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 <title>TAI Blog</title>
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 <description>Public Blog</description>
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 <title>UNEP Governing Council Issues Draft Guidelines on Principle 10</title>
 <link>http://www.accessinitiative.org/blog/2008/12/unep-governing-council-issues-draft-guidelines-principle-10</link>
 <description> &lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt; We at the &lt;a class=&quot;glossary-term&quot; href=&quot;/glossary/7/lettera#term79&quot;&gt;&lt;acronym title=&quot;The world’s largest civil society network working to ensure that people have the right and ability to influence decisions about the natural resources that sustain their communities. 

&quot;&gt;TAI&lt;/acronym&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Secretariat (World Resources Institute) just received this important call to action for &lt;a class=&quot;glossary-term&quot; href=&quot;/glossary/7/lettera#term78&quot;&gt;&lt;acronym title=&quot;The ability or right to obtain or make use of a commodity or process. In the context of this report, &amp;quot;access&amp;quot; refers to the ability or right to obtain or make use of information, opportunities for participation, and mechanisms for justice in official decisions.&quot;&gt;access&lt;/acronym&gt;&lt;/a&gt; proponents everywhere. In essence the UNEP Governing Council are drafting a set of guidelines for national-level laws and institutions for &lt;a class=&quot;glossary-term&quot; href=&quot;/glossary/7/letterp#term102&quot;&gt;&lt;acronym title=&quot;Part of the Rio Declaration made at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992. Principle 10 embodies the ideals of the Access Initiative and is the foundation of the Aarhus Convention (UNECE) and the Partnership for Principle 10.  Principle 10 states: “Environmental issues are best handled with participation of all concerned citizens, at the relevant level. At the national level, each individual shall have appropriate access to information concerning the environment that is held by public authorities, including information on hazardous materials and activities in their communities, and the opportunity to participate in decision-making processes. States shall facilitate and encourage public awareness and participation by making information widely available. Effective access to judicial and administrative proceedings, including redress and remedy, shall be provided”
&quot;&gt;Principle 10&lt;/acronym&gt;&lt;/a&gt; of the Rio Declaration (&lt;a class=&quot;glossary-term&quot; href=&quot;/glossary/7/lettera#term118&quot;&gt;&lt;acronym title=&quot;The ability of citizens to obtain environmental information in the possession of public authorities. &amp;quot;Environmental information&amp;quot; includes information about air and water quality and information about whether any hazardous chemicals are stored at a nearby factory.
&quot;&gt;Access to Information&lt;/acronym&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a class=&quot;glossary-term&quot; href=&quot;/glossary/7/letterp#term100&quot;&gt;&lt;acronym title=&quot;Refers to the people or any individual, alone, with others, or as one of a community.
&quot;&gt;Public&lt;/acronym&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a class=&quot;glossary-term&quot; href=&quot;/glossary/7/letterp#term104&quot;&gt;&lt;acronym title=&quot;The act of taking part or sharing in something. &amp;quot;Participation&amp;quot; refers to informed, timely and meaningful input and influence in decisions on general policies, strategies, and plans at various levels and on individual projects that have environmental impacts.  See Table 2.2 of Voice and Choice for types of participation.
&quot;&gt;Participation&lt;/acronym&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, and Access to &lt;a class=&quot;glossary-term&quot; href=&quot;/glossary/7/lettera#term117&quot;&gt;&lt;acronym title=&quot;The ability of citizens to turn to impartial and independent arbiters to resolve disputes over access to information and participation in decisions that affect the environment, or to correct environmental harm. Such impartial arbiters include mediators, administrative tribunals, and courts of law, among others.
&quot;&gt;Justice&lt;/acronym&gt;&lt;/a&gt;). The &lt;a class=&quot;glossary-term&quot; href=&quot;/glossary/7/lettert#term146&quot;&gt;&lt;acronym title=&quot;See Access Initiative, The in glossary.&quot;&gt;TAI&lt;/acronym&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Network has a special role to play in moving our governments to accept these foundational principles of &lt;a class=&quot;glossary-term&quot; href=&quot;/glossary/7/lettere#term112&quot;&gt;&lt;acronym title=&quot;The range of institutions and decision-making processes (including but not limited to governments) engaged in managing the environment and natural resources. For further definitions see the section entitled “Environmental Governance and Environmental Democracy” in Chapter 1 of Voice and Choice.
