Moldova became the thirty-third Party to ratify the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (Kyiv Protocol) to the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) of the   United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), IPN reports.

According to a press release of the UNECE, this ratification demonstrates the universal relevance of the Protocol also for countries with economies in transition. The decision is very timely, as it comes shortly before the second session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol that will take place in Maastricht in June. There Parties will take decisions on a number of strategic issues, including the Protocol’s new strategic plan, its work program and the global promotion of the Protocol.

Moldova has been actively engaged in the activities under the Aarhus Convention and   the Protocol and has contributed to the promotion of the principles of these two legal instruments both within and beyond the UNECE region. A few remarkable examples of its commitment include the country’s effective participation in the Global Round Table on PRTRs of November 2013.

The Aarhus Convention was signed in the Danish city of Aarhus on June 25, 1998. As of May 2013, it had been ratified by 45 states and the European Union. The Aarhus Convention grants the public rights regarding access to information, public participation and access to justice, in governmental decision-making processes on matters concerning the local, national and transboundary environment. It focuses on interactions between the public and public authorities.