This Conference will take place at Yale University, New Haven, US, from 10-11 May 2008, on the margins of the 16th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). Participants will consider “Institutions, public participation and environmental sustainability: Bridging research and capacity development” as they take stock of contemporary research and knowledge gaps at the intersection of institutions, public participation and environmental sustainability. The objective of the Conference is to develop a research program and network to strengthen institutional approaches for effective and context-sensitive public participation in environmental governance. The Conference is organized by the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and Yale University, in collaboration with the UN Economic Commission for Europe (Secretariat of the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters), the University of Cape Town, the French Institute of Forestry, Agricultural and Environmental Engineering (ENGREF – AgroParisTech), the World Resources Institute (WRI), and the Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future.  

dates: 10-11 May 2008  
venue: Yale University  
location: New Haven, Connecticut, US  
contact: Achim Halpaap, Manager, UNITAR Environmental Governance and Democracy Program  
e-mail: achim.halpaap@unitar.org  
www: http://www.yale.edu/envirocenter/envdem/