STATUS REPORT: No information

STATUS REPORT: No information

STATUS REPORT:

Convention on Biological Diversity

Parties are to develop national strategies, plans and programmes for sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity and integrate them into general development plans.

Parties shall identify, monitor and maintain data on components of biodiversity.

Parties shall introduce appropriate procedures requiring EIAs for projects likely to have significant adverse effects on biological diversity.

Parties shall submit reports on measures which it has taken for the implementation of the Convention, at intervals to be determined.

Convention

Signed: Not applicable

Ratified: Not applicable

Latest report submitted in 19--.: Not applicable

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

Parties to take appropriate measures to enforce regulatory provisions and prohibit trade in specimens in violation thereof. Convention also governs treatment of animals in shipment.

Each party to prepare periodic reports on its implementation of the convention and to prepare: (a) an annual report listing export permits issued and species involved, and (b) a biennial report on legislative, regulatory and administrative measures taken.

Convention signed in 19--. : No information

Latest report submitted in 19--.: No information

Additional comments relevant to this chapter: No information

STATUS REPORT:

Since 1987, the Senior Advisers to ECE Governments on Science and Technology has maintained an inventory of existing safety guidelines in biotechnology. They have collected information on existing laws and regulations and, where relevant, any planned measures in order to identify developments and national experience gained in this field. This information is collected in the form of national submissions and submissions from international organizations as well as their updates which are regularly issued in a special series of unrestricted documents in the three UN/ECE official languages. By the end of January 1997, the secretariat, acting as a depository for the national reports, regulations and legislation concerned, has in its possession contributions from 34 Governments and three international organizations (UNIDO, EC and OECD). In 1995, the UN/ECE secretariat produced a widely distributed publication entitled "ECE Inventory of Safety Guidelines in Biotechnology" (ECE/SC.TECH./47) which contains the latest submissions for the inventory.

STATUS REPORT:

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea

Signed in 19--: Not applicable

Ratified in 19--: Not applicable

STATUS REPORT: The implementation of chapter 18 of Agenda 21 is closely related to the implementation of the ECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, adopted at Helsinki on 17 March 1992 just three months before the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), as this Convention recognizes conflict prevention, the precautionary principle, the polluter-pays principle and the sustainability principle as guiding principles to protect and conserve not only water resources but also soil, flora, fauna, air, climate, landscape and cultural heritage. In addition, work under the auspices of ECE on water issues is based on the ECE Action Plan to Implement Agenda 21, submitted in May 1994 to the Commission on Sustainable Development at its second session.

Following the adoption of this Convention and of Agenda 21, ECE and its member countries have drawn up and are implementing a number of related soft-law instruments, such as guidelines and recommendations to Governments on the ecosystem approach in water management, water-quality criteria and objectives, pollution prevention from hazardous substances and industrial sectors, good agricultural practice, licensing waste-water discharges, and monitoring and assessment of transboundary waters. Assistance to countries in transition is a specific programme area of ECE under which training courses, workshops and pilot projects are carried out. Other organizations of the UN system (UNEP, WMO, WHO, FAO) as well as the European Environment Agency are being involved through memoranda of understanding or other arrangements.

With the entry into force of the Convention on 6 October 1996, Parties are currently preparing a draft action plan which will include other specific responses to activities set out in chapter 18, such as the eradication of water-related diseases and safe drinking-water supply which are expected to be jointly carried out by ECE and WHO-EURO and will lead to an international instrument.

STATUS REPORT:

The ECE Convention on the transboundary effects of industrial accidents aimed at the strengthening national capacity building and international cooperation in the prevention of, preparedness for and response to industrial accidents capable of causing transboundary effects through establishing and functioning points of contact for the purposes of industrial accident notification and mutual assistance, concluding bilateral and multilateral agreements, carrying out research and development in safety management and safety technology as well as exchange of experience and information in this field.

The activities under the Convention considerably contributes to two priority programme areas of UNCED, Agenda 21, Chapter 19: (a) Establishment of risk reduction programmes and (b) Strengthening of national capabilities and capacities for management of chemicals.

