AKIPRESS.COM - An OSCE-supported roundtable discussion on public participation in the decision-making process on environmental matters took place today in Ust-Kamenogorsk, East Kazakhstan Region.

Some 40 representatives of the regional administration, private and civil sectors, academia and expert communities participated in the event.

It was co-organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana in partnership with the Eastern Kazakhstan Aarhus Centre and aimed at fostering public participation in environmental decision making. It focused on challenges in the implementation of the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in the region.

The participants discussed steps to strengthen co-operation among stakeholders in addressing environmental issues. They also reviewed the lessons learned from public hearings held in the region and prospects to introduce the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register in Kazakhstan.

“The OSCE serves as a platform for dialogue between all stakeholders aimed to fully implement the Aarhus Convention and promote environmental security and sustainable development as important components of security in general,” said Natalia Zarudna, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana. “To this end, our activities emphasize the need to strengthen mutually-beneficial co-operation at the national and regional levels and ensure equal participation of representatives of civil society and the business community in addressing environmental and economic challenges.”

Oleg Chernishov, Deputy with the regional council in East Kazakhstan Region, the Maslikhat, said: “In order to protect environmental rights, you should primarily engage in dialogue with the government, which must protect its citizens and adhere to its international commitments. The Aarhus Convention is not just a tool to protect the environment, but a means to promote democracy by enhancing the role of civil society in protecting the environment for generations to come.”

The roundtable discussion was held within a five-month OSCE-supported project on enhancing public participation in environmental decision making in the Eastern Kazakhstan Region. Future activities will include monitoring public participation in environmental decision making, seminars on conducting public hearings and the development of a database on environmental matters on the website of the Eastern Kazakhstan Aarhus Centre. As a result of the event, a set of recommendations was developed that aimed to build a more effective partnership between the regional authorities and the Aarhus Centre for better implementation of the Aarhus Convention.

The event is part of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana’s multi-year efforts to advance the international standards of the Aarhus Convention in Kazakhstan.