Tbilisi - Resolution of NGO Conference
EECCA Environmental Strategy Conference of Environment Ministers
10.11.2004 |Sascha Gabizon
At the Kiev Ministerial Conference Environment for Europe in 2003, the
Ministers of the Western Europe and the EECCA countries (Eastern
European, Caucasus and Central Asia) agreed on a non-binding
partnership for an Environmental Strategy for EECCA countries. More
than a year after Kiev 2003, no steps have been taken by the EECCA
countries to implement the strategy and at the Tbilisi meeting last
week, the EECCA countries were not well represented. The NGOs have
worked during 1,5 days to prepare their input into the Ministerial
conference. See the message of Victoria Elias of Eco-Forum and the NGO
declaration included (English and Russian versions)
The NGO Resolution:
EECCA Environmental Strategy: Prerequisites for Successful Implementation
(Tbilisi, Georgia, October 20-21, 2004)We, the representatives of 50 non-governmental organizations of 12 European, Caucasian and Central Asian countries, participants to the Conference – EECCA Environmental Strategy: Prerequisites for Successful Implementation, together with our colleagues from other UNECE countries, express our hope that the Tbilisi Ministerial Meeting will create new incentives for improvement of international and interregional cooperation in the field of protection of environment, rational use of natural resources and sustainable development of the region. We consider the EECCA Environmental Strategy Partnership, developed under the Environment for Europe Process, the important tool for improving environmental conditions in the Region. Strategy shall become the effective tool in development of international and intersectorial cooperation.
Having discussed the course of implementation of EECCA Environmental Strategy, we would like to mention that:
During the period after the Fifth Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference (Kiev, 2003), EECCA Environmental Strategy did not result in practical implications and did not result in activities to improve transboundary cooperation and environmental conditions within the region. It is not included into the legislation of the countries, and in many of them, performance of the authorities responsible for implementation of the Strategy is not effective. Reports of the countries on implementation of Environmental Strategy include only local activities under other processes, and do not concern the Environmental Strategy itself. The National Action Plans on Environmental Strategy are not developed and approved.
We expected much more from the Tbilisi Meeting in respect to the format, preparatory process and level of countries’ representation. Unfortunately only Ministers of Environment take part in this conference, while ministries of Economy and Finances of this region were represented in Almaty-2000.
Until now, the main driving forces of the Environmental Strategy are international organizations, donor countries and the non-governmental sector.
The EECCA region requires permanent, systematic and coordinated efforts directed towards the Strategy and the elaboration of tools – mainly economical – for its implementation.
We insist that governments of EECCA countries
- take an active role in Strategy implementation, ascertain their special responsibility in the conservation of the environment and achievement of sustainable development in the region;
- provide a transparent and environmentally favorable taxation regime for all environmental activities in their countries;
- demonstrate political will and create at the national level Strategy implementation intersectoral coordination body, with participation of national coordinators, NGOs, business sector, mass media and other stakeholders, and obligatory involvement of representatives of Ministries of Economics, Finances and Social Development by February 1, 2005.
- commit themselves to establish clear time-bound targets for implementation of the Strategy objectives, prepare and present country reports on the first stage of the Strategy implementation at the Ministerial meeting in Almaty-2005;
We call all the Strategy Partners to
- maximally ensure coordination of implementation process and promoting synergism with other international and national processes, programs and plans concerned with protection of the environment, rational use of natural resources, sustainable development, human rights, abolition of corruption, improvement of governance, financing for transition to sustainable models of production and consumption, achieving Millennium Development Goals, etc.;
- ensure wider involvement of local authorities, local governance bodies, private sector (business, industry, banks), non-governmental organizations, confessions and other major groups into the process of resolving regional environmental problems;
- widely use local expertise potential, including that of the non-governmental organizations;
- develop and adopt a system of indicators for Strategy implementation according to the proposals made by European Eco-Forum, including:
- Indicators demonstrating political will of the
- Governments in resolution of problems existing in this field;
- Activity Indicators, demonstrating progress in implementation of the planned activities;
- Result Indicators, demonstrating, how the implemented activities influence the state of the environment.
- concentrate on carrying out the practical steps, turning from words to action in the framework of full cycle: political planning, technologies, implementation, monitoring;
- establish dialogue and active collaboration between East and West for effective Strategy implementation;
- develop and implement social partnership mechanisms in the EECCA region;
- develop international cooperation based on tolerance in resolution of transboundary problems.
Aiming at more effective involvement of the business sector in Strategy implementation:
- provide with assistance in transition to progressive international standards and principles (ISO, etc.), to promote as a priority corporate social responsibility, inter alia transition to cleaner production, in EECCA region;
- actively participate in the creation of national and international tools of cooperation with business sector and development of social partnerships;
- ensure wider application of social responsibility principles in businesses.
We call upon the donor partners providing financial assistance for Strategy implementation, to ensure pubic participation in all projects and programs.
For the purposes of raising the efficiency of new regional environmental centers’ (new RECs) performance in Strategy implementation, within the frames of their mandate, to create the EECCA NGO Council, which will promote development of the dialogue and improvement of cooperation, ensure transparency of new RECs’ performance and selection of regional priorities in their activities.
NGOs of the EECCA region have established an initiative group which, by December 1, 2004, will present the draft regulation and provisions on the activities of the Council.
We offer to organize a conference-dialogue in the EECCA region, which will be dedicated to improve the efficiency of the new RECs’ performance.
Role of NGOs in the Implementation of EECCA Environmental Strategy
NGOs on the platform of the European Eco-Forum are recognized and registered as official partners in the implementation of EECCA Environmental Strategy at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 2002) and the Ministerial Conference Environment for Europe (Kiev, 2003). Nevertheless, participation of NGOs in the official process is limited now.
Despite the notable increase of public participation and high capacity of NGOs in the region, that is recognized by all participants of the process, many NGO initiatives do not receive support and attention, or they are simply ignored. NGOs are ready for efficient partnership, but lack the financial resources. Lack of support from their own countries and significant reduction of international donor assistance are matters of special concern, since the development of civil society has principal importance for development end effective protection of the environment. We are highly concerned with the increasing pressure on non-governmental sector in majority of EECCA region countries, including those which are parties to the Aarhus Convention.
EECCA NGOs declare their readiness to:
- promote and participate in development and perfection of environmental policy and legislation in the EECCA region;
- actively participate in identifying of national priorities in the environmental field;
- promote development of intersectorial collaboration;
- actively participate in the implementation of specific environmental projects;
- carry out public monitoring of Strategy implementation;
- promote involvement of wide strata of population in Strategy implementation through providing access to information, education and training, including cooperation with mass media.
Download the conference presentation by Sascha Gabizon (ppt.).
