ECE wins regional award for impact assessment

Posted: Wednesday, 14 April 2010, Geneva | Author: Economic Commission for Europe
On 12 April, the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) received the 2010 Regional Award from the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA).  The award was presented at the Association’s annual conference, held in Geneva, with 700 participants from around the globe.
ECE was selected for this honour because of “its major contributions to the regional development of impact assessment, particularly through its role in the development and implementation of the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in a Transboundary Context and related Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment.”
The Convention is also known as the Espoo Convention, after the Finnish city where it was adopted in 1991.
Nick Bonvoisin, newly appointed as Secretary to the Espoo Convention after seven years in the secretariat of the Convention, accepted the award on behalf of Ján Kubiš, ECE Executive Secretary.
Nick said, “For me this is indeed an honour, as it is recognition by my professional peers of our work in UNECE.”
He was joined by Wiek Schrage, who retired in September 2009 after 20 years as Secretary to the Convention, and for whom it was perhaps of even greater importance.  Wiek returned to Geneva from retirement in Poland especially for the event.
About the Convention
The Espoo (EIA) Convention, which entered into force on 10 September 1997, sets out the obligations of Parties to assess the environmental impact of certain activities at an early stage of planning. It also lays down the general obligation of States to notify and consult each other on all major projects under consideration that are likely to have a significant adverse environmental impact across boundaries.