The twentieth meeting of the Working Group of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention was held on 15-17 June 2016 in Geneva (Palais des Nations). The Working Group reviewed the implementation of the current work programme and discussed a number of items, including, progress achieved in promoting access to information, public participation and access to justice, and in ratification of the Convention's amendment on genetically modified organisms; financial matters; and promotion of the Convention and relevant developments and interlinkages. The Working Group also considered the draft elements of the future work programme for 2018–2021 and draft elements of the future financial arrangements. The Working Group deliberated on preparations for the sixth session of the Meeting of the Parties.
Furthermore, the meeting featured a thematic session on promoting the application of the principles of the Convention in international forums. The session focused on recent developments related to international financial institutions, feedback from the promotion of public participation in the lead up to and at the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties (COP-21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (Paris, 30 November–11 December 2015) and an update on stakeholder engagement in the United Nations Environment Assembly and High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development processes.
The Working Group of the Parties was held back-to-back with the meeting of the Task Force on Access to Justice which took place from 14 to 15 June 2016. More information regarding the meeting of the Task Force is available on the following webpage: http://www.unece.org/env/pp/aarhus/tfaj9#/
Twentieth meeting of the Working Group of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention
15 - 17 June 2016
Salle VII, Palais des Nations Geneva Switzerland
Documents
Document Title | ENG | FRE | RUS |
---|---|---|---|
Provisional Agenda (ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2016/1) | |||
Report (ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2016/2) | |||
List of key decisions and outcomes (AC/WGP-20/Inf.9) | |||
List of participants | |||
Item 3 (a) | |||
Report of the Task Force on Access to Information on its fourth meeting (ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2016/3) | |||
Note by the Chair of the Task Force on Access to Information on possible future directions for the work (AC/WGP-20/Inf.1) | |||
Item 3 (b) | |||
Report of the Task Force on Public Participation in Decision-making on its sixth meeting (ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2016/4) | |||
Note by the Chair of the Task Force on Public Participation in Decision-making on possible future directions for the work (AC/WGP-20/Inf.2) | |||
Item 3 (c) | |||
Report of the Task Force on Access to Justice on its eighth meeting (ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2016/11) | |||
Note by the Chair of the Task Force on Access to Justice on possible future directions for the work (AC/WGP-20/Inf.3) | |||
Item 4 (a) | |||
Membership of the Compliance Committee (ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2016/9) | |||
Note by the Chair of the Compliance Committee on promoting effective compliance with the Convention (AC/WGP-20/Inf.4) | |||
Item 5 | |||
Note by the Chair of the thematic session on promoting the application of the principles of the Convention in international forums on possible future directions for the work (AC/WGP-20/Inf.5) | |||
Provisional Programme of the thematic session on the promotion of the Aarhus Convention's principles in international forums (AC/WGP-20/Inf.7) | |||
Item 7 | |||
Report on the implementation of the work programme for 2015–2017 (ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2016/5) | |||
Report on contributions and expenditures in relation to the implementation of the work programme for 2015–2017 (ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2016/6) | |||
Item 8 (a) | |||
Draft elements of the work programme for 2018–2021 (ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2016/7) | PDF DOC |
PDF DOC |
PDF DOC |
Proposal by EU and its Member States | |||
Item 8 (b) | |||
Draft elements of possible financial arrangements (ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2016/8) | PDF DOC |
PDF DOC |
PDF DOC |
Proposal by EU and its Member States | |||
Item 8 (c) | |||
Draft outline of the agenda of the sixth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Convention (ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2016/10) | PDF DOC |
PDF DOC |
PDF DOC |
Note on the preparatory timeline for the sixth session of the Meeting of the Parties (AC/WGP-20/Inf.6) |
Statements and Presentations
Title | ENG | FRE | RUS |
---|---|---|---|
Statements by the EU and its Member States for all agenda items | |||
Item 3 (b) - Public participation in decision-making | |||
Statement by Women in Europe for a Common Future International on behalf of European ECO Forum | |||
Item 6 - Promotion of the Convention and relevant developments and interlinkages | |||
Statement by the Government of Guinea-Bissau | |||
Statement by ECLAC | |||
Statement by The Danish Institute for Human Rights | |||
Presentation by The Danish Institute for Human Rights | |||
Statement by Rivers without Boundaries International Coalition | |||
Item 8 (a) - Future work programme | |||
Statement by Women in Europe for a Common Future International on behalf of European ECO Forum | |||
Item 8 (c) - Agenda of the sixth session of the Meeting of the Parties | |||
Statement by NGOs | |||
Item 8 (d) - Dates and hosting of the sixth session of the Meeting of the Parties | |||
Presentation by the Government of Montenegro |
PPIF Thematic Session
Document Title | ENG | FRE | RUS |
---|---|---|---|
Provisional Programme of the thematic session on the promotion of the Aarhus Convention's principles in international forums (AC/WGP-20/Inf.7) | |||
Promoting the application of the principles of the Aarhus Convention in international forums (Almaty Guidelines) (ECE/MP.PP/2005/2/Add.5) | |||
Leaflet: Public Participation in International Forums. A Snapshot on the Almaty Guidelines | |||
Checklist of measures to be borne in mind when developing a national action plan to systematically promote the principles of the Convention in all international forums dealing with matters relating to the environment (prepared by the secretariat, in consultation with the Chair of the thematic session) | |||
Note by the Chair of the thematic session on promoting the application of the principles of the Convention in international forums on possible future directions for the work (AC/WGP-20/Inf.5) | |||
Survey for Parties in preparation for the thematic session on the promotion of the principles of the Convention in international forums | DOC | ||
Survey for Non-Governmental Organizations, Intergovernmental Organizations, Aarhus Centers, Regional Environmental Centers and other stakeholders in preparation for the thematic session on the promotion of the principles of the Convention in international forums |
DOC | ||
Results of the Survey for Parties and Stakeholders | |||
Presentation of the Results of the Survey for Parties and Stakeholders | |||
Statements and Presentations | |||
Item 1: Opening | |||
Welcome remarks Mr Marco Keiner, UNECE |
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Item 2: Introduction and update by the Chair | |||
Stakeholder engagement in global and regional follow-up and review of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, written statement by the UNECE secretariat | |||
UNEP Access-to-Information and Stakeholder Engagement Policies, written statement by UNEP | |||
Item 3: Promotion of the principles of the Aarhus Convention in the UNFCCC processes with focus on COP-21 and COP-22 | |||
Mr Pierre-Henri Guignard, France | |||
Ms Megumi Endo, UNFCCC secretariat | |||
Mr Sébastien Duyck, Centre for International Environmental Law | |||
Item 4: Recent developments in promoting the Convention principles in the policies of international financial institutions | |||
Ms Elizabeth Smith and Ms Jessica Withers, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) | |||
Mr Roberto Rando, European Investment Bank (EIB) | |||
Mr Petr Hlobil, CEE Bankwatch Network | |||
Mr Bin Wang, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) (via audio link) | |||
Mr Charles di Leva, World Bank (video message) | LINK |