Joint Meeting on public participation in environmental decision-making: focus on strategic environmental assessment

The meeting was organized under the auspices of the Aarhus Convention’s Task Force on Public Participation in Decision-making (TF on PPDM) and the Bureau under the Protocol on SEA to the Espoo Convention, as foreseen in the respective programme of work and workplan of the two treaties. The meeting served as the third meeting of the TF on PPDM.

The meeting had a key role in contributing to the development of recommendations that are being prepared under the two treaties for improving the implementation of their respective provisions:
(i)    the second draft of the Aarhus Convention’s draft Recommendations on Public Participation in Environmental Decision-making
(ii)   draft Good Practice Recommendations on Public Participation in Strategic Decision-making.
Participants had an opportunity to discuss and provide input on both sets of draft recommendations.

The meeting also provided an opportunity for participants to discuss key issues of concern for Parties and stakeholders with respect to the implementation of the SEA Protocol and articles 7 and 8 of the Aarhus Convention. It examined obstacles and challenges to effective public participation in strategic decision-making, as well as good practices and innovative tools to address them.

For further information on this event please see the links below.