The SOFIA+3 Project
Achievements and successes
NGO evaluation of NEAPs for Belarus, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan and Ukraine had been made. The used criteria were developed within the EAP Task Force (OECD) activity. As a result of the SOFIA+3 Project NGOs from the Project Coalition have received basic knowledge related to National/Local Environmental Action Plans and to the "Environment for Europe" Process as well.
Mykhaylo Magal, the coordinator of the Project, participated in ECOFORUM at Lake Bled, in Slovenia (November 7-10, 1997). He made a presentation of the Project for representatives of NGOs from countries of the UN ECE region (including the NIS region).
The information on the progress of the SOFIA+3 Project was also presented by the coordinator of this Project to the participants of
- Regional workshop "Linkages between National and Local/Regional Environmental Action Programmes in CEE and the NIS" (25-27 January 1998, Szentendre, Hungary),
- the 6th Meeting of the EAP Task Force NEAP Coordinators (27-28 January 1998, Szentendre, Hungary),
- ANPED’s workshop "Local Agenda 21 and Grassroots Development" (30 January - 1 February 1998, Budapest, Hungary)
The results of the SOFIA+3 Project were presented on
- the 4th Ministerial Conference "Environment for Europe" (23-25 June 1998, Aarhus, Denmark);
- the 2nd International Conference "UKRAINE_HABITAT-II: the Best Practices" (5-6 October 1998) organized by the OGI together with Municipal Management Center (Ukraine);
- the Eurasia Environmental Conference (13-15 October 1998, Istanbul, Turkey);
- the OSCE seminar on "Regional Environmental Problems and Co-operative Approaches to Solving Them - The Case of the Black Sea Region", in co-operation with the Government of Turkey, on 5/6 November 1998.
NGOs (mentioned in the beginning of the Report) established a direct dialogue with their governments to be able to evaluate NEAPs in their countries more precisely.
Within the SOFIA+3 Project implementation process the core of the NIS NEAP NGO network was established.
Thanks to the SOFIA+3 Project a fruitful cooperation and/or constructive dialogue was established with the UNDP Office in Ukraine, EAP Task Force (OECD), UN Economic Commission for Europe, ISAR and the US Agency for International Development (Kyiv), the International Renaissance (Soros) Foundation, the Regional Environmental Center (REC) (Szentendre, Hungary), the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), the TACIS Environment Policies Project, the TACIS Awareness Raising Program etc. As a result of this cooperation the NGOs from the SOFIA+3 Project Coalition were invited to participate in a number of meetings at the REC (mentioned above).
During the SOFIA+3 Project implementation the OGI managed to get additional support from ISAR-West NIS Office (Kyiv) and from the International Renaissance (Soros) Foundation to enhance and enlarge the influence of NGOs on formulation of environmental policies on national and local levels. Instead of two meetings (as the SOFIA+3 Project Proposal foresaw)there were four meetings held
- the first regional meeting with participation of NGOs from Belarus, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan and Ukraine resulted in preliminary NGO evaluation of NEAP process in these countries;
- the second regional meeting with participation of representatives from
- NGOs, governments and local authorities from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan and Ukraine
- UNDP (Ukraine and Uzbekistan), the REC, the TACIS Environment Policy Project and Ukrainian business groups
They resulted in the final NGO evaluation of NEAP process in Belarus, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan and Ukraine, and in the Meeting Declaration, which were included into the SOFIA+3 Project Report to the 4th Environment Ministers Conference in Aarhus.
Two meetings of national level were held separately for NGOs from Belarus (Minsk, 2 April 1998) and Ukraine (Kyiv, 25-26 April 1998), and resulted in NGO propositions to their governments related to NEAPs elaboration and implementation. Propositions made by the Ukrainian NGOs concerning NEAP typical structure were accepted by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety of Ukraine as a basic structure for Local Environmental Action Plans in Ukraine.
Thanks to the SOFIA+3 Project implementation we found a number of NGOs, which could be our partners in the future to exert more influence on environmetal decision making.
All the SOFIA+3 Project activity was also aimed at establishing a direct dialogue between NGOs, Governments, Local Authorities, Scientific Community, Business Group and International Community. The meetings showed that this was a good way to exert the NGO influence on decision making through such kind of meetings.
The Report on results of the SOFIA+3 Project was one of the Project achievements and it might demonstrate the success of the NIS NGO common work in the field of environmental policy. This publication awaked up the interest of many NGOs and officials from the NIS and abroad to NEAP issues.
Mykhaylo Magal was interviewed by the Ukrainian radio "PROMIN'' (regularly) and on press conferences at the 4th Environment Ministers Conference in Aarhus. Articles about the SOFIA+3 Project were published in the newspaper "Zerkalo Nedeli" ("Mirror Weekly") and in the ECO-ACCORD's bulletin "The Road to Aarhus".
Mykhaylo Magal was invited to participate at the All-Ukrainian Workshop (Nemirov, Ukraine, 16-18 September 1998) organized by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety of Ukraine within framework of the TACIS Environment Policies Project. He facilitated the half day session of the Working Group on the structure of Local Environmental Action Plan (LEAP) based on NGO propositions developed within the SOFIA+3 Project. Participants of the Working Group: heads of the Ministry Oblast Departments, leaders (deputy heads) from local authorities, academicians and scientists from the National Academy of Sciences, NGOs, officials from the Ministry, the Administration of the President of Ukraine and from the TACIS Environment Policies Project. The workshop approved the typical LEAP structure finalized by the Working Group.
Due to the Project we found new friends and potential partners in the NIS. Now we have power and knowledge to influence NEAP elaboration and implementation process in, at least, Belarus, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan and Ukraine. Thanks to the Project the NIS NGOs developed their common agenda for the future.
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| Report to the 4th Environment Ministers Conference | 159.15 KB |