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- Ελληνικά
Our planet is facing some of its biggest challenges: climate crisis, loss of biodiversity, air pollution, depletion of natural resources. The main causes are reckless human activities on an unprecedented scale, rampant consumerism in parts of the planet and inadequate regulation.
Without urgent action, the existing ecological, economic and social crisis will continue to intensify on a global scale.
Without urgent action, the existing ecological, economic and social crisis will continue to intensify on a global scale. Deficiencies in regional, national and local environmental governance systems are exacerbating the planetary crisis. However, many current strategies and initiatives for environmental governance offer hope.
The aim should be to support government, business and civil society to strengthen inclusive and effective systems to promote environmental justice, human rights and sustainability now!
The Aarhus Convention, the relevant environmental acquis in Cyprus, national and European policies, local decision making structures and civil society are all important factors in this process. Particularly since 2004 and after Cyprus' accession to the EU, the first two pillars of the Convention, which constitute the European acquis - those of access to information and public participation in the preparation of plans and programmes relating to the environment - have been respected, institutionally and to a large extent practically.
Mr. Michel Forst has been elected in 2022 as the first Special Rapporteur for Environmental Defenders under the UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) Aarhus Convention, for the purpose of establishing a rapid response mechanism to address cases of sanctions, persecution, harassment and other forms of retaliation against any person exercising his or her rights under the provisions of the Convention.
I welcome him and his colleagues to Cyprus on this visit, which is taking place at the invitation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment. In the context of our meeting at the Office of the Environment Commissioner I had the opportunity to discuss with him issues related to his mandate and, in particular, the situation of environmental defenders in Cyprus.
Upon the conclusion of the Special Rapporteur's visit I look forward to his report. Within the possibilities and competences of the Office of the Commissioner, and in effective cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, the Public Authorities, the legal and academic community and of course with Civil Society at all levels, my aim is to build on the findings of the report and take relevant actions to improve the participation of the Government in the process of protecting environmental defenders.
I will not elaborate further on the issues that will be addressed at the Conference, since
