Fifty-two ministers expected in Chisinau for Aarhus Convention event

During 29 June - 1 July 2011, Moldova will be the host of the 4th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention, which will bring together official delegations from the 52 signatory states of the Aarhus Convention, as well as a great number of environmental NGO members and representatives of donor organizations. The official delegations will be headed by the respective environment ministers. Ilia Trombitchi, the director of the Moldova-based NGO Eco-Tiras, which is one of the event's organizers, told Info-Prim Neo that the session will involve discussions on three key areas: access to environmental information, citizen participation in environmental decision-making and access of the public to justice in environmental matters. The Aarhus Convention's Compliance Committee earlier recommended Moldova to develop an action plan for the implementation of the Convention's provisions, to adopt a number of relevant legislative measures and improve access to environmental information. The Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters was signed in Aarhus on 25 June 1998. A year later, on 7 August 1999, Moldova ratified the document. The Meetings of the Parties, which take place once in three years, represent the supreme body of the Convention.