OSCE promotes environmental awareness in Turkmenistan
The implementation in Turkmenistan of the Aarhus Convention, a key UN document on access to environmental information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters, was the focus of three national awareness-raising seminars held in Ashgabat from 26 to 28 February 2014.
The seminars, organized by the OSCE-supported Aarhus Centre of Turkmenistan, in co-operation with the Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan, brought together national experts, representatives of local authorities, public and commercial organizations, civil society and mass media.
“Turkmenistan was the first Central Asian state to ratify the Aarhus Convention and commit to implementing provisions of this unique environmental agreement,” said Nana Baramidze, Economic and Environmental Officer at the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. “We hope these seminars will contribute to a better understanding of various aspects addressed by the Aarhus Convention.”
The series of seminars addressed a wide range of topics, including the main aspects of the Protocol Pollutant release and Transfer Registers (PRTR), government accountability and transparency on environmental issues, and interactions between public and government. Participants also discussed national environmental legislation and statistics, and access to justice on environmental issues.
The most recent activities of the Aarhus Centre of Turkmenistan and further possibilities for establishing regional Public Environmental Information Centres were also highlighted.