Seminar

“New Stage of Co-operation between Russia and UNEP Infoterra”

RECOMMENDATIONS

(December 7-8^th, 2000, Moscow, ICSTI)

The national seminar on the new stage of co-operation between Russia and UNEP Infoterra and issues of developing a national environmental information system in Russia took place in Moscow, in the International Centre for Scientific and Technical Information, during December 7-8^th, 2000. Major issues discussed – access to information on the environment and management of natural resources and participation of the public and interested parties in the decision-making process on these subjects.

Major providers and users of environmental information from public government, scientific, business and NGO communities took part in the seminar. The event was also attended by experts from international organizations supporting multilateral environmental programmes, as well as managers of Infoterra national focal points from several European countries.

The participants listened to reports made by UNEP, REFIA and other organizations and exchanged opinions on the points of the agenda in a general round-table discussion.

The participants of the seminar adopted the following recommendations:

1. The participants of the seminar support the efforts of the United Nations Environment Programme in reforming Infoterra, the Global environmental information exchange network, and facilitating the process of establishing environmental information consortia in member countries.
2. The participants support the RF Ministry of Natural Resources in its efforts to put into practice the policy of creating a unified information field encompassing issues of management of natural resources, ecological security and protection of the environment, as well as ensuring public access to this information.
3. With the aim to facilitate effective public access to environmental information and establish a national environmental information service it is considered advisable to develop a national association (consortium), hereinafter referred to as the national association, of providers and users of environmental information in Russia. This association should unite information flows from the government, legislative, scientific, technological, business, etc. sectors.
4. The main objectives of the national association are to ensure access to information on management of natural resources and the environment and participation in the decision-making process, to ensure environmental rights of citizens and ecological security, to achieve accord in actions of major stockholders in this sphere.
5. Request the RF Ministry of Natural Resources to charge REFIA (Infoterra NFP for Russia) with the responsibility to organize work on development and implementation of a national association with account of the efforts undertaken by UNEP to globalize the Aurhus Convention, making use of appropriate technologies, protocols and standards.
6. To request REFIA, as Infoterra NFP for Russia, to carry out the following:

- taking into account suggestions made by seminar participants, to form a task force consisting of information managers representing the potential participants of the national association;

- to start implementing a national Internet portal site on management of natural resources and the environment.

7. To request the RF Ministry of Natural Resources to consider the issue of drafting and signing a respective Memorandum of Understanding on creation of a national association between the Russian Federation and UNEP on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation.
8. To request the RF MNR, REFIA, UNEP and ICSTI to organize a conference in the second half of 2001 on the practice of national environmental information consortia with participation of a large number of public, non-governmental and private organizations from Russia/CIS countries, as well as experts from international agencies and national organizations from other countries of the world.