Role of NGOs in increasing
effectiveness of environmental
policies and promoting
stakeholder dialogue
European Eco-Forum

Changing the status of
NGOs in the region

Trend of increasing role of
NGOs in the development
and implementation of
environmental policies

Differences of forms and
methods between and within
countries
Environmental Policy Development

Ukraine – lobbying a Presidential decree on environmental
policy priorities

Russia, Murmansk oblast – commitment to a target of 20% of
wind energy by 2020

Belarus: draft law on GMO completely reworked
Environmental Compliance Assurance
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Fighting illegal logging in the Lori region of Armenia
(public protests)
Invalidation of conclusions of the state environmental
review of the project of high-voltage lines near
Almaty (Kazakhstan)
Conviction of the Nadvoitsk aluminium plant of
polluting the environment and endangering public
health. The court imposed 50,000 roubles worth of
health damages payable to the citizen plaintiff
(Russia, 2003)
Preventing Environmentally
Dangerous Projects


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Russia: “Baikal is worth more than oil”
– against the construction of a
pipeline in the lake’s watershed
Armenia: preventing the construction
of a highway across the Shikohan
nature reserve
Repeal of a Kyrgyzstan Government
decree on fishery activities on Lake
Chatyr-Kul
What to Do?
Nongovernmental organisations:

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Work actively with mass media and government bodies,
showing linkages between environmental, economic and social
issues
Develop cooperation with other civil society institutions,
dialogue with business and industry as well as the general
public
Actively raise awareness of the public of its rights and
possibilities, help the public defend the right for a healthy
environment
Raise own effectiveness and capacity (learn and exchange
experiences!)
What to Do?
Government bodies in EECCA:

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Regard NGOs as a partner
Create mechanisms for NGO
participation in legal drafting
Develop mechanisms for consulting the
public and taking account of its opinion
Support national and regional networks
Financially support NGO initiatives
(positive example – government grants
in Russia, Kazakhstan)
What to Do?
International/donor organisations:

Support programmes to build NGO capacity in the
environmental policy area

Facilitate NGO participation in international processes

Larger grant programmes to support NGO initiatives in
EECCA

Boost new RECs’ activities to support public
participation (in accordance with their initial mandate)