Public participation in environmental decision-making in focus at 2023 Aarhus Centres Annual Meeting

The role of Aarhus Centres in promoting public participation in environmental decision-making, transition towards green economy, and management of hazardous and toxic wastes took centre stage at the 2023 Aarhus Centres Annual Meeting, held in Dushanbe and online on 17 and 18 October.

The annual meeting aims at fostering discussions and enhancing the engagement of Aarhus Centres in advancing effective environmental governance across diverse domains. It gathered more than 70 representatives from Aarhus Centres, national authorities, non-governmental organizations, international organizations and OSCE field operations.

Ms. Sylvie Goyet, Deputy Co-ordinator / Head of Environmental Activities at the OSCE, affirmed that the OSCE recognizes the significant contribution of Aarhus Centres in engaging citizens, governments and the private sector in a constructive dialogue on environmental matters and on sustainable development.

Ms. Zarafo Qiyomzoda, First Deputy Head of the Committee for Environmental Protection of Tajikistan, stated that the main essence of the activities of the Aarhus Centres in Tajikistan is the implementation of the principles of the Aarhus Convention in order to preserve the  country’s unique nature, protect the environment and foster ecological thinking among the population.

Dr. Marco Keiner, Director of the Environment Division at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, said that the work of the Aarhus Centres remains as relevant as ever and that their role has become increasingly crucial in promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, and restoring trust. This is of particular importance in light of recent democratic backsliding and increased social and political polarizations in several countries, Dr. Keiner underlined.

Ms. Loredana Dall’Ora, Chair of the Aarhus Convention Task Force on Public Participation in Decision-making, recalled the pivotal role of the Aarhus Centres in the implementation of the Aarhus Convention. She highlighted how they regularly participate in the Task Force meetings and enrich discussions with their deep knowledge of public participation practices across the OSCE region.

Following the positive experience of last year’s edition, the 2023 Aarhus Centres Annual Meeting represented an effective opportunity to conduct a capacity-building session on “Digital Communication and Visibility Strategies”, with the goal of strengthening skills in communicating, presenting and make visible the work of the Aarhus Centres to a national and international audience.

The meeting was organized by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) in close collaboration with the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe and the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of Tajikistan.

The 2023 Aarhus Centres Annual Meeting was partially financed thanks to contributions from Germany and Italy to the extra-budgetary project “Strengthening Aarhus Centres in the OSCE area to promote good environmental governance and sustainable development”.

For more information about the OSCE supported Aarhus Centres, please see the webpage: Aarhus Centres | OSCE Aarhus