Overall objective of the Aarhupedia project is to contribute to development of sustainable legal and social framework for better implementation of the principles and provisions contained in the Aarhus Convention in the Republic of Serbia. Specific objectives of the project are:
- to establish systematic, publicly available free legal assistance for citizens and civil society organisations in the area of access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters;
- to strengthen the role of civil society and CSOs in implementation of the Aarhus Convention and to raise public awareness about the rights granted by the Aarhus Convention in Serbia.
Therefore the project team coordinated its efforts with the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM) to ensure the involvement of local authorities in project activities. Environmental Commissioners of the SCTM will be duly informed about the project and its objectives. Green Councils, consultative bodies established in six municipalities in Serbia, will also benefit from the Aarhupedia activities. Line ministries responsible for environment, energy and judiciary will benefit from the Aarhupedia initiative since it strives to facilitate communication between public authorities and citizens. Media has shown interest in this issue but lacks deeper understanding related to the implementation of the Aarhus Convention.
The project is financed by OSCE Mission to Serbia.
Project will be implemented from June to December 2014.