EUROPEAN ECO FORUM NEWSLETTER

No 41

MARCH 2009

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In this issue:

1.SETTING TARGETS UNDER THE PROTOCOL ON WATER AND HEALTH

2.FOURTH MEETING OF THE UNECE STEERING COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ESTABLISHES A NEW EXPERT GROUP

3.FIRST UNECE WORKSHOP ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN HOUSING

4. 25th SESSION OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL / GLOBAL MINISTERIAL ENVIRONMENT FORUM OF UNEP ADOPTS A LANDMARK DECISION ON MERCURY

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1. SETTING TARGETS UNDER THE PROTOCOL ON WATER AND HEALTH

Workshop on setting targets and reporting under the Protocol on Water and Health and the second meeting of the Task Force on Indicators and Reporting took place in Geneva on 10-12 February 2009.

Participants included more then 50 representatives from Parties to the 1999 Protocol as well as from non-Parties.  Six NGO representatives took part in the workshop (Anna Tsvetkova, Mama-86, Coordinator of the Water Issue Group at European ECO Forum; Sascha Gabizon,  Natalia Dejean and Claudia Wendland from Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF);  Elmira Joldosheva, Central Asian Alliance for Water; Ketevan Kiria, Friends of the Earth Georgia; and Emma Anakhasyan, Armenian Women for Health & Healthy Environment).

The Protocol on Water and Health requires Parties to establish and publish national and/or local targets and target dates in different areas in order to achieve or maintain a high level for the protection of human health and well-being and for the sustainable management of water resources. The task of the workshop was to discuss the revised draft Guidelines on setting targets, evaluation of progress and reporting and draft Guidelines for summary reports.

Participants addressed the following issues:

-Progress in setting targets under the Protocol (4 countries reported about target setting: Czech Republic, Hungary, Finland and Norway);

-Added value of the Protocol’s implementation for EU Member States and for countries of Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia; 

-Procedure for target setting and the importance of a coordination mechanism, as well as broad public participation and stakeholder involvement (Anna Tsvetkova from the European ECO Forum presented the experience on public participation in decision making process at local, national and regional levels);

-Existing tools, including Ad Hoc Project Facilitation Mechanism (AHPFM), rapid assessment, baseline studies, monitoring, tools for assessing costs (FEASIBLE) for setting targets,

-Target setting under climate change, and links between implementation of the Protocol and  EU Water Framework Directive (WFD).

Workshop participants discussed the draft Guidelines for summary reports. The reporting mechanism under the Aarhus Convention was presented as an example.

During the meeting of the Task Force on Indicators and Reporting, the conclusions of the workshop were presented to and discussed by experts. The Task Force addressed draft Guidelines on setting targets, evaluation of progress and reporting and agreed on the main messages and specific recommendations of the guidelines, examples of good practices, tools, and studies to be included in the guidelines. MAMA-86 and WECF will provide examples of target setting at local level and introduction of water safety plans for rural areas.

The draft Guidelines for summary reports were also discussed. The finalization of both guidance documents is planned for the end of June 2009. The final documents will be discussed by the Working Group on Water and Health on 2-3 July 2009. The pilot reporting exercise will be organized in autumn 2009.

More information is available at: http://www.unece.org/env/water/meetings/target_setting_workshop.htm

For more information please contact:

Anna Tsvetkova, Mama-86

Coordinator of Water Issue Group of the European ECO Forum

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2. FOURTH MEETING OF THE UNECE STEERING COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ESTABLISHES A NEW EXPERT GROUP

The 4th meeting of the UN ECE Steering Committee on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) took place in Geneva, on 19 – 20 February 2009. The aim of the meeting was to discuss the implementation of the UNECE Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development, adopted at the High-level Meeting of Environment and Education Ministries (Vilnius, 17–18 March 2005) in the UNECE member states as well as to facilitate exchange of experience.

Delegates, mostly from the ministries of environment and the ministries of education, presented the situation in most of the UNECE member states. Almost all presentations were optimistic and often it seemed that the situation in ESD was ideal in all countries. But it was not difficult to recognize that the understanding of ESD is still very different – from “Education for Global Responsibility” in North European countries to education about nature protection in some, mostly Eastern countries. Still, not all member states have developed National Action Plans for ESD. Delegates discussed developing materials and tools to support teachers’ work on ESD. Some progress was achieved in this area, however much more needs to be done.
 
