Parties to the pan-European region’s flagship environmental democracy treaty will mark the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Aarhus Convention1 at the third Meeting of the Parties to the Convention, from 11 to 13 June 2008. The Meeting is expected to attract 400 participants from more than 40 countries. Drawing on the experience of the first decade, the Meeting is expected to adopt the “Riga Declaration” and a long-term strategic plan which will chart the future path of the Convention in the coming years.
Mr. Marek Belka, Executive Secretary, UNECE, will deliver a welcome address during the opening ceremony of the high-level segment of the Meeting on Friday, 13 June 2008. The high-level segment will feature three panel discussions during which Ministers, distinguished speakers from international organizations and leading representatives of civil society will exchange views in a lively debate on topics of key relevance to the Convention.
The Meeting is also expected to consider findings of non-compliance with the Convention by several individual Parties. 2 This will be done on the basis of findings and recommendations of the Convention’s independent Compliance Committee made in the period of 2005–2008 and could result in measures addressing non-compliance being adopted by the Meeting of the Parties.