&quot;&gt;environmental governance&lt;/acronym&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, a first step to creating a binding international treaty or convention.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.accessinitiative.org/blog/2008/12/unep-governing-council-issues-draft-guidelines-principle-10&quot;&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
 <category domain="http://www.accessinitiative.org/taxonomy/term/221">Access to Information</category>
 <category domain="http://www.accessinitiative.org/taxonomy/term/223">Access to Justice</category>
 <category domain="http://www.accessinitiative.org/taxonomy/term/224">Capacity Building</category>
 <category domain="http://www.accessinitiative.org/taxonomy/term/226">Legal reform</category>
 <category domain="http://www.accessinitiative.org/taxonomy/term/222">Public Participation</category>
 <enclosure url="http://www.accessinitiative.org/sites/default/files/draft guidelines pp 11-08.doc" length="134656" type="application/msword" />
 <pubDate>Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:25:47 -0500</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>Joseph Foti</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">758 at http://www.accessinitiative.org</guid>
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<item>
 <title>Demanding Access to Justice and Right to Natural Resources: The Plight of the Molboc Tribe </title>
 <link>http://www.accessinitiative.org/blog/2008/12/demanding-access-justice-and-right-natural-resources-the-plight-molboc-tribe</link>
 <description> &lt;p&gt;Locked up, hungry and confused, the two young men from the Molboc Tribe were finally released. They do not regret what they did. They will likely do it again if they have a chance to do so… just to put food on the table, as how their ancestors, as native fisherfolk in Balabac, Palawan, had done before.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.accessinitiative.org/blog/2008/12/demanding-access-justice-and-right-natural-resources-the-plight-molboc-tribe&quot;&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
 <category domain="http://www.accessinitiative.org/taxonomy/term/142">Philippines</category>
 <category domain="http://www.accessinitiative.org/taxonomy/term/223">Access to Justice</category>
 <category domain="http://www.accessinitiative.org/taxonomy/term/143">access to justice</category>
 <category domain="http://www.accessinitiative.org/taxonomy/term/225">Advocacy</category>
 <category domain="http://www.accessinitiative.org/taxonomy/term/171">TAI assessment</category>
 <enclosure url="http://www.accessinitiative.org/sites/default/files/PNNI_Case_Study_Report.pdf" length="167110" type="application/pdf" />
 <pubDate>Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:17:49 -0500</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>Loraine</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">748 at http://www.accessinitiative.org</guid>
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<item>
 <title>Smokers Dying Younger - What If Non-smokers Are Also Dying Younger</title>
 <link>http://www.accessinitiative.org/blog/2008/11/smokers-dying-younger-what-if-non-smokers-are-also-dying-younger</link>
 <description> &lt;p&gt;Approximately half the world’s population and up to 90% of rural households in developing countries still rely on unprocessed biomass fuels in the form of wood, dung and crop residues. These are typically burnt indoors in open fires or poorly functioning stoves. As a result, there are high levels of air pollution to which women, responsible for cooking, and their young children, who mostly stay with their mother during the cooking hours, are most heavily exposed.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.accessinitiative.org/blog/2008/11/smokers-dying-younger-what-if-non-smokers-are-also-dying-younger&quot;&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
 <pubDate>Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:09:46 -0500</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>Ram</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">736 at http://www.accessinitiative.org</guid>
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<item>
 <title>US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Dialogue Project</title>
 <link>http://www.accessinitiative.org/blog/2008/11/us-environmental-protection-agency-epa-national-dialogue-project</link>
 <description> &lt;p&gt;Dear &lt;a class=&quot;glossary-term&quot; href=&quot;/glossary/7/lettera#term79&quot;&gt;&lt;acronym title=&quot;The world’s largest civil society network working to ensure that people have the right and ability to influence decisions about the natural resources that sustain their communities. 

&quot;&gt;TAI&lt;/acronym&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Partners,&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;In December of 2007, the US EPA launched a National Dialogue on &lt;a class=&quot;glossary-term&quot; href=&quot;/glossary/7/lettera#term78&quot;&gt;&lt;acronym title=&quot;The ability or right to obtain or make use of a commodity or process. In the context of this report, &amp;quot;access&amp;quot; refers to the ability or right to obtain or make use of information, opportunities for participation, and mechanisms for justice in official decisions.&quot;&gt;Access&lt;/acronym&gt;&lt;/a&gt; to Environmental &lt;a class=&quot;glossary-term&quot; href=&quot;/glossary/7/letteri#term107&quot;&gt;&lt;acronym title=&quot;Knowledge of a specific event or situation; intelligence; a collection of facts or data.  &amp;quot;Information&amp;quot; refers to facts, knowledge, explanations, justifications, data, and resources on environmental factors, including air and water quality, environmental emergencies, general environmental trends, facilities and their environmental impacts, and plans or programs affecting natural resources.
&quot;&gt;Information&lt;/acronym&gt;&lt;/a&gt; in order to enhance the format and quality of information on EPA&amp;#8217;s website.  The Dialogue involved the EPA speaking with a wide range of people, such as industry representatives, education professionals, state and local environmental and &lt;a class=&quot;glossary-term&quot; href=&quot;/glossary/7/letterp#term100&quot;&gt;&lt;acronym title=&quot;Refers to the people or any individual, alone, with others, or as one of a community.
&quot;&gt;public&lt;/acronym&gt;&lt;/a&gt; health professionals, news media representatives, and environmental and community groups, to learn of the challenges individuals face when accessing environmental information on EPA’s website.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.accessinitiative.org/blog/2008/11/us-environmental-protection-agency-epa-national-dialogue-project&quot;&gt;read more&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
 <enclosure url="http://www.accessinitiative.org/sites/default/files/WRI EPA Draft Information Strategy Commentary.doc" length="64000" type="application/octet-stream" />
 <pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:24:12 -0500</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>Seema Kumar</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">716 at http://www.accessinitiative.org</guid>
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