Environmental Information and Analytical Center

The Aarhus Convention is a convention of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters.

The objective of the Convention is to support the protection of every person’s right to live in an environment adequate to health and well-being, as well as the rights of access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters.

The Aarhus Convention is based on three fundamental principles of public participation:

Access to environmental information.
Public participation in environmentally significant decision-making.
Access to justice in environmental matters.

Kazakhstan ratified the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention, Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated October 23, 2000 No. 92-II).

The Convention imposes a number of obligations on public authorities to support and ensure the implementation of public rights under all three fundamental principles. The authorized state body for implementation of the Convention is the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In order to implement the Aarhus Convention, on March 20, 2009 the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan established the Aarhus Centre on the basis of RSE “Information and Analytical Center for Environmental Protection”.

Functions of the Aarhus Centre

providing accessible environmental information upon requests from individuals and legal entities;
publications in mass media, radio and television appearances, advertising campaigns, and information support for planned and ongoing public hearings;
publication of environmental information on the Aarhus Centre website www.aarhus.kz.

Main Tasks of the Centre

ensuring the rights of the public to receive timely, reliable and complete information on the state of the environment and planned or ongoing activities that may have a significant impact on the environment;
establishing communication between the public and state authorities;
providing practical assistance to governmental organizations and officials in fulfilling their obligations under the Convention;
environmental education and raising public awareness of environmental problems in Kazakhstan and worldwide;
promoting public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters;
studying international experience and developing international cooperation in the implementation of the Aarhus Convention.

The Centre provides access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters in accordance with the provisions of the Aarhus Convention.

Main Functions of the Centre

providing accessible environmental information upon requests from individuals and legal entities;
consulting individuals and legal entities on the exercise of their rights to access environmental information, participate in decision-making and access justice in environmental matters;
conducting educational events, including seminars, public lectures and staff training;
publications in mass media, radio and television appearances and advertising campaigns;
collection, accumulation, systematization, storage and dissemination of environmental information;
publication of environmental information on the Internet;
support in the development of projects and activities for implementation of the Aarhus Convention;
assistance to individuals and legal entities in accessing draft regulatory legal acts, programs, plans and strategies in the field of environment and organizing their public discussion.

Cooperation with the Secretariat of the Aarhus Convention

Communication with the Secretariat of the Aarhus Convention is maintained through the Aarhus Convention coordinator, a responsible official. Cooperation includes:

preparation and submission of reports on implementation of the Aarhus Convention in the republic in accordance with established formats and procedures;
use of guidelines and recommendations for implementation of the Aarhus Convention;
participation in Meetings of the Parties, conferences and seminars of the Aarhus Convention;
implementation of decisions of the Meetings of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention.

In accordance with the “Zhasyl Damu” program, the possibility of accession to the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers is being considered. The Protocol regulates information on environmental pollution by economic entities and aims to strengthen public control in this area. Establishing national PRTRs under the Protocol will significantly simplify the collection of data required for all forms of environmental reporting. Work has begun on the development and maintenance of the National Pollutant Release and Transfer Register.

Today, 8 Aarhus Centres operate in Kazakhstan: