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What is the Green Access Project? Background and Purposes

What is the Green Access Project? Background and Purposes. Prof. Dr. Noriko Okubo Osaka University, JAPAN. Japanese Initiative. ・ Japan is not a party to the Aarhus Convention. ・ However, historically there are widespread grassroots activities on energy saving and nature conservation.

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What is the Green Access Project? Background and Purposes

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  1. What is the Green Access Project?Background and Purposes Prof. Dr. Noriko Okubo Osaka University, JAPAN

  2. Japanese Initiative ・Japan is not a party to the Aarhus Convention. ・However, historically there are widespread grassroots activities on energy saving and nature conservation. ・After the Rio Conference in 1992 the Japanese government has recognized the importance of public participation.

  3. Japan Fund for Global Environment (JFGE) ・ Established in 1993 ・ Supporting environmental NGOs in Japan and developing countries. http://www.erca.go.jp/jfge/english/index.html

  4. GEOC and EPO ・Global Environmental Outreach Centre and the Environmental Partnership Office were established in cooperation with the UN University in 1996. http://www.geoc.jp/english/

  5. Councils and proposal systems ・ Since the early 1990s, various councils and proposal systems have been legally introduced.

  6. Background of the Green Access Project ・Japan has experienced a remarkable development in public participation in environmental issues. ・However, there have been some criticisms of its effectiveness. There are many unsolved environmental issues.

  7. What are the reasons? ・Environmental right and the Green Access Rights have not been sufficiently guaranteed in Japan. ・The weakest point: Access to justice ・Many cases have been dismissed just because of lack of standing. ・NGOs don’t have standing.

  8. Purposes of the Green Access Project ・ To propose appropriate Green Access models for Japanese society, which could simultaneously meet global standards and preserve the historical and original achievements that have arisen as a result of the leading environmental cases in Japan

  9. Perspectives : three options at the international level • To ratify the Aarhus Convention, • To strengthen the UNEP • Guideline in 2010, • To amend the existing • international conventions and • frameworks

  10. UNEP Guideline ・ UNEP Guideline should and could be strengthened and concretized. ・ As to legislation, we can recognize a better and broader guarantee of the Green Access in other Asian countries, especially access to justice, than in Japan. ・However, the problem is implementation.

  11. Need for cooperation ・ More realistic and speedy to pursue the third option: For this we require the intensive support of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention. ・ Pressure should be continuously maintained to compel the government to ratify the Aarhus Convention.

  12. Call for international conference ・30 March 2013, at Awajishima, a small island near Osaka, Japan Nature Awaking Continuation

  13. Call for international conference ・ 30 March 2013, at Awajishima, a small island near Osaka, Japan Nature Awaking Continuation Thank you for your attention!

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