The Convention provides the procedures for the identification of hazardous activities capable causing transboundary effects and industrial accident notification and mutual assistance in the event of an industrial accident.

Strengthening of national capabilities and capacities for management of chemicals

Taking into account needs and priorities countries in transition (CIT) the meeting of the Signatories to the Convention has established two regional accident coordinating centre aiming at the setting up a network of relative national centres in CIT in order to enhance overall capacity building to prevent, prepare for and response to industrial accidents in the ECE region.

STATUS REPORT:

The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal

Parties shall cooperate to disseminate information on transboundary movement of hazardous wastes. Parties shall cooperate to promote environmentally sound low-waste technologies, to transfer technology and cooperate in developing codes of practice. Parties to assist developing countries.

Parties shall immediately inform affected parties as to accidents. Prior to the end of each calendar year, parties shall provide the following information on the preceding calendar year: (a) the authorities handling Convention matters; (b) information regarding the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes; (c) measures adopted to implement convention; (d) available statistics on human health and environmental effects of generation, transport and disposal of hazardous wastes; (e) information on agreements entered into; (f) information on accidents; (g) information on disposal options; and (h) information on development of waste-reduction technologies;

Basel Convention

Signed in 19-- : Not applicable

Ratified in 19-- : Not applicable

The latest information was provided to the Basel Convention Secretariat in 19--.: Not applicable

Additional comments relevant to this chapter: No information

STATUS REPORT: No information

STATUS REPORT: No information

STATUS REPORT: No information

STATUS REPORT ON LINKS BETWEEN NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION NETWORKS/SYSTEMS:

The Senior Advisers to ECE Governments on Science and Technology maintain an ECE inventory of existing safety guidelines in biotechnology as a contribution to developing environmentally sound biotechnologies.

Work in this field is aimed at increasing awareness about and need to introduce modern, environmentally sound technologies in the chemical industry, in particular among the countries in transition and promote and facilitate the introduction of cleaner production technologies, more efficient use of energy and raw materials and reduction of industrial waste.

Initiated in 1990 by the Bergen Ministerial Declaration on Sustainable Development in the ECE Region as a regional preparation for UNCED, the Energy Efficiency 2000 project is to enhance trade and cooperation in energy-efficient, environmentally sund technology and management practices between formally centrally planned economies and market economies.

STATUS REPORT ON NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE, RESEARCH NEEDS AND PRIORITIES: No information

STATUS REPORT:

Effectively implementing the objectives, policies and mechanisms for sustainable development agreed to by Governments requires the commitment and genuine involvement of all social groups. More specifically, one of the fundamental prerequisites for the achievement of sustainable development is broad public participation in decision-making. The promotion of this involvement has taken two forms, namely the participation of representatives of major groups in ECE meetings and the promotion of their participation in the decision-making process in the context of the implementation of legally binding instruments.

In the context of the legally binding instruments prepared under the auspices of the ECE, detailed provisions have been made for public involvement in environmental decision-making both at national and transboundary levels. In accordance with the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), for example, Parties will be obliged to establish an EIA procedure that permits public participation. Parties to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes will be obliged to ensure public access to the information on water-quality objectives, permit conditions, the results of monitoring and assessment, and on the results of checking compliance with water-quality objectives or permit conditions. Parties to the Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents will have to ensure that the public in the areas that may be affected by an industrial accident are given the information specified in the Convention. This applies not only to the public of the country in which the activity takes place, but also to the public of other countries likely to be affected. These provisions will serve as possible models in the further elaboration of international environmental laws.

