Republic of Cyprus Second Voluntary National Report - Sustainable development goals

86 for relieving traffic congestion and traffic calming. In addition, attention is given to the needs of specific groups – that is, people with disabilities, the elderly, children, young people, pupils and students and low-incomers. It also focuses on integrated parking control policies, freight logistics, road safety and the implementation of any relevant innovative measures and policies appropriate to conditions of the study area. Nicosia SUMP revision will commence within this year, and Ammochostos and Pafos SUMP are expected to be tendered within 2021. • The use of electric cars is also encouraged by building charging stations and through a subsidy scheme for their purchase as well as subsidies for the renewal of old polluting rolling stock with zero emission cars. Noise Pollution • Implementation of the Action Plan for the 2nd and 3rd Round of the Strategic Noise Mapping, with the coordination of Ministries and Departments has been implemented in 2012 and 2017, respectively. • Specification of noise limit values for the day-evening-night (Lden) and night (Lnight) indicators, per type of noise (road, rail, aviation, and industrial facilities), the excess of which will involve the intervention of competent authorities for the study or the imposition of noise reduction measures, its legal approval pending under the Environmental Noise Law. • Quiet areas of agglomerations (Nicosia, Pafos) have been designated and approved by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment. Waste Management • Cyprus is promoting the compulsory establishment of “Pay as you Throw” schemes by the local authorities, on an island-wide scale, within the next year. The programme which was already implemented successfully on a pilot scale in the Aglantzia Municipality, provides for the disposal of mixed municipal waste in prepaid bags only. This will be introduced alongside the establishment of separate collection systems for municipal waste, including organic waste. The objective is to reduce the amount of mixed waste generated, thereby diverting waste and particularly biowaste from landfills, to increase recycling rates and to raise public awareness on appropriate waste management and prevention. Protection of Cultural Heritage • On the initiative of Cyprus, a resolution on Cultural Rights and the Protection of Cultural Heritage was unanimously adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, in March 2018. Within this context, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Commissioner for Volunteerism and Non- Governmental Organisations in co-operation with the Council of Europe and the European Union organised in 2019 a two-day Conference on promoting and raising awareness regarding the Council of Europe Convention on Offences relating to Cultural Property.