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Media

UN Deputy Secretary-General welcomes entry into force of Kiev Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers ENG
Entry into force of the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers, UNECE, 8 October 2009
Speech by H.E. Ambassador Marie-Louise Overvad ENG
Introduction to the Aarhus Convention
A decade of promoting environmental democracy ENG
Aarhus Convention 10th Anniversary Bulletin
2009

UN Deputy Secretary-General joins UNECE to celebrate entry into force of new treaty on pollutants ENG (October)
New treaty on pollutants enters into force on 8 October ENG (October)
New International treaty requires industries to report on pollutants ENG (July)
A Decade of Promoting Environmental Democracy ENG (January)

2008

Accession adds new Party to Aarhus Convention... Protocol on PRTRs advances toward entry into force ENG (November)
UN E-Participation Index 2008: How well did UNECE countries do? ENG (July)
Pollutant release and transfer registers ENG (June)
Aarhus Parties commit to strengthening environmental democracy in UNECE region and beyond ENG (June)
Access to information, public participation and access to justice with respect to genetically modified organisms ENG(June)
Five new ratifications of the Genetically Modified Organisms amendment… and one new ratification of the Protocol on PRTRs are announced ENG (March)

2007

eTools experts see technology changing the regulatory environment ENG (December)
Mini-conference on Agenda 21 and the Information Society ENG (December)
Internet Governance Forum / Best practice forum ENG (November)
Task Force on Access to Justice ENG (September)
Involving the public in international forums dealing with environmental matters ENG (July)
Managing the environmental footprint of the Information Society ENG (May)

2006

Aarhus compliance review leads to debate on access to justice in Belgium ENG (July)
Switzerland creates pollutant register ENG (June)
European Community ratifies pollutant right to know treaty ENG (March)

2005

E Task Force explores smelly topics ENG (November)
Environmental rights body pushes forward environmental democracy agenda ENG (May/June)
Pollution release and transfer registers ENG (April)
Aarhus Convention compliance body to submit findings of non-compliance for decision by Meeting of the Parties ENG (March)
Aarhus Convention: Further work foreseen on narrowing proposals for GMO amendment ENG (March)
Aarhus Clearinghouse ENG (August/September)

2004

Pollution registers as key public information tool ENG (July)
Involving the public in international processes: Aarhus body explores possibility of guidelines ENG (June)

2003

Environmental democracy discussed at World Summit on the Information Society ENG (December)
Information and Communication Technologies for Environmental Democracy ENG (December)
Aarhus package adopted by European Commission ENG (November)
Genetically modified organisms and the role of the public ENG (October)
New environmental protocols signed ENG (May)
UNECE addresses public's right to know about GMOs ENG (April)
Public to play a role in enforcing international law ENG (March)
Access to Justice ENG (March)
New UNECE treaty to make the environment part of strategic decision-making ENG (February 2003)
Agreement on pollution information disclosure treaty ENG (February)

Others

 

EU Tacis Programme for Central Asia

Focus on the Aarhus Convention in Central Asia ENG (July 2008)
PRTR Newsletter

Guidance on Implementation of the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers GER (page 4, in German)

 

Quotes

 

"The serious environmental, social and economic challenges faced by societies worldwide cannot be addressed by public authorities alone without the involvement and support of a wide range of stakeholders, including individual citizens and civil society organizations."
"Vision and Mission" of the Aarhus Convention Strategic Plan, paragraph 4, adopted by the Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention, in Riga, Latvia, on 13 June 2008

"Although regional in scope, the significance of the Aarhus Convention is global. It is by far the most impressive elaboration of principle 10 of the Rio Declaration, which stresses the need for citizen's participation in environmental issues and for access to information on the environment held by public authorities."

"As such it is the most ambitious venture in the area of environmental democracy so far undertaken under the auspices of the United Nations."

Kofi A. Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations (1997-2006)


"Involving the public and civil society organizations in formulating and implementing a response to climate change is not a choice but a necessity."

Jan Kubis, UNECE Executive Secretary, High-level segment of the Sixty-third Session of the Economic Commission for Europe (30 March — 1 April 2009)

 

Disclaimer: The above-listed publications are not official documents of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). They have not been endorsed by UNECE, the Meeting of the Parties to the UNECE Aarhus Convention, or any of its subsidiary bodies. UNECE assumes no responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information presented in these publications; nor for errors, typographical or otherwise; omissions; losses, damages, incorrect citations, non-cited sources, etc. resulting from the use of the data or information presented therein.