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Fourteenth meeting of the Task Force on Access to Justice under the Aarhus Convention

27 April (afternoon) – 28 April 2022

27 - 28 April 2022
Tempus 2, Palais des Nations Geneva Switzerland
Background

The fourteenth meeting of the Task Force on Access to Justice took place from 27 April 2022 (afternoon) to 28 April 2022 in Geneva (Palais des Nations, Tempus 3).

The Task Force aimed to provide a platform for exchanging information, experiences and good practices with regard to key recent developments in the implementation of the Convention’s pillar on access to justice and possible measures to remove barriers hampering its implementation.

The thematic sessions of the meeting focused on access to justice in cases related to spatial planning and in energy-related cases. The Task Force discussed current trends, good practices, barriers, challenges, and innovative approaches in these areas. The delegates also took stock of recent and upcoming developments regarding (a) public interest litigation and collective redress; (b) standing; (c) timeliness; and (d) costs and access to assistance mechanisms. Furthermore, the Task Force also considered tools to promote effective access to justice such as (a) dissemination of information on access to review procedures, collection of relevant data and statistics and access to relevant case law using e-justice initiatives, modern digital technologies and other tools; (b) specialization of judiciary and other legal professionals in environmental law; and (c) measures to discourage strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP).

The outcomes of the meeting are expected to support countries’ efforts in the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Sustainable Development Goal 16 and its target 16.3 (Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all).

Hashtags for the meeting @UNECEAarhus: #AarhusConvention, #AccesstoJustice, #SDG16

The meeting was preceded by 2022 Judicial Colloquium (Geneva, 26-27 (morning) April 2022) for representatives of judiciary, judicial training institutions and other review bodies.

You are kindly invited to take part in the survey launched under the auspices of the Task Force on Access to Justice at this meeting. Please complete and return the attached questionnaire to the following email address: aarhus.survey[at]un.org with the subject line “TFAJ survey from [name of country, organization]” before 1 November 2022. Further information can be found on the following webpage: https://unece.org/env/pp/analytical-studies-on-access-to-justice

For additional enquiries about the meeting, please contact the secretariat at public.participation[at]un.org .

 

Documents

The background material for the meeting includes relevant information derived from 2021 synthesis and national implementation reports, analytical studies, the jurisprudence database as well as the Convention’s Implementation Guide, relevant Aarhus Clearinghouse resources, relevant Compliance Committee reports, and other material.

       
Document Title
ENG
FRE
RUS
Provisional Agenda (AC/TF.AJ-14/Inf.1) PDF    
Report of the Task Force on Access to Justice on its fourteenth meeting PDF PDF PDF

List of speakers (AC/TF.AJ-14/Inf.1/Add.1)

PDF    
Key outcomes (AC/TF.AJ-14/Inf.4) PDF    

Decision VII/3 of the Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention

PDF PDF PDF
Decision VII/11 on the Strategic Plan 2022-2030 PDF PDF PDF
Item 3. Stocktaking of recent and upcoming developments
     

Overview of the status of and obstacles encountered in the implementation of article 9 of the Convention (AC/TF.AJ-14/Inf.2)

PDF    

Draft questionnaire on measures to enable effective access to justice in environmental matters (AC/TF.AJ-14/Inf.3)

DOC    
Draft questionnaire on measures to enable effective access to justice in environmental matters (AC/TF.AJ-14/Inf.3/Rev.1) DOC    
Item 4: Tools to promote effective access to justice
     

Updated recommendations on the more effective use of electronic information tools, advance edited copy (ECE/MP.PP/2021/2/Add.2)


PDF
   

Presentations and statements

Document Title
ENG
FRE
RUS
Item 2: Thematic focus
     

(a) Access to justice in cases related to spatial planning

     
Ms. Nato Macharashvili, Acting Head, Legal Support Division, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Georgia PDF    
Ms. Tina Janjatovic, Senior Legal Adviser, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Serbia PDF    
Ms. Chloe Galea, Senior Officer, Legal Affairs, Environment and Resources Authorities, Malta PDF    
Mr. Faustino Gudin, Professor, University Alcala de Henares, and Judge PDF    
Ms. Natasha Dokovska, Journalists for Human Rights

PDF

PDF

   
Ms. Alison Hough, European ECO Forum PDF    

(b) Access to justice in energy-related cases

     
Ms. Mari Chakryan, Advisor, Ministry of Environment, Armenia PDF    
Ms. Lorena Çabej, Seconded Judge, Supreme Court of Albania PDF    
Ms. Ksenija Dimec, Judge, Croatia, EUFJE PDF    
Mr. Pierre-Louis Lefever, Head, General Environmental Law Office, Ministry of Ecological Transition, France   PDF  
Ms. Christiana Mauro, Guta Environmental Law Association PDF    
Ms. Priska Lueger, Oekobuero and Justice and Environment PDF

PDF
   
Item 3: Stocktaking of recent and upcoming developments
     
Mr. Hristo Stoev, State Expert, Ministry of Environment and Water, Bulgaria

PDF

PDF

   
Ms. Nathalie Sabbagh, Principal, Ministry of Environment, Denmark PDF    
Mr. Adam Daniel Nagy, European Commission PDF    
Mr. Luka Djordjevic, Environmental Law Clinic PDF    
Mr. Sebastian Bechtel, ClientEarth PDF    
Ms. Attracta Ui Bhroin, Irish Environmental Network      
Ms. Carol Day, Solicitor, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds PDF    
Ms. Ruzanna Ghazaryan, Dalma-Sona Cultural-Educational, Social-Environmental Fund      
Item 4: Tools to promote effective access to justice
     

Introduction

     
Mr. Adam Daniel Nagy, European Commission PDF    

(a) dissemination of information on access to review procedures, collection of relevant data and statistics and access to relevant case law using e-justice initiatives, modern digital technologies and other tools

     
Mr. Firuz Boboev, Deputy Head, Department of Legal information and Systematization, National Centre of Legislation under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan     PDF
Mr. Frederik Hafen, European Environmental Bureau PDF    

(b) specialization of judiciary and other legal professionals in environmental law

     
Ms. Vedalini Bhadain, Chairperson, Environment and Land Use Tribunal, Mauritius

PDF

PDF

   
Ms. Marianna Bolshakova, Regional Coordinator, Environmental Law and Governance United
Nations Environment Programme
     
Ms. Anahit Manasyan, member, Commission on Evaluation of the Performance of Judges in
Armenia
PDF    
Ms. Malgorzata Kwiedacz-Palosz, ClientEarth PDF    
Mr. Arthur Vakhitov, Ecoforum of Uzbekistan     PDF

(c) measures to discourage strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP)

     
Mr. Csaba Kiss, Justice & Environment

PDF

PDF

   
Ms. Pauline McHenry, Oakleaf Solutions PDF    
Ms. Magdolna Toth Nagy, Guta Environmental Law Association PDF    
Information leaflet on SLAPP by Justice and Environment PDF