The OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan supported a roundtable discussion on the implementation of the Aarhus Convention principles in Kazakhstan on 9 and 10 July 2019 in Nur-Sultan.
The event brought together some 60 representatives from the government, Aarhus Centres and environmental NGOs from various regions of the country, who discussed the planned amendments to Kazakhstan’s Environmental Code and ways to bridge existing gaps in implementing the Aarhus Convention, including the associated Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTR) Protocol and the Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Amendment. They also reviewed complaints related to violations of the Aarhus Convention and exchanged views on solving the problems while conducting the public hearings on environmental matters. Prior to the roundtable, a training seminar was conducted with a focus on enhancing access to information and public participation in decision-making in environmental matters.
