1998-Aarhus-Convention-Annex-I.pdf

1998-Aarhus-Convention-Annex-II.pdf

1998 Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters

Aarhus Convention

• International Law Documents
  • Environment
  • Nuclear
    • Environmental

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

Article 16 ‘Settlement of Disputes’:

“1. If a dispute arises between two or more Parties about the interpretation or application of this Convention, they shall seek a solution by negotiation or by any other means of dispute settlement acceptable to the parties to the dispute.

2. When signing, ratifying, accepting, approving or acceding to this Convention, or at any time thereafter, a Party may declare in writing to the Depositary that, for a dispute not resolved in accordance with paragraph 1 above, it accepts one or both of the following means of dispute settlement as compulsory in relation to any Party accepting the same obligation:

(a) Submission of the dispute to the International Court of Justice;

(b) Arbitration in accordance with the procedure set out in annex II.

3. If the parties to the dispute have accepted both means of dispute settlement referred to in paragraph 2 above, the dispute may be submitted only to the International Court of Justice, unless the parties agree otherwise.”

Read together with Annex II ‘Arbitration’.

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Annex I – List of Activities referred to in Article 6, Paragraph 1(a)

Annex II – Arbitration

30/10/2001

Article 20 ‘Entry into Force’:

“1. This Convention shall enter into force on the ninetieth day after the date of deposit of the sixteenth instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.

2. For the purposes of paragraph 1 above, any instrument deposited by a regional economic integration organization shall not be counted as additional to those deposited by States members of such an organization.

3. For each State or organization referred to in article 17 which ratifies, accepts or approves this Convention or accedes thereto after the deposit of the sixteenth instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, the Convention shall enter into force on the ninetieth day after the date of deposit by such State or organization of its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.”

Article 21 ‘Withdrawal’:

“At any time after three years from the date on which this Convention has come into force with respect to a Party, that Party may withdraw from the Convention by giving written notification to the Depositary. Any such withdrawal shall take effect on the ninetieth day after the date of its receipt by the Depositary.”

2003 Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers to the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters

2005 Amendment to the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters

1972 Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment

1989 European Charter on Environment and Health

1991 Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context

1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development

1992 Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents

1992 Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe accessed on 28/07/2021

–