Environment

Major achievements in 2003

The Fifth Ministerial Conference "Environment for Europe" in Kiev from 21 to 23 May 2003, was prepared and conducted with success, with the UNECE functioning as the coordinating secretariat for the process. The Ministers in Kiev adopted three new protocols to UNECE conventions: the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment requires its Parties to evaluate the environmental and health consequences of their draft plans and programmes; the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers strives to enhance public access to information through nationwide inventories of pollution from industrial sites and other sources; and the Protocol on Civil Liability will give individuals affected by the transboundary impact of industrial accidents on international watercourses a legal claim for adequate and prompt compensation. The Kiev Conference adopted, in addition, Guidelines for Strengthening Compliance with and Implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements in the UNECE region and a regional Convention on the Carpathians. The Environment Strategy for Countries of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) as well as the preparation of the "Environment, water and security partnership in Central Asia", launched at the Kiev Conference, contribute, for their part, to further defining the key environmental priorities in this subregion, and call for additional joint efforts at the national, regional and international level for solving them. Moreover, a number of other important decisions were taken related to energy for sustainable development, water for sustainable development, biodiversity and education. The UNECE Ad Hoc Working Group on Environmental Monitoring contributed to the European Environment Agency's Third Assessment of Europe's environment, which was adopted at the Kiev Conference. The continuation of the process through regular ministerial conferences was strongly supported by the participants.

An active environmental input was provided for the Commission's session in March 2003, as well as for that of the Commission on Sustainable Development in April 2003 with regard to the regional follow-up to the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The discussion focused on the experiences of national strategies and regional added value of work on sustainable development.

The Committee on Environmental Policy adopted the environmental performance review (EPR) of Georgia at its special session in February 2003. The peer review of Azerbaijan was conducted and submitted for adoption by the Committee at its tenth session in October 2003. A ten year review of the EPR process, including recommendations for the future of the review process, was prepared for adoption at the Kiev Conference. The first round of reviews in the countries in transition of the region has almost been completed and is being followed up by a second round of reviews with a focus on implementation of national policy targets and legislation as well as of international commitments such as conventions and regional strategies.

The Committee prepared "Future UNECE strategic directions for the environment" in close consultation with the UNECE environmental convention bodies for adoption in October 2003. The Strategy assesses the UNECE environmental achievements and challenges so far, the changing political and economic landscape and its implications for the UNECE environmental work as well as its environmental contribution to sustainable development.

The first session of the Steering Committee for Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme (THE PEP) was organized jointly with the World Health Organization's Regional Office for Europe and the UNECE Transport Division in April 2003. Based on the proposal of the secretariat, THE PEP Steering Committee endorsed its programme of work containing four main activities to be implemented during 2003 to 2005: (i) establishment of an Internet- based clearing house on transport, environment and health for disseminating information and best practice and for building capacity, (ii) promotion of good practice in sustainable and healthy urban transport and planning through the organization of a workshop and through the Internet, (iii) promotion of progress in the valuation of costs of transport-related health effects, in particular on children, (iv) further development of indicators on integration of environmental and health aspects into transport policies.

Major challenges for 2004

As mandated by the World Summit on Sustainable Development, more efforts will be made to promote regional imple mentation of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, notably by providing input to the UNECE regional meeting to be held in January 2004, which will focus on human settlements, water and sanitation.

In line with the request of the Ministers in Kiev, the Committee on Environmental Policy in consultation with the other principal subsidiary bodies (PSBs) and in cooperation with other relevant organizations will monitor the outcome of the Kiev Declaration and reflect the relevant commitments of the Declaration in its work programme. As part of the Kiev follow-up, work will be carried out in particular to promote the implementation of the EECCA Strategy, to develop a communication strategy to raise awareness of the "Environment for Europe" process, and to finalize a strategy for education for sustainable development.

The environmental review programme will be continued on the basis of the recommendations adopted by the Committee and endorsed at the Kiev Conference. Significant policy issues in the reviewed countries will be identified for discussion within the Committee. Peer reviews will be carried out in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in Tajikistan.

Activities within the Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme shall be further implemented in coordination with the other sectors. THE PEP Steering Committee will be convened in Spring 2004 to review progress.

The implementation of and compliance with existing legal instruments on the environment will be further stressed, for instance by making use of the Guidelines adopted at the Kiev Conference. Informal discussions between the Bureaux of the Committee and the governing bodies of the conventions will be pursued with a view to sharing experiences and ideas on concrete issues that are common to the conventions.