The meeting also addressed sustainable production and consumption. The publication “Here and Now. Education for sustainable consumption. Recommendations and Guidelines” was prepared through cooperation of UNEP and the Marrakech Task Force on Education for Sustainable Consumption led by Italy. This publication will be presented at the UNESCO World Conference on ESD and is oriented on sustainable consumption and sustainable lifestyle.
 
The following events and actions were presented too:
Move 4 Nature – Carpathian countries;
ENSI Conference “Learning for Future”;
Formation of new Copernicus Alliance – Coalition of universities for Sustainable Development;
Mediterranean Program;
and UNESCO Activities.
 
Participants were informed about the results achieved by the Expert Group on Indicators for ESD. The Expert Group did a really good job and, if countries take the developed questionnaire seriously, there will be a real possibility to compare progress in ESD in the UNECE member states. With that the Expert Group has completed its work.
 
The most important topic for next period is the lack of competences in the area of ESD as well as diverging views as to what these competencies should entail. To address this challenging issue, the Steering Committee accepted the proposal to establish an Expert Group on Competences in ESD. This new Expert Group will work to prepare general recommendations for policymakers and will address core competences in ESD for educators. It will commence its two-year work program in Fall 2009. The European ECO Forum nominated Mr. Paul Vare as NGO representative for this Group.
 
More information and documents are available at http://www.unece.org/env/esd/SC.Meet.htm#4thMtg

For more information contact:

Jiri Dloughy, Society for Sustainable Living, Czech Republic

Coordinator of the Education Issue Group at European ECO Forum

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3. FIRST UNECE WORKSHOP ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN HOUSING

The Committee on Housing and Land Management of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has announced the First UNECE Workshop on Energy Efficiency in Housing. The Workshop will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria on 21-22 April 2009 (with an optional site tour day on 23 April 2009).

The First Workshop will review and discuss challenges and opportunities for the ECE region in order to identify necessary policy measures, as well as to provide UNECE member States with policy guidance and suggestions on how to increase energy efficiency in the housing sector. The Workshop will review economic, social and environmental impacts of energy efficiency in housing, will consider current policies, solutions and barriers to effective policies, and will discuss priorities that need to be addressed by international and national governments.

Speakers will include leading international experts and leaders of interested agencies. Discussions will further involve more than a hundred delegates representing national, regional and local governments of the UNECE countries, research and consultancy centres, other national and international organisations.

Representatives of governments, business practitioners, academic experts, as well as other interested professionals and individuals are welcomed to register for the workshop before 6 April 2009. Participation at the Workshop is free of charge. The working languages are English and Russian.

More information is available at http://www.ee-housing.com

4. 25th SESSION OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL / GLOBAL MINISTERIAL ENVIRONMENT FORUM OF UNEP ADOPTS A LANDMARK DECISION ON MERCURY

The 25th session of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC-25/GMEF) took place from 16-20 February 2009, in Nairobi, Kenya. Over 1000 participants, including 110 ministers, attended the meeting. Ministerial consultations addressed the themes of “Global crises: national chaos?” and “International environmental governance: help or hindrance?”

The Governing Council adopted a landmark decision to elaborate a legally binding instrument on mercury through the work of an intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC). The INC will commence its work in 2010 with the goal of completing its work by the 27th session of the Governing Council in 2013.

On the issue of international environmental governance (IEG), the Governing Council decided to establish a regionally representative consultative group of ministers or high-level representatives, comprising two to four governments from each UN region, while remaining open to other interested governments. This group has the task to present options for improving IEG to the 11th special session.

The Governing Council did not approve the Draft guidelines for the development of national legislation on access to information, public participation and access to justice in environmental matters and the Draft guidelines for the development of national legislation on liability, response action and compensation of damage caused by activities dangerous to the environment. It requested the Secretariat to carry out further work on both documents with a view to the adoption by the GC/GMEF at its next special session.

Other decisions include, inter alia, such issues as the world environment situation, environmental law, intergovernmental science-policy platform on biodiversity, support to Africa in environmental management and protection, and the environmental situation in Gaza.

More information is available at:

UNEP http://www.unep.org/gc/gc25/

ENB/IISD http://www.iisd.ca/unepgc/25unepgc/

For more information on decision on mercury, please contact:

Elena Lymberidi-Settimo
Project Coordinator Zero Mercury Campaign

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For more information on Draft Guidelines, please contact:

Mara Silina

Chair of the CB and Coordinator of the Public Participation Campaign of the European ECO Forum

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European ECO Forum Newsletter is published by

the European ECO Forum Communication Unit,

hosted by ECO-Accord, Russia

Editor: Iulia Trombitcaia

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