ABSTRACT
Introduction ............................................................................................................ 103 Overview of African Chemicals Legislations ........................................................ 105 Key Achievements of Public Authorities ............................................................... 107
The Access to Information Pillar in Africa ....................................................... 107 The Right to Access to Information ............................................................. 108 The Right to Receive Information ................................................................ 108
The Public Participation in Decision Making ................................................... 111 The Participation by the Public in Decision Making on a Specižc Activity ........................................................................................... 112 The Public Participation in the Development of Plans and Programs .......... 114 Public Participation in the Preparation of Laws, Rules, and Legally Binding Norms ......................................................................... 115
The Right to Access to Justice .......................................................................... 115 Challenges .............................................................................................................. 117
Create and Maintain an Information/Knowledge Base ..................................... 117 Promote National and Regional Chemicals Policy Reform .............................. 117 To Promote Other Chemicals Information Systems .......................................... 118
Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 118 References .............................................................................................................. 119
Despite their varying themes, these agreements also have a great deal in common: they all promote sustainable development and they all use similar principles, processes, and policy tools to achieve their goals. Legal systems across the globe are responding to environmental concerns in surprising new ways. Environmental problems increasingly are viewed as transcending national borders. Some, including global warming, hazardous chemicals, and climate change, pose signižcant risks to the very health of the planet. Throughout the world, nations are upgrading their environmental standards by transplanting law and regulatory policy innovations derived from the experience of other countries, including nations with very different legal and cultural traditions. Law has become a critical part of efforts to combat global environmental problems and to improve living conditions in developing countries and, in particular, in Africa. The Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention), adopted under the auspices of the United Nations, Economic Commission for Europe during the Fourth Ministerial Conference “Environment for Europe” in Aarhus, Denmark, on June 25, 1998,* demonstrates the real engagement of parties to promote environmental law in the convention geographical area.
