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Каспинфо август 2001 |
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Название: Сообщения НПО региона на англ. языке Главные Пункты: * Авторы доклада (НПО Зеленая Альтернатива) <Колхидская низменность - к устойчивому развитию?> считают, что строительство нефтяного терминала на территории, охраняемой Рамсарской конвенцией, и железной дороги для транзита нефти в Колхидском Национальном Парке подорвет усилия по развитию системы национальных парков в Грузии. * Азербайджанское общество защиты животных обращается к правительствам, научным и международным организациям, НПО, КЭП и масс-медиа с призывом консолидировать силы для предотвращения вымирания каспийских тюленей и предлагает собственную программу: - проведение симпозиума-консультации по проблеме массовой гибели каспийских тюленей; - проведение пересчета поголовья тюленей; - привлечение иностранных специалистов к исследованиям причин гибели и сохранению каспийских тюленей. Контактная информация. * Новый адрес и телефоны Ассоциации <Зеленая Альтернатива>, Грузия. * Орхусская конвенция по доступу к информации, участию общественности и доступу к правосудию по вопросам, касающимся охраны окружающей среды, ратифицированная 17 странами (России среди них нет), вступит в силу 30 октября 2001 г. и предоставит гражданам право голоса в принятии решений, влияющих на экологию местности, в которой они проживают. * и др. сообщения. (14.08.2001) Полный Текст Сообщения НПО региона на англ. языке Сообщения НПО региона на англ. языке *** NEW NATIONAL PARKS WITH NEW OIL TERMINALS - THE STRATEGY FOR GEORGIA DEFINED BY IFIS A new report "Kolkhety Lowland - Towards Sustainable Development?" released by Green Alternative from Georgia and the CEE Bankwatch Network clarifies how the promotion of oil development projects, combined with policy reforms and private sector risk mitigation by International Financial Institutions, has given rise to situation in which the Georgian Government is supporting all oil related projects without calculating the cumulative environmental, economic and social impacts. The new oil terminals, port and oil exploration projects have appeared like mushrooms after the rain, even in national protected areas. The construction of the new oil terminal in the Ramsar Convention Protected areas and an oil transit railway in Kolkhety National Park will undermine laudable efforts for the development of a national park system in Georgia and set a precedent for further violations of international agreements and commitments undertaken by the Georgian Government. Taking into consideration that the World Bank is supposed to be engaged in the development of the National Park System in Georgia, the precedent will set a negative example and result in a wide range of industrial activities in the National Parks. "The World Bank paves the way for public support of a massive pipeline and other oil transit projects in Georgia, which will pump oil from developments funded in Caspian. However, nothing was done to find out how much the fragile Georgian environment will withstand. What will be real benefit for local peoples?" said Manana Kochladze, author of the report. The report calls for the main key players, the World Bank, EBRD and Georgian Government, to develop a Strategic Environmental Impacts and Economic Assessment, to stop construction of new ports and oil terminals until above mentioned assessments is completed, and to support and uphold the legal framework establishing and protecting the Kolkhety National Park. NOTES FOR EDITORS: The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat, was signed in Ramsar, 2.2.1971, amended by Paris Protocol of 3.12.1982, recognizing "fundamental ecological functions of wetlands as regulates of water regimes and as habitats supporting a characteristic flora and fauna, constitute a resource of great economic, cultural, scientific and recreational value, the loss of which would be irreparable" CEE Bankwatch Network is an association of citizens' organizations from 11 countries of Central and Eastern Europe concerned with the activities of International Financial Institutions (IFIs) in the region. One of the main goals of the Network is to facilitate informed public dialogue on IFIs policies and projects. Additional Information: Manana Kochladze CEE Bankwatch Network National Coordinator Association "Green Alternative" Tel: 99532 22 33 47 E-mail: manana@wanex.net www.bankwatch.org Petr Hlobil International Oil and Climate Coordinator CEE Bankwatch Network Kratka 26, Praha 10, 100 00, Czech Republic Tel.+fax: 420-2-7481 65 71 http://www.bankwatch.org CENN 34-й Электронный Бюллетень: Кавказские Природоохранные Новости *** The Appeal of the Azerbaijan Society for Protection of Animals. The year has passed since that day when ASPA together with the representatives of the Ecological NGOs, scientific experts, journalists have departed in expeditions on alarm signals about mass destructions of the Caspian seals to research the large scales and to study the reasons of this big loss. After broad elucidation of the results of the projects we were full of hopes, that we had attracted the attention of governmental bodies, scientific institutes, international organizations, broad masses of the public to the Caspian tragedy. Alas! After one year the tragedy has happened the story is being repeated with the same large scales there are no practical results of the researches and no official responses on this problem. Our organization repeatedly applied to different international organizations with the request to help us in further efforts on researches and looking for ways saving the Caspian seals. Not having enough financial and technical sources, we cannot approach the solution of this problem without any support Every day we get the signals from different dots of Azerbaijan coasts of the Caspian Sea that the tragedy of this population is being repeated nowadays. We are applying to the governmental bodies, scientific organizations, NGOs, Caspian Ecological Program, MASS-MEDIA and different International Organizations. If today we won't undertake some decisive operating in the protection of unique endemic of the Caspian Sea tomorrow we can completely loose the population of Caspian seals. The descendants will not forgive us! That's why we suggest: 1. to hold an international symposium-consultation on a problem of mass loss of the Caspian seals. 