The World Summit on the Information Society-Phase II opened in Tunis on 16 November 2005. In conjunction with the Summit, the Aarhus Convention secretariat organised a side event, on behalf of the (then) UNECE Environment and Human Settlements Division and the United Nations Environment Programme/Division of Early Warning and Assessment, at the World Forum on Information Society (WFIS), held on 14-15 November in La Marsa, Tunisia.

Mr. Chris Jarvis (UK) chaired the WFIS panel Capacity-building for Electronic Information Tools and the Environment. The panel high-lighted the significance of legally binding instruments developed in the UNECE region to further environmental democracy and sustainable development, and provided examples of how electronic tools were being applied in support of implementation of the Aarhus Convention and preparation for implementation of the Kiev Protocol on PRTRs.

During the session, the UNECE secretariat introduced the.Recommendations on the more effective use of electronic.information tools to provide public access to environmental information (ENG FRE RUS) which had been adopted at the Second Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention. The Recommendations were also noted in the publication Information Society Regional Initiatives and Activities which was presented by the United Nations Regional Commissions at WSIS-II.