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Capacity Building activities

Access to justice constitutes one of the three pillars of the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (the Aarhus Convention). It is set out in article 9  of the Convention and is one of the most important prerequisites for effective public participation in environmental decision-making and thus effective environmental protection and the rule of law.

Through decision VI/3 (ENG, FRE, RUS), the Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention welcomed the establishment of a network of the judiciary, judicial training institutions and other review bodies in the pan-European region under the auspices of the Task Force to promote the exchange of experiences in access to justice and the enforcement of the rule of law in environmental matters, and encourages the cooperation of the network with networks of other legal professionals. The Meeting of the Parties also invited Parties and signatories to support the participation of representatives of the judiciary, judicial training institutions and other review bodies in the network, invites other such networks to participate in this initiative and calls on partner organizations to support the initiative.

 

Events

Judicial Colloquium "Judicial protection of human rights and public interests against environmental pollution from chemicals and wastes",  Geneva 3-4 April 2023

Judicial Colloquium "Adjudication of cases related to climate change and air quality", Geneva, 27-28 April 2022

Judicial Colloquium “SDG16: Role of Judiciary in Promoting the Rule of Law in Environmental Matters”, Geneva, 27-28 February 2019

High-level Judicial workshop on Access to Justice in Environmental Matters for the Central Asian subregion, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 22 and 23 May 2012

High-level Judicial seminar on Access to Justice in Environmental Matters for the South Eastern European subregion, Tirana, Albania, 16-18 November 2008

High-level Judicial seminar on Access to Justice in Environmental Matters for Eastern Europe and South Caucasus subregions, Kyiv, Ukraine, 4-5 June 2007

Workshop on Access to Justice, Tallinn, Estonia, 17-19 September 2001

 

Capacity-building resource material


Key Guidance Material for the Aarhus Convention
Aarhus Clearinghouse, including library on protection of environmental defenders
Movie about the Aarhus Convention
E-learning Introductory Course: SDG16 and Access Rights, the Aarhus Convention and the Escazu Agreement
Analytical Studies
Jurisprudence Database
 

 

Training material by partner organizations


Training modules for judges and prosecutors on EU Environmental Law