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Twenty-seventh meeting of the Working Group of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention

26 - 28 June 2023
Salle XXIII, Palais des Nations Geneva Switzerland

The twenty-seventh meeting of the Convention’s Working Group of the Parties (WGP27) was held in Geneva on 26-28 June 2023 (Palais des Nations, Salle XXIII).

The Working Group reviewed the progress in implementing the current work programme and discussed a number of items, including recent developments related to the work of the Compliance Committee and the Special Rapporteur on Environmental defenders; the  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 impact of the war in Ukraine on the implementation of the Convention. Two thematic sessions, on public participation in decision-making and on promoting the application of the principles of the Convention in international forums, were held during the meeting.  

The session on public participation in decision-making focused on: (a) safe public participation and protection of environmental defenders in the context of decision-making on environmental matters; and (b) public participation in decision-making on large-scale infrastructure/transport.   

The session on promoting the application of the principles of the Convention in international forums focused on processes dealing with: (a) environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context; (b) international trade-related decision-making; and (c) the issue of balanced and equitable participation and different modalities for engaging stakeholders in international decision-making.  Additional topics included updates on:  (a) subjects considered at the previous meetings of the Working Group of the Parties, such as promotion of the principles of the Convention in relation to a legally binding instrument on business and human rights under the Human Rights Council, in Sustainable Development Goals-related processes and in climate- and plastic related international forums; and  (b) subjects to be addressed by upcoming forums, including environmental-related processes under the General Assembly, such as the Sustainable Development Goals Summit, scheduled for September 2023, and the Summit of the Future, scheduled for September 2024. 

 

 Documents, statements and presentations for the meeting delivered at the event can be found below. For additional information, please read article on the meeting

 

Documents

42026 _ ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2023/1 - Provisional Agenda _ 377664 _ English _ 773 _ 380406 _ pdf
42026 _ ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2023/1 - Provisional Agenda _ 377664 _ French _ 780 _ 380407 _ pdf
42026 _ ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2023/1 - Provisional Agenda _ 377664 _ Russian _ 864 _ 380408 _ pdf
42026 _ ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2023/2 - Report of the meeting _ 382717 _ English _ 773 _ 399887 _ pdf
42026 _ ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2023/2 - Report of the meeting _ 382717 _ French _ 780 _ 399888 _ pdf
42026 _ ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2023/2 - Report of the meeting _ 382717 _ Russian _ 864 _ 399889 _ pdf
42026 _ AC/WGP-27/Inf.5 - List of decisions and major outcomes of the meeting _ 380708 _ English _ 773 _ 386561 _ pdf
42026 _ List of Participants _ 381716 _ English _ 773 _ 389275 _ pdf
42026 _ ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2023/4 - Item 4 (c): Report of the Task Force on Access to Justice on its fifteenth meeting _ 379920 _ English _ 773 _ 394239 _ pdf
42026 _ ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2023/4 - Item 4 (c): Report of the Task Force on Access to Justice on its fifteenth meeting _ 379920 _ French _ 780 _ 394240 _ pdf
42026 _ ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2023/4 - Item 4 (c): Report of the Task Force on Access to Justice on its fifteenth meeting _ 379920 _ Russian _ 864 _ 394241 _ pdf
42026 _ ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2023/5 - Item 8: Report on the implementation of the work programme for 2022–2025 _ 378924 _ English _ 773 _ 383967 _ pdf
42026 _ ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2023/5 - Item 8: Report on the implementation of the work programme for 2022–2025 _ 378924 _ French _ 780 _ 383968 _ pdf
42026 _ ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2023/5 - Item 8: Report on the implementation of the work programme for 2022–2025 _ 378924 _ Russian _ 864 _ 383969 _ pdf
42026 _ AC/WGP-27/Inf.3 - Note on contributions and pledges _ 379822 _ English _ 773 _ 384485 _ pdf

Thematic session on PPDM

Background information on work area on public participation in decision-making is available from: https://unece.org/env/pp/aarhus-convention/tfppdm

Provisional programme of the thematic session on public participation in decision-making (AC/WGP-27/Inf.1) PDF

 

Statements and Presentations


Item I: Safe public participation and protection of environmental defenders

Panellists


Mr. Michel Forst, Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus Convention PDF
Ms. Charlotta Von Troil, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Legislative Affairs, Ministry of the Environment, Finland PDF
Ms. Summer Kern, Justice & Environment/European ECO Forum PDF
Ms. Maja Markovska, Aarhus Center Skopje, North Macedonia PDF


Discussion

Serbia PDF
Heirs to our Ocean PDF

 

Item II: Public participation with regard to large-scale infrastructure/transport


