Aarhuskonvensioon

The Aarhus Convention, officially the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, is an international treaty that connects environmental protection and human rights. Adopted in Aarhus, Denmark, on June 25, 1998, it entered into force on October 30, 2001. The convention aims to ensure that citizens have access to environmental information, can participate in environmental decision-making processes, and have access to justice for environmental matters. It is often referred to as an "environmental democracy" instrument.

The convention is built on three pillars. The first pillar, access to information, obligates public authorities to proactively disseminate environmental information and respond to public requests for information. The second pillar, public participation, requires authorities to involve the public in decision-making processes on activities likely to affect the environment. This includes providing timely and effective opportunities for public input. The third pillar, access to justice, ensures that members of the public can challenge decisions or omissions by public authorities that affect environmental rights, and that such procedures are fair, equitable, and not prohibitively expensive. The convention applies to all matters relating to the environment, including the state of the environment, factors affecting it, measures taken to protect it, and the economic and social factors influencing these. It is unique in its recognition that environmental protection requires public awareness and the ability of citizens to participate in decisions that affect their environment.