Countdown 2010

Public Participation and Awareness

Public participation – genuine involvement in decision-making

It is essential to bring civil society and stakeholders into intergovernmental decision-making and create new opportunities for innovative partnerships for the environment. Public participation in environmental decision making is a precondition to good governance, and to improving the quality of life.

The Aarhus Convention – A Milestone in Public Participation

In 1998, 36 European Governments and the European Community have signed the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (the “Aarhus Convention”) - the document which marked a new road towards democracy, openness and justice.

For environmental organisations, despite the weaknesses, the Aarhus Convention is a step towards building societies where citizens can play, and are encouraged to play, a constructive role in protecting peoples health and the environment. And even more: to contribute to environmentally sustainable development. The whole preparatory period for the new Convention was a unique possibility to work together with NGOs, Governments and International Institutions on equal basis and had demonstrated a great openness for NGO involvement. This openness and fruitful co-operation between different stakeholders continues nowadays when the Aarhus Convention has become a law. And so does our Public Participation Campaign. Only the aim of the Campaign now is a bit different.

What the Countdown partners are doing:

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