The Aarhus Convention

The Aarhus Convention is an international legally binding instrument giving the public the rights of participation in decision making, access to information and justice regarding the environment. These rights were emphasized in the outcome document of the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development. The Convention's twin protections for environmental and human rights, and its focus on involving the public, provide a mechanism for holding governments to account in their efforts to address the multidimensional challenges facing our world today, including climate change, biodiversity loss, poverty reduction, increasing energy demands, rapid urbanization, and pollution. The Guide is designed for policy-makers, legislators, NGOs, academics and civil society.