Second meeting of the Task Force on Public Participation in Decision-making

This event was organised under the auspices of the Task Force on Public Participation in Decision-making of the Aarhus Convention and the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Forests of Romania and Women in Europe for a Common Future.

The event covered a broad range of issues regarding public participation in environmental decision-making with a special focus on decision-making on water and health-related matters. The event examined decisions in a range of other environmental sectors, enabling a cross-fertilization of ideas and experiences.  The programme addressed key issues of concern for Parties and stakeholders, examining obstacles and challenges to effective public participation, and explored good practices and innovative tools to address them.

The meeting involved experts from countries from the UNECE region and from international organizations, who offered advanced expertise in public participation in environmental decision-making and/or in the implementation of the Protocol on Water and Health.

The event had a key role in the development of two important products being prepared under each instrument. Participants discussed and provided input on (i) new recommendations currently being prepared under the Aarhus Convention on public participation regarding environmental matters and (ii) the new guidelines/manual for involving the public in consultations and decision-making processes being prepared under the Protocol on Water and Health.