In a number of countries, NGOs are essential in raising public awareness regarding MEAs. In the UNECE region, NGOs have been particularly active in providing news regarding implementation and operationalisation of the Aarhus Convention and other MEAs. Following are a few examples.
Since 2000, in Kazakhstan, an NGO “Ecological Press Center” disseminates an electronic newsletter Ekopravda (Ecological Truth), which initially targeted NGOs but became a popular source of environmental information for a wide range of stakeholders in the region. Now, it is sent to over 700 regional subscribers two or three times a week. Among variety of environmental questions, Ekopravda regularly describes the state of affairs in Kazakhstan with regard to implementation of different MEAs to which the State is a Party.
For more information, see http://www.ecopress.lorton.com/
ecopress/Ekopravda.html (in Russian).
In Ukraine, since 1994, a non-governmental information center “Green Dossier” provides materials and digests for various mass media and journalists on domestic and international environmental matters and features national implementation efforts on certain MEAs.
For more information, see http://www.dossier.kiev.ua (available in Ukrainian, Russian, and partially in English).
In Russia, the Center for Environment and Sustainable Development “Eco-Accord”, established in 1992, focuses on raising public awareness on issues of environment and sustainable development. Eco-Accord takes an active part in international processes, such as “Environment for Europe” and “Environment and Health”, and participates in cooperation on environment and sustainable development in Asia-Pacific Region. It offers materials on implementation and status of ratification of a number of MEAs at its website and broadly disseminates a monthly e-mail “water digest” that includes news on water-related MEAs and international initiatives.
For more information, see http://accord.cis.lead.org (in Russian and English).