Transcript The Aarhus Convention Reporting Mechanism Adapted from materials by Aphrodite Smagadi OVERVIEW The Convention’s provisions on reporting  MOP Decisions  Process (Who? What? How?

The Aarhus Convention
Reporting Mechanism
Adapted from materials by Aphrodite Smagadi
OVERVIEW
The Convention’s provisions on reporting
 MOP Decisions
 Process (Who? What? How? When?)
 The role of the secretariat
 The role of the Compliance Committee
 Format
 Reporting Cycles

Convention Provisions – Art.10 par.2
The Parties shall:
 Keep under continuous review the
implementation of the Convention on the
basis of regular reporting by the Parties

Review the policies for and legal and
methodological approaches to access to
information, public participation in decisionmaking and access to justice in
environmental matters, with a view to further
improving them.
MOP Decisions
Decision I/8 (2002): main process and
format (annex)
followed up by:
 Decision II/10 (2005)
 Decision III/5 (2008)
 Decision IV/4 (2011)
confirmed:
 Guidance on reporting requirements

Who?
Parties to the Convention: required
 Signatories and other States: may report
on measures taken, pending ratification
and/or accession
 International organizations engaged in
programmes or activities providing
support to Parties/States in the
implementation may report on activities
and experience

What?

Parties are requested to submit report
on

The legislative, regulatory or other
measures taken to implement the
provisions of the Convention

Their practical implementation
How?

Prepare reports through a transparent
and consultative process involving the
public

in accordance with the format set out in
the annex to Decision IV/4
How? (con’d)

Submit reports to secretariat
electronically and on paper
In one of the UNECE languages, as well
as in the language(s) of the Party
 Voluntary translation of the reports in the
other two UNECE languages

How (con’d) - new slide

New electronic database in Aarhus
Clearinghouse should be used for online
submission of reports and easy access to
information :
http://apps.unece.org/ehlm/pp/NIR/index.asp
When?

Submit an updated version in advance of each MOP

180 days in advance of MOP
Role of the Secretariat

Prepares synthesis report for each MOP
summarizing the progress made
 identifying significant trends, challenges and
solutions


Arranges for translation into other
UNECE languages and circulates as part
of official documentation
Role of the Compliance Committee

Prepared the Guidance on reporting
requirements to be followed for preparing NIRs
 Decision I/7 on review of compliance
paragraph 13(c)
 The Committee shall monitor, assess and
facilitate the implementation of and
compliance with the reporting requirements
under article 10, paragraph 2, of the
Convention.
Reporting Format

In form of a questionnaire
 Only concerns articles of Convention for
national implementation
 Each article dealt with through separate set
of questions
 Revised format adopted by Decision IV/4 to
incorporate GMO amendment and provisions
of the Convention on public participation in
international forums (Art. 3 para. 7)->
Experience

Valuable information provided

Positive developments in legislative
frameworks and practical implementation

Challenges to implementation identified
Content: challenge

Some reports did not provide adequate
answers to the questions
Examples:
 Parties provided lists of instruments without
clarifying how they transposed the
provisions of the Convention into national
law
 Requested information was provided in
answer to different question
Process: challenge
Public participation process was criticized
as not having been performed in an
adequate manner
Reporting cycles

Three reporting cycles since establishment of
reporting mechanism (Decision I/8)
First cycle (2005): 26 reports
(30 Parties) = 87%
 Second cycle (2008): 35 reports
(41 Parties) = 85%
 Third cycle (2011): 38 reports
(44 Parties) = 86%
 Fourth cycle: 2014?
