AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF UKRAINE, THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND ON THE ESTABLISHMENT CROSS-BORDER BIOSPHERE RESERVE "WESTERN POLESIE"
Source: http://www.poleskipn.pl/images/PDF2/TRB/Agreement-Rus.pdf
Government of Ukraine, Government of the Republic of Belarus, The Government of the Republic of Poland, hereinafter referred to as the Parties,
considering that the border areas of the Parties in the Western Polesie are biosphere reserves and part of the worldwide network biosphere reserves of UNESCO,
recognizing that Western Polesie is a territory with unique natural values and an essential element pan-European ecological network,
realizing that for the protection of unique natural complexes biosphere reserves "Shatsky" (Ukraine), "Pribuzhskoe Polesie" (Belarus), "Western Polesie" (Poland), joint actions that can only be carried out taking into account interests Parties,
taking into account the provisions of the UNESCO Program “Man and biosphere "(MAB), Convention on Biological Diversity, signed on June 5, 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, the Pan-European strategies for the conservation of biological and landscape diversity,
Have agreed as follows:
Article 1
Scope of the Agreement
This Agreement applies to biosphere reserves "Shatsky" (Ukraine), "Pribuzhskoe Polesie" (Belarus) and "Western Polesie" (Poland) constituting a cross-border biosphere reserve "Western Polesie".
Article 2
Purpose of the Agreement
The purpose of this Agreement is to create a cross-border biosphere reserve "Western Polesie", consisting of three national biosphere reserves and cooperation in the protection of th sustainable development of the region in accordance with the objectives of the Program UNESCO "Man and the Biosphere".
Article 3
General commitment to cooperation
1. Cooperation of the Parties is based on the principles of equality, territorial integrity of the Parties, mutual benefit and good neighborliness.
2. The Parties shall promote cooperation in the field of protection and sustainable use of biological and landscape diversity transboundary biosphere reserve "Western Polesie".
3. The Parties shall promote cooperation in the creation of transboundary biosphere reserve "Western Polesie" and sustainable development of this region, preservation of traditions and image life of the local population.
4. Parties develop and adopt management plans relevant national biosphere reserves in in accordance with their domestic legislation and coordinate execution of such plans.
5. The parties promote the approximation of legislation in the field biological and landscape diversity.
6. The Parties shall promote cooperation in conducting scientific research, environmental monitoring programs, primarily queue of wetlands responding to global warming climate.
7. The Parties shall facilitate information exchange and dissemination best practices in conservation and sustainable development transboundary biosphere reserve "Western Polesie".
8. The Parties shall pursue policies aimed at increasing environmental awareness and ensuring public access to environmental information on protection and sustainable development transboundary biosphere reserve "Western Polesie".
9. The Parties shall coordinate their efforts to develop and implementation of programs and projects on protection and sustainable development of the transboundary biosphere reserve "Western Polesie", search for appropriate sources of financial and technical assistance, including that provided international organizations.
Article 4.
Coordination Council
1. To achieve the goal of this Agreement, the Parties create Coordination Council.
2. The Coordination Council coordinates the activities for the implementation of this Agreement.
3. The coordinating council works under the direction of three co-chairs.
4. Each Party in agreement with the national committee UNESCO (MAB) appoints a co-chair and 4 members of the Coordination advice.
5. The Coordination Council meets at least once a year. The first meeting of the Coordination Council is not held later than three months after the entry into force of this Agreement.
6. The parties shall notify each other of the appointment of the co-chairs and other members of the Council before the first meeting of the Coordination Council.
7. The coordinating council can create working groups and involve experts in the work.
8. Meetings of the Coordination Council, its working groups and experts are held alternately in the territories of the Parties.
9. Costs of organizing and holding meetings: The Coordinating Council, its working groups and experts bears the host. Meeting Attendance Costs: The Coordination Council, its working groups and experts, bears guide side.
10. Decisions of the Coordination Council are made on the basis of consensus.
Article 5.
Settlement of disputes
1. The parties resolve disputes arising from the interpretation or application of the Agreement by sending them for consideration Coordination Council.
2. The coordinating council examines the facts and circumstances, related to the named disputes and facilitate their settlement or submit their opinions to the Parties to the dispute.
3. Disputes not settled within the framework of the Coordination Council, are subject to negotiations between the Parties.
Article 6.
Changes and additions to this Agreement
1. Any Party may propose changes and additions to this Agreement. '
2. The proposed changes and additions are accepted by the Parties by consensus by signing the appropriate protocol to this Agreement.
3. The entry into force of such a protocol shall be governed by the provisions paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article 7 of this Agreement.
Article 7
Final provisions
1. This Agreement is subject to ratification, acceptance or approval by the Signatories.
2. This Agreement shall enter into force on the 30th day after the date receiving the latest notification of its ratification, acceptance or approval by any Party. This Party informs other Parties on the date of entry into force of the Agreement.
3. This Agreement is concluded for 5 years and automatically extended for subsequent five-year periods if none of the Parties will not notify the other Parties in writing for at least six months before the expiry of the corresponding five-year period its intention to terminate it. Termination of this Agreement does not affect the implementation of activities initiated during the term of this Agreement.
Done in Kiev on October 28, 2011 in triplicate, each in Ukrainian, Russian, Polish and English, and all texts are equally authentic. Used as a reference text in English.
