Welcome to the CERI webpage!
Carpathian EcoRegion Initiative is a coalition of NGOs and research institutes working towards a common vision for conservation and sustainable development of the Carpathians.
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Become a member
Membership is open to NGOs, academic and research institutes committed to sign up to the CERI vision statement and accepting the CERI Statutes.
Support us
All support will be used within the CERI vision, for conservation of the unique Carpathian Biodiversity.
for any kind of cooperation or support
Provide us with your pictures/photographs to be used for free for the promotion of Carpathian region and conservation of biodiversity
Initiate cooperation with CERI network, contact us to elaborate common project
Take advantage of CERI expertise and involve CERI experts into your projects
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Summit
Declaration on Environment and Sustainable Development in the Carpathian and Danube Region
Bucharest, 30 April 2001
We, Heads of State and High Representatives of the States participating in the Summit on Environment and Sustainable Development in the Carpathian and Danube Region*,
Bearing in mind the Stockholm Declaration of the United Nations Conference on Human Environment of 1972 and the Rio Declaration of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development of 1992;
Reaffirming the importance of the implementation of the political and legal commitments undertaken by the international community following those and subsequent conferences, especially at the Pan-European level;
Being aware that the 10-year review and evaluation of the Rio Declaration commitments and the implementation of Agenda 21 to be conducted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002 will provide a momentous opportunity for further action to strengthen international co-operation towards coping with the challenges of sustainable development in the twenty-first century;
Being convinced that renewed efforts are required toward that goal on the part of all Carpathian and Danubian countries in a spirit of regional solidarity;
Upholding the principle of common, yet differentiated responsibility, to manage the environment and natural resources so as to promote sustainable development to the benefit of present and future generations;
Acknowledging that the Carpathian region is a natural treasure of great beauty and ecological value, a reservoir of biodiversity, the headwaters of major rivers and Europe's largest area of virgin forest;
Acknowledging also the special economic and social importance of the Danube River and its tributaries as a major European river with multiple uses and functions, as well as its ecological significance and its value as a natural habitat for numerous wildlife species;
Recognizing that a world wide scientific assessment of biodiversity by World Wide Fund for Nature identified the Carpathian Mountains and the Danube Delta as two of the world's most important ecoregions with a representative selection of the world's most outstanding and distinctive biological resources;
Being aware of the fact that efforts to protect, maintain, and sustainably manage the natural resources of the Carpathian Mountains and the Danube River Basin cannot be achieved by one country alone and require regional co-operation;
Emphasizing that cooperation on environment and sustainable development will assist the efforts towards stability and peace in the region;
Appreciating the efforts that have been undertaken at international, regional, national and local level to enhance co-operation and support for the maintenance and protection of the natural assets and resources;
Recognizing that the people of the Carpathian region and the Danube River basin have developed and maintained various traditions and practices that have helped provide the basis for sustainable development of the natural resources of the region;
Expressing appreciation to the United Nations and its specialized institutions, in particular to UNEP, UNDP, UN/ECE, and other international organisations for their support to the South-East European countries through concrete programmes and projects and also for their assistance in addressing the consequences of the Balkan conflicts on environment and human settlements;
Considering that capacity building and institutional strengthening as well as specific activities in the field of education, public participation and environmental awareness are essential requirements for sustainable development in the region;
DECLARE their intention to encourage and support:
1.
a. International and regional co-operation with a view to maintaining and rehabilitating the natural assets and to improving the state of environment in the Carpathian region and the Danube River basin;
b. Regional efforts and concrete measures in a common quest for sustainable development;
c. Regional, bilateral, national and local initiatives that demonstrate the ability of humans to live in harmony with nature in the Carpathian and Danube region;
d. Joint assessments of development policies and programmes ensuring the integration of environmental considerations in economic and social development to prevent harmful effects in the cost-effective way in order to enhance the impact of market-driven solutions;
e. Bringing together in partnership entities from the private sector, government institutions, research or educational establishments and non-governmental organisations in a constructive dialogue on practical ways and means to achieve conservation of nature and sustainable development;
f. Co-operation with and among stakeholders and public-private partnership in accordance with the principles of the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus, 1998);
g. Regional co-operation with a view to achieving the objectives of relevant United Nations Conventions, in particular the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity (Rio de Janeiro, 1992);
h. Strengthening the implementation of multilateral and bilateral environmental agreements to prevent and reduce pollution, preserve biological diversity and avoid and mitigate environmental emergencies;
i. Joint activities under the Regional Environmental Reconstruction Program (Rerep) in South-Eastern Europe in the framework of the Stability Pact.
2.
a. The activities for developing new intergovernmental regional instruments for conservation and sustainable development in the Carpathian region, by paying special attention to the celebration of the UN International Year of the Mountains in 2002 as well as to the Ministerial Conference 'Environment for Europe' (Kyiv, 2003);
b. New ways and means of integrated and participatory approaches to sustainable development in the Carpathian region by addressing the specific issues of industry, agriculture, forestry, rural development, cultural heritage, energy, mining and transport at a regional level in co-operation with national stakeholders, private sector and international organisations, assessing the environmental impact of such activities, and designing common solutions in response to environmental challenges;
3.
a. The activities of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), i.e. the elaboration of a River Basin Management Plan in accordance with the EU - Water Framework Directive;
b. The implementation of the Joint Action Programme (JAP) and the Common Platform (Guidelines for Development of National Policies and Actions for Pollution Reduction);
c. Further co-operation on the Lower Danube Green Corridor to ensure proper protection and rehabilitation of floodplains, wetlands and natural forests in order to enhance the implementation of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar, 1971);
4.
a. The regional and national strategies for the conservation and protection of the environment and for sustainable development to be compatible with the European and international policies;
b. Creation of a favourable climate for enhanced cooperation in technology-transfer, environmental science and technology, in particular for the development and dissemination of innovative energy-efficient and environment-friendly technologies;
c. Mobilisation of financial resources for environment and sustainable development projects and programmes in the Carpathian and Danube region and the use of existing mechanisms for this purpose, in particular EU funds and the Global Environment Facility (GEF);
d. Involvement of the private sector in addressing environmental issues by facilitating access to information, financial resources, and expedient recourse to justice;
5.
Highlighting the importance of improving substantially, within the existing framework, the co-operation in the Carpathian region and the Danube River basin as a significant contribution to the strengthening of the regional character of the 'Environment for Europe' process;
6.
The presentation of this Declaration and early results on its implementation to the "Rio+10" United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Johannesburg, in 2002.