OSCE Centre promotes implementation of the Aarhus convention in Kazakhstan
ASTANA, 17 June 2008 - Ensuring public participation in addressing environmental issues and enforcement of respective international conventions and national legislation was the topic of a two-day international conference that concluded today in Astana.
The Centre co-organized the conference together with the Kazakh Supreme Court, in co-operation with the Environment Protection Ministry, the United Nations Environment Programme and the European Union. The meeting marked the 10th Anniversary of the adoption of the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters.
"The OSCE attaches high importance to the promotion of the Aarhus Convention, which is a unique tool for the creation of a public climate of transparency in environmental affairs and thus of democracy-building and good governance," said Jeannette Kloetzer, Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana.
About 90 judges and state officials from Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries, parliamentarians, representatives of non-governmental organizations and experts shared best practices and discussed how to enhance the public access to justice granted by the Aarhus convention.
Kairat Mami, Chairman of the Kazakh Supreme Court, added: "Kazakhstan has signed 24 common international treaties in the field of environment protection and recently adopted the Ecology Code, which allows the country to raise issues in the local law-enforcement practice and introduce international standards. The Conference brings another opportunity to harmonize national legislation with international standards and requirements."
A handbook for judges, providing guidelines on how to apply the Aarhus Convention practically was presented at the conference. The handbook, jointly developed by the OSCE Centre and the Supreme Court, is available in Kazakh and Russian. It will be used for training courses and capacity-building exercises.