The Director General of UNESCO and the mayor of Venice will talk about the status of Venice as a UNESCO site in Paris today. A group of French sympathizers with the city made clear that they want to be informed about the outcomes of the talks. Also many Italian citizens’ associations had emphasized that they expect a public consultation process in advance of the meeting, to be informed of the results of the meeting and to have the opportunity to vote on the mayor's final proposal on plans for Venice’s future. Unfortunately, they claim, there has been no opportunity for the public to get involved so far. However, the right to transparency and participation in decision-making is stipulated in the Aarhus Convention. The citizens’ associations warn that if the mayor will not respect the rights guaranteed in the Convention, they will file an action with the competent national tribunals.
