OSCE Centre in Bishkek conducts training seminar on provisions of the Aarhus Convention

BISHKEK, 18 November 2015 - The Aarhus Centre in Bishkek in co-operation with the Kyrgyz State agency for environmental protection and forestry today trained 30 representatives of human rights organizations, environmental NGOs, legal consultants, lawyers and university lecturers on the principles of the Aarhus Convention, with a particular focus on justice on environmental matters.

The seminar familiarized participants with the Aarhus Convention and how to correctly interpret and utilize Kyrgyzstan’s legislation on environmental matters and environmental safety.

“Access to environmental information and participation in decision-making processes in order to live in a healthy environment are key rights for each Kyrgyz citizen as recognized by the Aarhus Convention,” said Yulia Minaeva, Senior Economic and Environmental Officer at the OSCE Centre in Bishkek. She added that there is a need to raise awareness and develop specific capacities for the implementation of the Aarhus Convention at the national level.

Adil Nurbekov, the Head of the Aarhus Centre in Bishkek: “This training advises participants on the fundamentals of how to apply environmental law that will reduce the possibility of using illegal measures to resolve any disputes.”

This training seminar is the first in a series of training courses planned by the OSCE Centre and is a part of the OSCE Centre’s project on ppromoting good governance in natural resource management in Kyrgyzstan.