The secretariat of the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) has published a digest of selected findings and advice of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee. The digest is intended as a working document that draws on the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee findings and advice adopted to date.
The digest aims to enhance the accessibility and transparency of the Compliance Committee's work, ensuring that Parties, legal experts, academia and other interested stakeholders can easily find relevant information to guide their understanding and implementation of the Aarhus Convention's provisions.
The digest, published on 11 March 2025, will be updated periodically as the edited versions of the Committee's findings and advice are issued.
The Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee is one of the few mechanisms in international environmental law that enables members of the public to bring cases concerning a Party's compliance directly before a body of independent experts mandated to examine the merits of such cases. The Compliance Committee adopts findings and, in the case of non-compliance, may make recommendations to the Party concerned in order to ensure that its non-compliance is addressed. It also provides advisory support to Parties upon request. The Compliance Committee thus plays a vital role in assisting Parties to meet their obligations under the Convention.
