Environmental issues in Kazakhstan focus of OSCE-supported training seminar

ASTANA. KAZINFORM The OSCE Programme Office in Astana supported a training seminar on conducting and monitoring public hearings as a tool for public participation in environmental decision making on 23 February 2019 in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan.

The event was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana in partnership with Pavlodar's Aarhus Centre for some 20 environmental NGOs, journalists and students. The training seminar covered the key principles of the Aarhus Convention, environmental rights of Kazakhstan's citizens and procedures to participate in the public hearings.

Pavlodar's Aarhus Center is currently engaged in developing an analytical report on monitoring the public hearings. The document will incorporate the results of the six-month public hearings monitoring and a step-by-step checklist of procedures which must be followed prior, during and after the public hearings. The document will also have recommendations and concrete procedural steps on how to address existing challenges to comply with legislative requirements while organizing public hearings, the press service of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana informs.

The event was part of the Programme Office's multi-year activities to promote good environmental governance and to assist the host country in meeting its commitments under the Aarhus Convention.