A public consultation on draft elements for a long-term strategic plan for the Aarhus Convention, prepared by the Convention's Ad Hoc Expert Group on Long-Term Strategic Planning, was held from 6 March - 31 May 2007. To ensure an open and inclusive process, this draft was widely circulated to stakeholders, publicized in the Aarhus Clearinghouse and made available on the Convention's website.
This is part of a process which is expected to lead to the adoption of a long-term strategic plan for the Convention by the Meeting of the Parties to the Convention at its third meeting (June 2008).
The results of this consultation may be viewed by clicking here.
Background
Since its adoption in 1998, the Aarhus Convention has grown rapidly. The Convention's Parties now include the majority of States in Europe and Central Asia. Following the Convention’s growth and in order to manage its future evolution in a structured and efficient way, the Parties concluded that a long-term strategic plan for its future direction was required.
The secretariat prepared a background document on the topic to facilitate the preparation of a plan. At its second meeting, through Decision II/8, the Meeting of the Parties (the main governing body of the Convention) mandated the development of a strategic plan for the Convention covering a five-year period starting in 2009.
An Expert Group for LTSP
Following a proposal from the Bureau, the Working Group of the Parties agreed at its sixth meeting (April 2006) upon a procedure for preparing a long-term strategic plan. The Bureau then established an expert group to develop elements for a long-term strategic plan. The group consists of 11 experts who were drawn from different backgrounds (government, NGOs, academia, etc.) and serve in their personal capacity, without formally representing any government or organization.
The members of the Expert Group are:
| Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Prof. Marc Pallemaerts | Institute for European Environmental Policy, Belgium (Chairperson) |
| Ms. Nino Gokhelashvili | Ministry of Environment, Georgia |
| Dr. Jerzy Jendroska | University of Wroclaw, Poland |
| Prof. Svitlana Kravchenko | University of Oregon, USA |
| Dr. Francesco La Camera | University of Rome, Italy |
| Ms. Bettina Lorz (up to April 2007) |
European Commission |
| Ms. Eija Lumme | Ministry of Environment, Finland |
| Ms. Anna Muner | Ministry of Environment, Austria |
| Ms. Mara Silina | European Environmental Bureau |
| Prof. Attila Tanzi | University of Verona, Italy |
| Ms. Magda Toth Nagy | Head of Public Participation Programme, REC for CEE |
The Expert Group is expected to prepare draft elements of the plan for consideration by the Bureau. On the basis of the Expert Group's work, the Bureau will then prepare a draft of the plan for consideration by the Working Group of the Parties, with a view to its consideration and eventual adoption at the third ordinary meeting of the Parties in May 2008.