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European ECO-Forum's Public Participation Campaign has announced that it is preparing comments on NGO experience with application of the Almaty Guidelines on Public Participation in International Forums. The guidelines were adopted at the second Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in May 2005.
The umbrella group is asking members of international forums to respond to the following questions: (a) Does the international forum you are involved in have any formalized rules or procedures concerning access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice inenvironmental matters? (b) Does the international forum you are involved in have any non-formalized practices concerning access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice inenvironmental matters?(c) Are there any current or future workplans of the international forum you are involved in that may affect the extent of or modalities for access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters?(d) In particular, what kind of challenges, if any, has your organisation encountered with regard to access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters when working with international forums or trying to get involved in their work?(e) Is there a need to amend Almaty Guidelines on PPIF [public participation in international forums], and, if yes, what would be your concrete textual suggestions?Responses will be compiled and shared with the Aarhus Convention secretariat, the European ECO-Forum announced in its September 2007 e-bulletin. The deadline for submission of comments is 15 September 2007.The secretariat conducted a consultation on the PPIF guidelines over a thirteen-month period from June 2006 to July 2007 at the request of the Parties.
