Report from the workshop on setting targets and reporting, Geneva 10-11 February
Report from the workshop by Anna Tsvetkova, coordinator of EcoForum issue group and member of WECF's International Advisory Board
23.02.2009 | Anna Tsvetkova
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On 10-11 February in Geneva the Workshop on setting targets and reporting was held back to back to the Second meeting of the Task Force on indicators and reporting. Switzerland ist he lead country for the work of task force on Indicators and reporting to the Protocol.
More then 50 representatives of the countries: Parties and Non–Parties of the protocol on water and health took part in these events. 6 representatives of NGOs Tsvetkova A. Eco-Forum water IG, MAMA-86, Gabizon S. WECF; Natalia Dejean N. WECF, Wendland C. WECF, Joldasheva E. Central Asian Alliance for Water, Kiria K. Friends of the Earth Georgia and Anakhasyan E. Armenian Women for Health & Healthy Environment took part in the workshop.
The task of the workshop was to discuss the reviewed variant of the Draft guidelines on setting targets, evaluation of progress and to provide the comments and amendment to improve of the drafts of the Gidelines. 2 documents were at the agenda of the
Workshop:
1) Draft guidelines on setting targets, evaluation of progress and reporting
2) Draft guidelines for summary reports
At the Workshop there were 20 presentations, which are now available here
The main issues which were discussed during the workshop were the following:
the status of progress in setting targets under the Protocol (countries report on progress on target setting and present survey results (now 4 countries reported about targets setting: Cheh, Hungary, Finland and Norway); the added values of the Protocol implementation for EU Member States and for ECCAA countries; the procedure of the target setting and importance of coordination mechanism, broad public participation and stakeholders involvement into the targets setting (Anna Tsvitkova, ECO-Forum, presented the experience on public participation in decision making process at local-national-regional levels, the existed tools (Ad Hoc Project Facilitation Mechanism (AHPFM) , rapid assessment, baseline studies, monitoring, tools for assessing costs (FEASIBLE) for setting targets, targets adaptation to the climate changes, links between Protocol and EU WFD implementations, links between local and national targets setting processes for development of realistic targets and actions programs.
The detailed discussion was on the possible options for target setting in the areas listed in the Art 6 to the Protocol. Some examples of risk based approach were presented on how to regulate small scale water supply (Scotland) and set targets on education and training (Finland), the Non Parties (Belorus, Armenia) presented the experience on targets setting and country policy on improvement of access to safe water in their countries. Workshop participants discussed the draft guidelines on evaluation of progress made by countries as well as the summary report. The reporting mechanism under the Aarhus Convention was presented as an en example.
At the Second TF on indicators and Reporting meeting the conclusions of the workshop were presented and discussed by experts. The TF discussed the revised draft guidelines on setting targets, evaluation of progress and reporting and agreed on the main messages and specific recommendations of the gidelins, exsamples of good practices, tools, studies to be included in the guidelines. MAMA-86, WECF will provide the exsamples of targets setting at local level, Water Safety plans introduction for rural areas.
The TF agreed on further work on draft guidelines.
TF discussed draft guideline on summary reports and agreed on the scope and approach of the guidelines
TF discussed the future work and dates:
The comments and contributions to the drafts guidelines have to be set to the Secretariat till 15 March 2009
The finalization of the guidelines is planned on the end of June and the final documents will be present on July at Working Group on Protocol on water and health meeting at the beginning of July.
The pilot reporting exercise will be organized in autumn 2009, before the second meeting of the Parties.
For more information please contact Anna Tsvietkova at atsvet(at)mama-86.org.ua
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