The Rome Anniversary event to Celebrate 20 years of the Aarhus Convention

The Rome Anniversary Event was held in Rome on 15-16 May 2018. The event was organized by Italy in cooperation with the secretariat of the UNECE Aarhus Convention and the European Environmental Bureau. The meeting provided a forum where the main achievements and lessons learned in the last 20 years as well as future challenges and objectives of the Convention’s implementation were discussed among some key past and present players, including representatives of governmental authorities, academic institutions, NGOs and other stakeholders. The event offered an opportunity to look back at the time when the Aarhus Convention was negotiated, to reflect on the main challenges and to debate the present critical issues and the way forward. The meeting was unique in its format, as it allowed Parties, NGOs and other stakeholders to share their views in an open and rather informal way. It helped to increase awareness of the critical issues related to the implementation of the Aarhus Convention Some 80 delegates took part in the meeting. The event was chaired by Mr. Francesco La Camera, Director General, Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea of Italy, who was also a key negotiator of the Convention and Chair of the 2nd Meeting of the Signatories. The event comprised three thematic panel discussions on: the evolution of the Aarhus Convention and setting a vision for the future; challenges ahead: critical issues and proposals; and snapshot of experiences from the region. It involved 17 panellists and three moderators. For more information about the Even, please consult the following: