs. As of September 2018, 184 parties — EU and 183 countries — ratified the convention. Read more
National legislation of the Project participating countries
This section tells how the participating countries—Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia, and Kazakhstan—control the management of hazardous waste, including ODS- and POP-containing one, at the national level, and offers a detailed list of relevant laws, regulations, bylaws, etc.Read more
Project timeline
The project for coordinated management of ODS and POP disposal in Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Armenia is implemented as scheduled.
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News
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March 29, 2026An article on the activities related to the identification, inventory, sampling, and labelling of PCB-containing equipment, held in the Republic of Armenia as part of the Regional Demonstration Project for Coordinated Management of ODS and POPs Disposal, has been added to the 'Success Stories' section. Read more >>
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March 02, 2026Today, Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Sergey Maslyak met with Ivana Živković, UN Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Read more >>
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February 15, 2026FRANCE/USA: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has signed a new two-year plan with ASHRAE focusing on the lifecycle management of refrigerants. Read more >>
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February 11, 2026Baku, Azerbaijan, 10–11 February 2026 – Representatives from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan met in Baku to validate a new regional project to be supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Read more >>



