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Gerard.Cunningham@unep

First Meeting of the Aarhus Convention Task Force on Electronic Information Tools Sofia, 23 – 24 June , 2003. UNEP.Net initiative on Access to Environmental Information. Gerard.Cunningham@unep.org. Many different sources of definitions European Union Council Directive 90/313/EEC

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Gerard.Cunningham@unep

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  1. First Meeting of the Aarhus Convention Task Force on Electronic Information Tools Sofia, 23 – 24 June , 2003 UNEP.Net initiative on Access to Environmental Information Gerard.Cunningham@unep.org

  2. Many different sources of definitions European Union Council Directive 90/313/EEC Europe’s Environment – The Dobris Assessment, 1995 Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (1998) Any information in written, visual, aural, electronic or any other material form on: (a)The state of elements of the environment, such as air and atmosphere, water, soil, land, landscape and natural sites, biological diversity and its components, including genetically modified organisms, and the interaction among these elements; (b)Factors, such as substances, energy, noise and radiation, and activities or measures, including administrative measures, environmental agreements, policies, legislation, plans and programmes, affecting or likely to affect the elements of the environment within the scope of subparagraph (a) above, and cost-benefit and other economic analyses and assumptions used in environmental decision-making; (c)The state of human health and safety, conditions of human life, cultural sites and built structures, inasmuch as they are or may be affected by the state of the elements of the environment or, through these elements, by the factors, activities or measures referred to in subparagraph (b) above; Environmental Information

  3. Characteristics of Environmental Information

  4. Barriers to Information Access

  5. Accessto Environmental Information--- a multi-layered challenge

  6. Environmental Information Service(UNEP Governing Council decision 20/5) A formal service providing wide-ranging and authoritative information to anyone who needs it Definition

  7. The UNEP-Infoterra Global Network INFOTERRA 177 government designated national focal points (Environmental Information Centres)

  8. National Environmental Information Centre The communication hub Federal Ministries (Environmental Planning & Management) Local Authorities (Environmental Planning & Management) Media Contacts Ministry of Environment National Environmental Information Centre Thematic Environmental Networks & Information Clearinghouses Environmental Education (Formal & non-formal) Environmental Protection Agency Libraries & Documentation Centres Internet/www NGOs & Civil Society

  9. ENFO - Environmental Information Centre17 St Andrew St, Dublin, Ireland

  10. Issue National Thematic Centre EnvironmentalPolicy Namibia Economic Policy Research Unit Desertification Desert Research Foundation DevelopmentPlanning National Planning Commission Mining Chamber of Mines EnvironmentalResearch Multidisciplinary Research Centre WasteManagement De Beers NGO liaison Namibian Non- governmental Forum INFOTERRA - NAMIBIA

  11. Structure of Information Service Component Services Chemicals (PRTRs) Biosafety and green consumerism Energy efficiency Waste Management Development planning (EISs) Air quality Water quality

  12. http://www.UNEP.Net http://www.UNEP.Net

  13. What is UNEP.Net ? Global partnership for the delivery of environmental data and information. 3 inter-locking components: • Global Environmental Network of the United Nations (the network of providers of environmental data and information working with UNEP or known to UNEP). • Global Environmental Information Portal (one Internet gateway to a multitude of sources accessible via multiple pathways). • Global Environmental Information System (a system comprised of a networking component and various information delivery mechanisms).

  14. UNEP.Net Management Structure

  15. Policy • Law (MEAs, national legislation), policy, strategies, action plans, programmes, guidelines, regulations,etc. (national down to municipal level) Assessment • Major themes -Air, land, water, biodiversity. Hotspots. Monitoring. • Effect of pollutants on health • EISs, Industrial facilities (PRTR) Management • Best practice, methodologies, case studies, education & awareness raising Other • Early warning advisories, disasters • Environmental emergencies, accidents “Content is the King”

  16. Basic Characteristics of an Information Resource • Theme • Geographic scope • Resource type (Map, Database, Technical report, Graphic, Press release, etc) Examples: • a map showing forest cover in Kenya • an assessment report of the groundwater quality in Botswana • a database of endangered flora species in Ghana

  17. UNEP.Net approach to content development • Catalogue priority content in the Environment Directory (institutions and their info/data resources) • Extract priority content from existing services on the web (ECOLEX, Proteus, GEO data portal) • Possible future application of information agents for trawling the web for other useful content

  18. Definitions – Information Service and Portal • An information service (application) provides access to information resources of a particular type (irrespective of theme and geographic scope) • A portal draws information and data from global UNEP.Net information services and, in the absence of a comprehensive service, points to information resources on authoritative web sites.

  19. NGO Profile to portal evolution Country profile NGO Administrator Govt. Administrator Country portal Decentralizedadministration Austrian Ecobureau (Ökobüro) UBA ECOLEX (Law)

  20. Where from (ETTF) ? • Discussion paper on the use of electronic tools in the implementation of the Aarhus Convention prepared by European ECO Forum, REC/CEE and UNEP/INFOTERRA (Cavtat, July 2000) • Workshop on the use of electronic tools in the implementation of the Aarhus Convention (Arendal, 8-9 March 2001) • Decision I/6 on electronic tools adopted by the first meeting of the Parties to the Convention (Lucca, Oct 2002). Bulgaria leading ETTF. • Best practice compendium (www.rec.org/e-aarhus) • Aarhus Capacity Building Service (Decision I/10) • First Meeting ETTF (Sofia, 23-24 June 2003)

  21. Where to next? • Need to assess access • Important role for NGO partners • WRI’s Access Initiative (TAI) (www.accessinitiative.org) • Document best practice (or lack of) • Transfer best practice (I/10) • Capacity Building (Aarhus Service)

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