The push for participation in Rio8 June 2012
At the first UN summit on sustainable development in Rio, 20 years ago, the Rio declaration was agreed.
This set of principles set the stage for all environmental progress since.
A valuable principle
One important principle of the declaration is principle 10, that:
The best way to achieve good environmental decision-making is through the "participation of all concerned citizens", furnished with rights of information, participation and access to justice.
Principle 10 of the Rio declaration
A useful principle
The Aarhus Convention made principle 10 legally binding. This has had huge benefits across Europe and Central Asia, helping people to:
- Access information on proposed projects and how they might affect the environment
- Have a say in development in their local area
- Challenge bad environmental decisions
However, it's only part of the world in which such a convention exists.
A principle that should be global
In our globalised world, concerned citizens must be able to take part in decisions about people and the planet.
At Rio+20, Friends of the Earth will be pushing for a global principle 10 convention. This would include international negotiations such as the climate talks, where it's very hard for people to have their say and hold governments to account.
Read our blogs from Rio and join our hub to stay up to date with this work.
© Friends of the Earth
