OSCE-supported Aarhus Centres in South-East Europe sign Joint Declaration in Vienna on regional co-operation

VIENNA, 3 June 2015 – As part of the 2015 Aarhus Centres Annual Meeting on 3-4 June 2015 in Vienna, Aarhus Centres from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia signed a Joint Declaration for co-operation, a step very much welcomed by the Serbian 2015 OSCE Chairmanship.
 
In the Joint Declaration, they state their commitment to strengthen partnership and co-operation among the 13 Aarhus Centres in South-East Europe in order to reinforce the promotion and implementation of the Aarhus Convention, to facilitate a dialogue of civil society organizations across borders, and to more effectively address common environmental concerns.
 
The OSCE has been supporting a network of 59 Aarhus Centres across the OSCE region as part of its work in promoting the implementation of the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters.

Aarhus Centres provide a platform for co-operation and partnerships in addressing environment and security issues. 

The Aarhus Centres in the OSCE region have received support through the Environment and Security (ENVSEC) Initiative - a partnership comprising the OSCE, UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe as well as NATO as an associate partner.