OSCE supports training seminar on public participation mechanisms in environmental decision-making

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana in co-operation with the Pavlodar Aarhus Centre held the first in a series of three training seminars for some 20 government officials, representatives of non-governmental organizations, political parties and the media on public participation mechanisms in environmental decision-making in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan, on 21 May 2016.

The participants learned about the legal tools to implement the Aarhus Convention, were familiarized with practical mechanisms in environmental decision-making and discussed problems regarding access to environmental information. Event participants also reviewed current development trends in civil participation and explored co-operation opportunities among the stakeholders to implement the three pillars of the Aarhus Convention.

The second training seminar took place on 25 May in Ekibastuz, while the third will be held on 2 June in Aksu. A concluding roundtable discussion will present the project’s results and develop recommendations for involved stakeholders in Pavlodar in July.

The training seminars are part of the Programme Office’s multi-year efforts to promote the Aarhus Convention in the host country.