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/