First meeting of the Task Force on Public Participation in Decision-making

06 – 08 June 2012
Geneva, Switzerland

The First meeting of the Task Force on Public Participation in Decision-making (http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=29428) was organised as a joint workshop under the auspices of the Task Force on Public Participation in Decision-making of the Aarhus Convention and the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health (PWH) (http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/documents/2000/wat/mp.wat.2000.1.e.pdf) to the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) (http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/water/pdf/watercon.pdf) in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Forests of Romania and Women in Europe for a Common Future. 

The event covered a broad range of issues regarding public participation in environmental decision-making with a special focus on decision-making on water and health-related matters. The programme addressed key issues of concern for Parties and stakeholders, examining obstacles and challenges to effective public participation, and explored good practices and innovative tools to address them.
The meeting involved experts from countries of the UNECE region and from international organizations. AWHHE also was invited as an organization, who could offer an advanced expertise in public participation in environmental decision-making and in the implementation of the PWH.
Participants discussed and provided input on (1) new recommendations currently being prepared under the Aarhus Convention on public participation regarding environmental matters and (2) the new guidelines/manual for involving the public in consultations and decision-making processes being prepared under the PWH. 

AWHHE representative presented Public Participation in Implementation of PWH in Armenia and projects in water and sanitation field implemented by AWHHE.

(http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/pp/ppdm/Presentations/5.Anakhasyan_Armenia_AWHHE.pdf). 
AWHHE representative is involved in the drafting group on Public Participation under the framework of the PWH.