DECISION II/14
AMENDMENT TO THE ESPOO CONVENTION 

The Meeting,

Wishing to modify the Espoo Convention with a view to clarifying that the public that may participate in procedures under the Convention includes civil society and, in particular, nongovernmental organizations, 

Recalling paragraph 13 of the Oslo Declaration of the Ministers of the Environment and the European Community Commissioner for the Environment assembled at Oslo on the occasion of the first meeting of the Parties to the Espoo Convention, 

Wishing to allow States situated outside the UN/ECE region to become Parties to the Convention, 

Adopts the following amendments to the Convention:

(a) At the end of Article 1 (x), after persons insert

and, in accordance with national legislation or practice, their associations, organizations or groups

(b) In Article 17, after paragraph 2, insert a new paragraph reading

3. Any other State, not referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, that is a Member of the United Nations may accede to the Convention upon approval by the Meeting of the Parties. The Meeting of the Parties shall not consider or approve any request for accession by such a State until this paragraph has entered into force for all the States and organizations that were Parties to the Convention on 27 February 2001.

and renumber the remaining paragraphs accordingly.

(c) At the end of Article 17, insert a new paragraph reading

7. Any State or organization that ratifies, accepts or approves this Convention shall be deemed simultaneously to ratify, accept or approve the amendment to the Convention set out in decision II/14 taken at the second meeting of the Parties.