Post on 17-Oct-2020
Implementing the Aarhus Convention today:
paving the way to a better environment and
governance tomorrow
Ms. Maryna Yanush
Secretariat of the Aarhus Convention
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
SETTING THE STAGE Unique global situation
Environmental deterioration becomes a threat to world security
Ongoing adverse effects of the global economic crisis
Rapid development of information technologies
Unique region
Serving as a bridge between Europe and Asia and contributing to the world heritage throughout its history
Facing some environmental and development challenges
Taking up new initiatives and moving forward
Unique time
Upcoming United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development “Rio +20” (June 2012)
Outcomes of the fourth session of the Meeting of the Parties (Chisinau, 29 June – 1 July 2012)
Convention’s Strategic Plan for 2009-2014 and Work Programme for 2012-2014 to be evaluated at MoP-5
SETTING THE STAGE UNIQUE INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENT
The foremost instrument implementing Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development with 20 years history of implementation
Granting public rights and imposing obligations on public authorities
Linking environmental rights and human rights
Expanding legal commitments (GMO amendment (missing 5 ratifications) and Protocol on PRTR)
Synergies with other regional instruments (e.g. Espoo Convention, SEA Protocol, Protocol on Water and Health to the Water Convention)
STATUS OF RATIFICATION
Albania Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia European Community Finland
France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Italy Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland
TOTAL: 45 PARTIES STATES WITHIN AND OUTSIDE UNECE REGION ARE
WELCOME TO JOIN
Portugal Republic of Moldova Romania Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Tajikistan The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Turkmenistan Ukraine United Kingdom
FRAMEWORK OF THE MEETING
Objective is to discuss and provide training on the basis of the contemporary vision of the Convention’s implementation
Access to justice being the most challenging to implement
Daily implementation of the Convention
Interactive multistakeholder meeting
Joint sessions, workshops and group discussions to ensure maximum participation
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS
OF THE MEETING
Better understanding of the Convention and its
framework
Identification of strengths and challenges in the
implementation of the Convention
Providing input to the work of the Task Force on
Access to Justice, Task Force on Public
Participation in Decision-making and Working
Group of the Parties
Identification of further strategy and steps to be
taken at the national level
MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE CONVENTION AND
PRTR PROTOCOL WEBSITE:
http://www.unece.org/env/pp/welcome.html
AARHUS CLEARINGHOUSE:
http://aarhusclearinghouse.unece.org/
and PRTR.net:
http://www.prtr.net/