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The SOFIA+3 Project

Preface

At the 3rd Environment Ministers Conference in Sofia (23-25 October 1995) in the Conference Declaration Ministers of Environment specifically stressed the necessity of evaluation, by the end of 1997, of the progress achieved in CEECs/NIS in developing National Environmental Action Programmes (NEAPs).

Responding to this the Organization "GROMADYANSKA INITSIATYVA" (OGI International - the Civil Initiative Organization) initiated the SOFIA+3 Project and started to implement it in coalition with a number of NGOs from the NIS facilitating civil society participation in evaluation of NEAPs development and implementation process in the NIS. Important part of the SOFIA+3 Project is also development of the NGO Common Agenda for the Future to promote the NEAPs development/implementation in the NIS in partnership between NGOs and Governments (especially, Local Self-Governments). The SOFIA+3 Coalition joined the following NGOs:

  1. "ECO-Accord" (Russian Federation),
  2. Foundation to Support Civil Initiatives in Tajikistan,
  3. Environmental Movement "Natura" (Moldova),
  4. Ukrainian Environmental Union "Salvation from Chornobyls" (Ukraine),
  5. EcoPravo-Kyiv (Ukraine),
  6. Society for NGO Development and Support (Ukraine),
  7. National Ecological Center (Ukraine),
  8. NewREC NGO Coordination Council of Ukraine,
  9. Environmental NGOs Council of Ukraine,
  10. Municipal Management Center (Ukraine),
  11. Institute for Ecology to National Ecological Center (Ukraine),
  12. Foundation "Unicorn" (Ukraine),
  13. Round Table Environmental NGOs of Belarus,
  14. International Habitat Center (Georgia),
  15. Center of Social and Psychological Aid "GESTALT" (Ukraine),
  16. OGI International (Ukraine).

The overall Goal of the Project:

The NGO evaluation of NEAPs process in the NIS and promoting development of partnership between NGOs, Governments, Local Self-Governments in the NIS for the future environmental and economic benefits.

Project Objectives:

  • facilitation NGO evaluation of development/implementation of the National Environmental Action Plans (NEAP) in the NIS countries involved in the Project;
  • collecting NGO inputs and ideas to the 4th Ministerial Conference Environment for Europe;
  • defining the topics most important to NIS NGO community related to NEAPs;
  • collecting and disseminating information related to the NEAPs and the 4th Ministerial Conference;
  • formulating of the NGO Common Agenda for the Future to promote the NEAPs/LEAPs implementation in the NIS;
  • development, publishing the Project Report to be presented on the NGO Special Session at the 4th Environment Ministers Conference in Aarhus.