Understanding the reasons and consequences of this step for Belarus.
The Aarhus Convention is a key international agreement in the environmental sphere, aimed at promoting the principles of environmental democracy, justice, transparency, and citizen participation in environmental decision-making. Belarus became a party to it in 1998. The Convention brought significant benefits to the country, serving as an incentive for authorities to meet requirements for public access to decision-making and to improve legislation. For instance, it regulated issues such as public participation in discussions about the demolition of Osmolovka in Minsk and the development of the Tsnyanskoye Reservoir.
On July 18, 2022, it became known that Belarus intended to withdraw from the Aarhus Convention, with the decision taking effect on October 24, 2022. According to the authorities, the decision was allegedly justified by “biased and discriminatory attitudes from the governing bodies of the convention” as well as “instances of pressure on a sovereign state.”
In reality, at the 7th Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention in October 2021, Decision VII/8c was adopted, which reviewed Belarus’s progress in implementing the recommendations issued to address violations of the Convention’s provisions. Among other issues, the recommendations addressed cases related to the construction of the Neman Hydropower Plant, the Ostrovets Nuclear Power Plant, and the persecution of anti-nuclear activists, as well as a new violation — the liquidation of the environmental organization Ecohome for political reasons, which was recognized as a case of harassment and repression of NGOs.
«There were also issues with non-compliance with other commitments, limited access to environmental information, and the lack of effective tools for citizen participation in environmentally significant decision-making,» Ecohome representatives explain. «The Compliance Committee of the Aarhus Convention repeatedly recognized certain provisions of Belarusian legislation and practices as contradictory to the Convention. It provided clear and detailed recommendations for addressing the situation, but Belarusian state authorities failed to take effective measures to implement all the recommendations. Certain steps were taken, but they were insufficient, and the violations persisted.»
Belarus was urged to take steps «to reinstate Ecohome’s registration as a public association» by December 1, 2021. Failure to comply would result in the suspension of Belarus’s special rights and privileges under the Convention starting February 1, 2022. Belarus did not fulfill these recommendations, and the restrictive measures came into effect.
In response, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Belarus announced its intention to withdraw from the Aarhus Convention if the decision requiring Ecohome’s reinstatement was not revoked. Exactly two years ago, Belarus officially exited the Convention.
Changes After Withdrawal
For Belarusian authorities, the consequences of the country’s withdrawal from the Convention include reputational damage, a diminished international image, loss of access to resources, increasing self-isolation, and the forfeiture of valuable expert potential for improving practices and legislation. However, the country’s withdrawal from the Convention has also negatively impacted its citizens: they have lost access to the protection of their environmental rights at the international level. Over the past two years, human rights defenders and environmental activists have recorded a worsening situation in terms of public access to environmental information, reduced public participation in environmentally significant decision-making, and diminished access to justice on environmental issues.
Cooperation at academic and governmental levels with European countries, which possess advanced experience in effectively addressing environmental issues, has declined. Instead, Belarus has engaged in joint projects with Russia.
As of this summer, there were 10 political prisoners who are environmental activists. According to data from the Legal Transformation Center (Lawtrend), from August 2020 to April 2024, over 100 environmental organizations—ranging from animal protection to educational groups—were dissolved or forced into liquidation. This was followed by website blockages and extremist designations. For instance, Ecohome was even recognized as an extremist formation.
The largest Belarusian environmental news resource, «Green Portal,» has also been blocked within Belarus, and its social media accounts have been designated as extremist materials, significantly reducing the public’s ability to safely access information on environmental issues. The Belarusian Green Party was dissolved by the Supreme Court of Belarus, and its former leader is currently imprisoned.
«We believe that Belarus will become a free country that works for the benefit of environmental democracy. However, rejoining the convention will require significant efforts,» emphasizes Ecohome. «We have prepared a review detailing Belarus’s journey from joining the Aarhus Convention to its withdrawal, including legislative adaptation, practical implementation, as well as the prospects of rejoining the convention and the necessary steps to achieve this.»
You can find the overview «Belarus and the Aarhus convention: from acceding to withdrawing» in English below:
Overview in Russian (Download)
