1. An on-site side event (3-4:30 p.m., RioCentro T-2) on "Green Growth and Sustainable Development: Regional Perspectives" organised by the ECE and other UN regional commissions. The ECE's contribution to this event will shed light on Principle 10 and its implementation through ECE's legal and policy instruments most notably the Aarhus Convention and its Protocol on PRTRs, the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment to the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention) and the UNECE Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development. His Excellency Mr. Moldovanu, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova will speak for the region (programme of the event is attached).
2. A full day off-site side event on “Choosing our Future: Open and Participatory Sustainable Development Governance” organised by the World Resource Institute in cooperation with a number of partners including UNECE. The various working sessions of the side event will discuss accomplishments and problems in implementing Principle 10 at the local, national and international level and will address future prospects and challenges. The event will take place on 19 June, 2012, 8AM – 6PM, Fundação Getulio Vargas, Praia de Botafogo, 190, Rio de Janeiro (programme of the event is attached).
In particular, the following two sessions are of relevance:
i) The first session (12:30-1:45 p.m., Room 910), organised in collaboration with Corporación Participa will discuss "Principle 10 Regional Conventions", will focus on next steps and content for a possible regional convention on access rights in Latin America and the Caribbean, including lessons learned from the implementation of the Aarhus Convention and its Protocol on PRTRs in the UNECE region.
ii) The second session (2:00-4:45, Room 911) will address "Public Participation in International Environmental Governance", focusing on lessons from applying the Almaty Guidelines on promoting the principles of the Aarhus Convention in international forums, the Aarhus Convention compliance mechanism, and access mechanisms (include citizen-initiated complaint mechanisms) in other sustainable development-related forums and institutions.
The Aarhus Convention and its Protocol will also be promoted at the following side-events:
i) Side event on "Sharing environment information in action", led by the European Environment Agency (19 June 2012, European Pavilion of the EU delegation, Parque dos Atletas). The event will take stock of major developments in translating into action Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration, and the concrete future steps envisaged by different stakeholders for improving the sharing of and access to environmental information
ii) Two-day side event on "Legal Frameworks for Sustainable Development" convened by Program on Law and Environment (PDMA) - FGV Direito Rio, Centre for International Environmental Studies (Geneva), Pace Law School, Brazilian American Institute for Law and the Environment (BAILE), International Development Law Organisation (IDLO), Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL), (20-21 June 2012, Fundação Getulio Vargas, Praia de Botafogo, 190, 12. Andar, Rio de Janeiro). The event will examine the incorporation of sustainable development principles and practices into international treaties and will discuss the role of legal instruments in greening the economy and in promoting leading innovations and applications of the Rio principles. Furthermore, particular emphasis will be given to accountability and compliance mechanisms as well as to lessons learned from existing jurisprudence on environmental matters.
iii) "Access for All" side event, led by UNEP, which focuses on presenting a Special Initiative, the outcome of the Eye on Earth Summit held in December 2011 in Abu Dhabi. This initiative has a special focus on enhancing access to information and public participation. The event will take place on June 21, 2012, 11.30am - 12.30pm, in UNEP's Pavilion in the Athlete's Park in Rio de Janeiro.
Leaflets on the Aarhus Convention and the PRTR Protocol in English, French and Spanish will be distributed at the Rio+20 Conference and are available for download at the following page: http://www.unece.org/environmental-policy/treaties/public-participation/publications.html
