International Centre for Scientific and Technical Information
The International Centre for Scientific and Technical Information (ICSTI) was established in 1969 in accordance with the multilateral Intergovernmental agreement.
In 1971 ICSTI was registered at the UN Secretariat as an independent international organization.
The key objective of the center is to provide information, analytical, consulting and organizational support to the international cooperation in science, technologies and business. ICSTI operates in three key areas:
- innovations and technology transfer,
- information and analytical services,
- support to small and medium business entities.
As of 2021 ICSTI united 22 states, and its headquarters is in Moscow.
History of environmental projects
ICSTI has all necessary administrative, financial and personnel capacities to implement international environmental projects.
Over its history, ICSTI created a partner network of scientific and business organizations representing both the public and private sectors of its member states and partners, non-governmental and international organizations.
The Center’s personnel possesses a wealth of knowledge and enhanced understanding of problems and approaches to their solution, and successful experience with the project implementation.
ICSTI participated in 20+ large-scale projects in Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Ukraine, and African countries.
In 2015–2016 ICSTI, as a National executing agency, implemented the final stage of the UNIDO/GEF – MNRE RF Project Phase Out of HCFCs and Promotion of HFC-Free Energy Efficient Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Systems in the Russian Federation Through Technology Transfer.
The outcomes of the project are:
- 12 industrial enterprises of the refrigeration and foam sectors were converted to ozone-safe technologies;
- 2 demo-projects with refrigeration plants on natural refrigerants were realized;
- 2 standards were developed and a number of institutional changes in RF were initiated;
- a training center was established to train in work with natural refrigerants;
- 2 websites for the refrigeration and foam sectors were launched with a database of ozone-safe solutions and online courses.
By order of UNIDO, ICSTI started the implementation of the information project related to the phase-out of ODSs in the Russian Federation in 2018.
Project function
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation selected ICSTI to develop and implement the project on the phase-out of ozone-depleting substances and fluorinated greenhouse gases in the fishing industry of the Murmansk oblast under the Arctic Council program.
The Arctic Council approved the project proposal, and ICSTI was appointed the Implementing agency for the Project.
As such, ICSTI is in charge of:
- negotiations and communications with representatives of Nefco, PSC, and other bodies that manage, control, and coordinate the Project implementation;
- planning of works and procurement, development of job descriptions for the members of the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) and terms of reference for involved experts and consultants;
- preparation of tender documents;
- procurement in accordance with the Nefco’s Procurement Guidelines, relevant IA’s rules, and the Russian legislation;
- coordination of, and control over the implementation of the Project components by contractors and experts;
- missions to the Project sites;
- document management, and organizational, technical, accounting, legal and environmental support to the Project;
- assistance to the beneficiaries;
- presentation of the Project at international, national, and regional events;
- monitoring and reporting of the Project implementation;
- control over compliance of the Project implementation with Nefco’s and ICSTI’s rules.
Project Implementation Unit
The Project Implementation Unit (PIU) joins experts with experience of the implementation of similar projects, comprehensive knowledge in the protection of the ozone layer, mitigation of global warming, refrigeration equipment, national and international environmental legislation.
PIU members:
- Artem Kushnerev, project manager,
- Alexander Lyubeshkin, technical manager,
- Olga Volgina, project coordinator.
Links:
ICSTI’s website: http://www.icsti.int/
UNIDO/GEF – MNRE RF Project “Phase Out of HCFCs and Promotion of HFC-Free Energy Efficient Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Systems in the Russian Federation Through Technology Transfer”