2. To conduct the account of number of the Caspian seals that was no carried out the 10 years. 3. To elaborate involving the international scientific experts and specialist in the field of researches and after treatment seals the measures on preventive measures and saving Caspian seals. We hope that this appeal won't remain without notice. You can contact us: Phone: 99450 3125089 99450 3397826 e-mail: aspa@azintex.com Azerbaijan Society for the Protection of Animals *** "GREEN ALTERNATIVE"ASSOCIATION CHANGES ADDRESS "Green Alternative" Association changed its address and phone. The organization can be contacted at the following address: 1, Mtskheta St, 4th floor. Apt 12. Postal address: 62, Chavchavadze St. Tbilisi, 380062, Georgia Tel: (995 32) 22 33 47 Manana Kochladze CENN 34-й Электронный Бюллетень: Кавказские Природоохранные НовостиCENN *** SEEKING APPLICANTS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL "EARTH VISION-The 10th Tokyo Global Environmental Film Festival " will be held on January 31 and February 1, 2002. EARTH VISION -The Global Environmental Film Festival has been held annually in Tokyo, Japan since 1992this Year, deadline of accepting entry is August 31, 2001 for Film Category, October 1, 2001 for Photography Category. For further information, please see: http://www.webfront.ne.jp/~earth-vision/ Dharman Wickremaratne President Asia-Pacific Forum of Environmental Journalists (APFEJ) PO Box 26 434/3, Sri Jayawardenapura, Sri Lanka Phone: (+94-1) 873131 / 827810 /883187 Fax: (+94-1) 883187 E-mail: CENN 34-й Электронный Бюллетень: Кавказские Природоохранные Новости *** *** IMPORTANT NEWS: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe PRESS RELEASE Geneva, 9 August 2001 Aarhus Convention starts count-down to entry into force The Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters will come into effect on 30 October 2001. This comes as a result of the recent ratification of the Convention by Armenia and Estonia, which became the sixteenth and seventeenth countries to do so.1 The Aarhus Convention was negotiated by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) as part of its pan-European environmental legal framework. It is generally intended to lift the veil of environmental secrecy and strengthen citizens' environmental rights. It has now been ratified by Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Denmark, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Ukraine. Recent ozone peaks have again highlighted the need for people to have timely information about the environment so that they can take precautions and keep their vulnerable children indoors, for instance. The Aarhus Convention aims to ensure that everyone has access to this type of information and to prevent Governments from covering up environmental disasters. This should prevent any repetition of the denials and confusion that followed the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. The Convention also gives ordinary citizens a voice in any decision-making that affects their environment, such as the siting of toxic waste dumps. Finally, the Convention is intended to ensure that public authorities and polluters that break the rules can be challenged in court either by individuals or by non-governmental organizations. Welcoming the relatively swift progress made towards entry into force since the Convention was adopted in 1998, the Secretary to the Convention, Jeremy Wates, noted the particular importance of the Convention to the countries with economies in transition: "The Convention is not only a powerful weapon in the struggle to protect the environment but also a tool for democracy. Especially in countries which have recently introduced democratic systems, it is of crucial importance to establish principles of transparency, accountability and involvement of civil society to ensure stability and security." However, this does not mean that western countries are turning their backs on environmental rights. Several are known to be putting the final touches to legislation to comply with the Convention and will, no doubt, be on board by the time the Parties hold their first meeting. The European Union has also vowed to apply the Convention to its institutions. The Convention is the most far-reaching instrument promoting environmental democracy under the auspices of the United Nations. As a result, its entry into force could prove to be an important input to the so-called Rio + 10 Conference in Johannesburg in 2002. The UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has suggested that the Rio + 10 Conference would be "a timely occasion to examine the relevance of the Aarhus Convention as a possible model for strengthening the application of principle 10 [of the Rio Declaration] in other regions of the world".2 For more information, see the Convention's web site http://www.unece.org/env/pp or contact: Jeremy WATES Secretary to the Aarhus Convention UNECE Environment and Human Settlements Division Palais des Nations, office 332 CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland Phone: (+41 22) 917 23 84 Fax: (+41 22) 907 01 07 or 917 06 34 E-mail: jeremy.wates@unece.org Note: A public information brochure on the Aarhus Convention is available in English (ALL involved for a better environment) and French (TOUS pour un environnement meilleur) from the UNECE secretariat. _____________ 1 According to its article 20, the Convention will enter into force on the 90th day after the date of deposit of the 16th instrument of ratification with the UN Secretary-General. The 16th instrument was deposited by Armenia on 1 August 2001 and the 17th by Estonia on 2 August 2001. 2 In his foreword to the Aarhus Convention Implementation Guide - see http://www.unece.org/env/pp/publications.htm Ref: ECE/ENV/01/06 |