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Following its adoption, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan called the Aarhus Convention a giant step forward in international law and an instrument of global significance, albeit negotiated in the UNECE region. Since then, the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters has entered into force with impressive speed and been ratified by most of the countries of Europe and Central Asia. Increasingly, it is empowering members of the public to hold governments accountable and to play a greater role promoting more sustainable forms of development. Open to accession by States through the world, the Convention has established a new benchmark in environmental democracy. It is unique among multilateral environmental agreements in the extent to which it seeks to enable ordinary people, irrespective of their citizenship, nationality or domicile, to have a say in decisions that affect their environment. However, the rights guaranteed by the Convention are only meaningful if they are exercised. Raising public awareness of the Convention is therefore crucial for its effective implementation. UNECE and UNEP have therefore collaborated to produce a simplified guide, entitled “Your right to a healthy environment”, which presents the rights and obligations under the Convention in plain, easy-to-understand language.
