OSCE Centre opens Aarhus Centre in the Caspian Sea region
ASTANA, 21 September 2009 - The OSCE Centre in Astana, along with state and non-governmental partners, signed today a memorandum of understanding on the opening and operation of an Aarhus Centre in Atyrau in western Kazakhstan.
The official launch of the Aarhus Centre was attended by some 50 participants from state, non-governmental and private organizations.
Ambassador Alexandre Keltchewsky, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana, emphasized that the event marked a positive breakthrough in national and regional policies regarding public participation in environmental decision-making and the promotion of environmental security and sustainable development in the Caspian Sea region.
"The Aarhus Centres are known in the OSCE region as the most efficient tools for implementing the Aarhus Convention. We hope that the Caspian Aarhus Centre will create an opportunity for the local community, government authorities and business to establish a sustainable dialogue on environmentally sensitive issues in the Caspian Sea region. All of us have made an effort to establish this Centre according to international standards and requirements," said Keltchewsky.
Anatoly Dernovoi, Executive Secretary of the Environmental Protection Ministry, said: "The Aarhus Centre will give civil society representatives the opportunity to appeal court decisions which violate the Aarhus Convention and the Ecological Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It will also promote activities supporting implementation of the norms and provisions of the Aarhus Convention. We furthermore support the introduction of those norms in state policy on environment protection and human rights policy on clean environment in the Zhaik-Caspian Basin region."
"The opening of the Aarhus Centre in Atyrau will help to improve the situation in the region through dialogue between government bodies and civil society. We do hope that this Centre will contribute to the public's access to information on environmental issues, give an impetus to public participation in environmental policy-making, as well as contribute to further co-operation between central and local authorities, non-governmental organizations and academic institutions in this field," said Bolat Daukenov, the Deputy Akim of Atyrau Oblast.
The launch event included a presentation of the Aarhus Centre's strategy and mandate, as well as the official announcement of the newly appointed Aarhus Centre Manager and Deputy, who were selected on the basis of an open competition. A news conference was held following the event.