Ms. Nino Gokhelashvili, Head, Sustainable Development Division, Environment and Climate Change Department, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Georgia PDF
Ms. Nava Sheer, Urban Planner, GIS Coordinator, Bimkom, Planners for Planning Rights PDF
Mr. Csaba Kiss, Justice & Environment/European ECO Forum PDF

Discussion


Switzerland PDF
Guta Environmental Law Association/European Eco Forum PDF

 

Item III: General discussion

Guinea-Bissau PDF
Justice & Environment/European ECO Forum PDF

Thematic session on PPIF

Background information on work area on promoting the principles of the Convention in international forums is available from: https://www.unece.org/env/pp/ppif.html

Provisional programme of the thematic session on the promotion of the principles of the Convention in international forums (AC/WGP-27/Inf.2) PDF

PPIF Survey Report (AC/WGP-27/Inf.4) PDF

Letter from NGOs to UNEP regarding negotiations of the Plastics Treaty PDF

Information Note of UNEP on stakeholder engagement in the negotiation process under the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC) PDF

 

Statements and Presentations

 

Item I: Environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context

Panellists


Ms. Branka Pivčević Novak, Head of Service for general climate protection policy, Directorate for Climate Activities, Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Croatia PDF
Ms. Tea Aulavuo, Secretary to the Economic Commission for Europe’s Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention) PDF
Mr. Ly Kongmeng, Ecosystem and Wetland Specialist, Environmental Management Division, Mekong River Commission for Sustainable Development PDF
Ms. Attracta Ui Bhroin, Irish Environmental Network/European ECO Forum PDF

 

Discussion


Guta Environmental Law Association/ European ECO Forum PDF

 

Item II: International trade-related decision-making

Panellists


Ms. Beate B. Ekeberg, Specialist Director, Ministry of Climate and Environment, Norway PDF
Mr. Bernard Kuiten, Head of External Relations, World Trade Organisation PDF
Mr. Frederik Hafen, European Environmental Bureau/European ECO Forum PDF

 

Item III: Balanced and equitable participation and different modalities for engaging stakeholders in international decision-making

Panellists


Ms. Angeliki Kylili, Environment Officer, Department of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Cyprus PDF
Mr. Ilias Mavroeidis, Programme Management Officer - Governance, UN Environment Programme /Mediterranean Action Plan Coordinating Unit, Barcelona Convention secretariat PDF
Mr. Sébastien Duyck, Center for International Environmental Law/European ECO Forum PDF

 

Discussion
 

Netherlands PDF
Guta Environmental Law Association/European ECO Forum PDF
Child Rights Connect PDF

 

Item IV: Additional Topics and general discussion


Switzerland PDF
Save the Children PDF
Center for International Environmental Law/ European ECO Forum PDF

 

Statements

 

Armenia

Item 4b PDF

 


European Union and its Member States

Items 1, 2, 4b, 4c, 4d, 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 8, 11 PDF

 


Georgia

Item 2 PDF

 


Lithuania

Items 8,9 PDF

 


Netherlands

Item 5c PDF

 


Norway

Item 2 PDF

Item 5a PDF

Item 5b PDF

Item 8 PDF

 


Switzerland

Item 8 PDF

 

 

Tajikistan

Item 4d, 5c and 8 PDF

 


Ukraine

Item 2 PDF

Item 11 PDF

 


United Kingdom

Item 2 PDF

Item 5a PDF

 


Uzbekistan

Item 5d

 


Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus Convention

Item 5a PDF (Eng)    PDF (Fre)

 


Chair of the Compliance Committee

Item 5b PDF

 


Chair of the Task Force on Access to Information

Item 4b PDF

 


Chair of the Task Force on Access to Justice

Item 4c PDF

 


UNDP

Item 5d

 


OSCE

Item 5d PDF

 


Yerevan Aarhus Center

Item 5d PDF

 


Non-Governmental Organisations

Item 1
Justice and Environment/European ECO Forum  PDF


Item 2
Justice and Environment/European ECO Forum  PDF


Item 3
Ecoropa/European ECO Forum  PDF


Item 4b
DALMA-SONA/European ECO Forum  PDF
European Environmental Bureau/European ECO Forum  PDF


Item 4c
Irish Environmental Network/European ECO Forum  PDF
European Environmental Bureau/European ECO Forum  PDF


Item 4d 
Ecoropa/European ECO Forum  PDF
Eco-TIRAS/European ECO Forum   PDF


Item 5b 
Justice and Environment/European ECO Forum PDF
Irish Environmental Network//European ECO Forum  PDF
 

Item 5d 
Justice and Environment/European ECO Forum  PDF


Item 7 
Guta Environmental Law Association/European ECO Forum  PDF
Center for International Environmental Law/European ECO Forum  PDF


Item 8
European Environmental Bureau/European ECO Forum   PDF


Item 11 
Justice and Environment/European ECO Forum  PDF