In 2004 the environmental
performance reviews (EPR) of Bosnia and Herzegovina
and Tajikistan were adopted. For the first time voluntary
interim reports on the implementation of EPRs were
provided to the UNECE, by the representatives of Armenia,
the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. All three countries
indicated the usefulness of the reviews as the EPRs
had had a significant influence on the actions taken
to improve management of the environment and natural
resources. They also contributed to strengthening
cooperation among various sectors of the administrations
and gave impetus to a better understanding of environmental
problems in different institutions.
The first Regional Implementation
Forum for Sustainable Development within the UNECE
region took place in January 2004. The meeting provided
a contribution in the form of a Chair’s summary
on the priority items, human settlements, water and
sanitation and related cross-sectoral issues to the
United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development
at its twelfth session in April 2004.
The Convention on Long-range Transboundary
Air Pollution celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary
in 2004 and the Executive Body for the Convention
celebrated the occasion by a special event. A book
on the past and future of the Convention with foreword
by the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was produced
as part of the Anniversary activities. The Executive
Body initiated new work on heavy metals for the Review
of the Protocol on Heavy Metals that entered into
force at the end of 2003, including activities to
reduce the health impacts of particulate matter.
Early 2004 UNECE and UNESCAP published
jointly the report "Strengthening cooperation
for rational and efficient use of water and energy
resources in Central Asia", which included an
updated account of the situation in the Aral Sea Basin
and a regional strategy for more sustainable use of
energy and water resources that has been endorsed
by four countries in the region. The project Capacity
for Water Cooperation (CWC) was launched with a first
Workshop in Kiev in November, which was the start
of a three-year networking and capacity-building project
for the countries in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus
and Central Asia (EECCA) implemented under the UNECE
Water Convention. This project is also a UNECE contribution
to the EECCA Environmental Strategy and the EU Water
Initiative. The role of the ecosystem as a water supplier
was the theme of a seminar in Geneva in December.
Recommendations from this seminar will be presented
at the thirteenth session of the Commission on Sustainable
Development (New York, 11-22 April 2005).
The third meeting of the Parties
to the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) in a Transboundary Context (Cavtat, Croatia,
June 2004) included the first meeting of the Signatories
to the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment.
The third meeting of the Parties
of the Industrial Accidents Convention was held (Budapest,
October 2004) where an internationally supported assistance
programme for the Eastern European, Caucasian and
Central Asian as well as South-Eastern European countries
was launched to support countries in these subregions
to enhance their efforts in implementing the Convention.
Major challenges for 2005
include, as mandated by the World Summit on Sustainable
Development, that more efforts shall be undertaken
to promote regional implementation of the Johannesburg
Plan of Implementation, notably through providing
an input to the UNECE Regional Meeting expected to
be held towards the end of 2005. The focus will be
on air pollution, climate change, energy and industry.
Further input will also be provided to the Commission
on Sustainable Development Preparatory Meeting in
February/March 2005.
The second meeting of the Parties
to the Convention on Access to Information, Public
Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice
in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention), to be
held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in May 2005, will provide
an opportunity for the Parties to formally review
the implementation of the Convention. It will be the
first test of the Convention's innovative compliance
and reporting mechanisms, both of which allow the
public, including NGOs, to provide inputs. Parties
will also aim to resolve the controversial question
of whether the Convention should be amended to give
the public more concrete rights to participate in
decision-making on activities with genetically modified
organisms.
A High-Level Meeting of Environment
and Education Ministries will be convened in cooperation
with UNESCO on 17-18 March 2005 as a follow-up to
the fifth "Environment for Europe" Conference
in Kiev. The draft UNECE Strategy for education for
sustainable development will be forwarded to the High-level
Meeting for final consideration. The Strategy, a flexible
framework to be adapted when implemented to each country's
priorities, needs and circumstances, was felt to be
a solid regional contribution for the UN Decade on
Education for Sustainable Development with UNESCO
as lead agency. UNESCO sees the UNECE Strategy as
a possible example for other UN regions.
The environmental performance review
programme will be continued with second reviews. Belarus
and the Republic of Moldova will be reviewed in 2005.
Discussions will begin on the agenda
and the overarching theme for the next Environment
for Europe Ministerial Meeting, to be held in Belgrade
in 2007.
The Steering Committee on Transport,
Health and Environment Pan-European Programme (THE
PEP) will implement priority items like the establishment
of a clearing house mechanism and key policy relevant
issues.