Rio Principle 10 Pilot Projects in Africa

As a contribution to capacity development to strengthen access to information and public participation in environmental decision-making in Africa, UNITAR provided support in 2009-2011 to Botswana, Mali and the Democratic Republic of Congo to develop a National Profile and Action Plan to strengthen capacities to implement Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration.

 

Adopted by Heads of State and Governments at the Rio Summit in 1992, Principle 10 has become an important international reference point to strengthen access to environmental information, public participation and access to justice in environmental matters. In the African region, the New Economic Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) includes among its founding principles good governance as well as a broad and deep participation of all sectors in society, in order to address current development challenges of the continent.
 

The opportunity to participate in the African pilot projects was announced at the 12th session of the African Ministerial Conference for the Environment (AMCEN-12) at a Side Event organized by UNITAR in collaboration with UNEP Regional Office for Africa and the Environmental Evaluation Unit of the University of Cape Town (EEU UCT). Following an open Africa-wide application process Botswana, Mali and the Democratic Republic of Congo were selected to participate in the pilot projects.

All three countries organized National Planning Workshops in the third quarter of 2009. Botswana and Mali prepared their National Profiles in the course of 2010. The two National Priority Setting Workshops in Gaborone and Bamako in November and December 2010 brought together more than 120 participants from different governmental and non-governmental organizations. The Action Plans of both countries are expected to be available in April 2011.

For additional information on the African pilot projects please refer to the project Information Note available in English and French from our publications page.