Pursuant to the pertinent provisions of the Ministerial Declaration adopted at the 1995 Ministerial Conference "Environment for Europe" (Sofia, Bulgaria), in January 1996 the Committee on Environmental Policy decided to establish the Ad Hoc Working Group for the preparation of a draft convention on access to environmental information and public participation in environmental decision-making, taking into account relevant provisions of the recent ECE Conventions and of the Rio Declaration. The negotiations on the draft convention have been initiated in 1996. A large number of NGOs are taking part alongside governmental representatives. The NGO representatives, brought together in a coalition of national, European and international environmental NGOs, have decided to launch a two-year campaign to promote their ideas at the negotiations of this new Convention. The NGO delegation includes representatives of Friends of the Earth (FOE), the European Environmental Bureau, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) International, Ecojuris (Russian Federation) and others. The Convention should enable the public not only to have access to information on the environment, but above all to participate actively in environmental decision-making. This Convention, the fifth on the environment negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, could apply to the Commission's 55 member States.

STATUS REPORT ON NATIONAL ENDOGENOUS CAPACITY BUILDING:

ECE is the only organization in the region that can provide such a forum where cooperation is on an equal footing for all member countries including countries in transition. Since UNCED the main focus has evolved towards harmonizing the economic and sectoral development within the region. The ECE being the prime forum for intergovernmental review of sectoral priorities, identification of evolving problems and convergence of environmental quality and standards towards sustainability. There is also greater awareness particularly on the part of countries in transition on capacity building for sustainable development. Problems are better defined and countries are keenly aware of the absence of capacity to tackle them. The ECE provides the platform to address these problems and help these countries develop their own capacity (institutional and know-how) to resolve them.

Since UNCED, the ECE has implemented a new programme which support and promotes sustainable development: the Environmental Performance Reviews (EPRs) of member countries, in particular countries in transition. An EPR is an important tool for capacity building as it examines the extent to which a country meets its domestic objectives and international commitments in the area of environment. It is an efficient tool to assess the environmental situation in a country, and it facilitates the task of the country's authorities in further taking appropriate decisions to improve the environment. The EPR focuses upon all levels of capacity building; it evaluates national plans and policy, legislation, organizational capacity, enforcement, compliance and monitoring. It also assesses the success of integrating environmental and sectoral policies, as well as cross-sectoral communication e.g. with industry, NGOs and other public interest groups. ECE has carried out these activities in cooperation with OECD for Poland, Bulgaria and Belarus. ECE has finalized its review of Estonia and is now reviewing Slovenia. Albania and Moldova are next on the list of countries to be reviewed.

The Energy Efficiency 2000 project with funds from UNDP-GEF is coordinating activities for sustainable development . Work is underway to develop a joint project, Global Efficiency 21, with all five regional commissions. However, the global approach is dependent upon funding . ECE cooperated with UNEP in the context of the joint ECE/UNEP project on Strengthening Environmental Management Capabilities in Eastern and Central European Countries. The WHO Regional Committee for Europe and the ECE Committee on Environmental Policy cooperate under the European Environment and Health Committee established as a follow-up to the second European Conference on Environment and Health (Helsinki 1994). As part of its activities aimed at promoting sustainable industrial development, the ECE prepared and hosted a Round-table Conference on cooperation and industrial development.

The Gas Centre is supporting economic development through capacity building in the eastern countries. ECE is the coordinating body for the Centre which is supported by governments and industry. Capacity building is enhanced through training seminars, workshops and symposia. Under the framework of the ECE Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents, Regional Coordinating Centres have been established in Hungary and Poland aimed at enhancing capacity building to prevent, prepare for and respond to industrial accidents with particular emphasis on countries in transition.

Since September 1994, ECE has provided regional advisory services to countries in transition thus significantly increasing it's direct role in capacity building through missions undertaken by regional advisors which provide first-hand expertise, information and coordination. The direct contact between the regional advisors and government officials assures that capacity building is demand driven and not dictated from desk studies. The ECE regional advisors cover the various sectors (transport, energy, environment, industry, and trade). Collaboration and coordination between these advisors enhance the possibilities of ECE to provide a multi-sectoral approach to capacity building. Increased importance must be given the preparation of country strategy notes which should form the foundation for capacity building needs and requirements. These notes were primarily coordinated by UNDP and the Consultative Committee on Programme and Operational Activities (CCPOQ) recommended that the Regional Commissions be given a major role in their preparation.