At the 22nd Prosecutors General Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, on July 25, displays of three cases highlighting the effectiveness of public interest litigation in China captured the attention of participants. The exhibits were part of the SCO Year of Ecology thematic exhibition in the Kyrgyz capital.
The exhibits presented three Chinese public interest litigation prosecution cases, each explained in Chinese, Russian and English.
The first case highlighted the comprehensive remediation of pollution in the so-called "Manganese Triangle" area - Xiushan county in Southwest China's Chongqing municipality, Huayuan county in Central China's Hunan province, and Songtao county in Southwest China's Guizhou province - where mining public interest litigation was handled by procuratorial organs. The exhibition revealed that procuratorial organs instructed the mining company involved to promptly carry out ecological restoration work, resulting in a lush and vibrant environment after the rehabilitation of the manganese slag heap.
The second one is an administrative public interest litigation case handled by the procuratorial authorities urging the rectification of illegal mining by mining enterprises in Hunyuan, North China's Shanxi province. After the case was concluded, the local government formulated a restoration plan for the Hengshan Scenic Area and its surrounding ecological environment. The restoration project covered an area of 53,900 mu (3,593 hectares), including the restoration of forest and arable land totaling 11,000 mu, the planting of 3.49 million trees, and the installation of various irrigation networks spanning 16.53 kilometers.
The third one is the environmental protection public interest litigation case of Nansi Lake, which was handled last year by the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP). Nansi Lake is the largest freshwater lake in northern China shared by Shandong, Jiangsu, Henan and Anhui provinces. Through the use of satellite remote sensing technology, the SPP successfully managed the public interest litigation prosecution of the case. Following public interest litigation oversight and rectification, the lake, whose previously rich plant population had been killed off by pollution, achieved a 100 percent excellent water quality rating for the first time.
This year marks the SCO Year of Ecology. Throughout the year, the SCO is organizing a series of thematic activities and joint initiatives, including educational and environmental projects, as well as events like World Environment Day and World Water Day.
While holding the exhibition themed on "One Earth, One Future", the Secretariat of the SCO Prosecutors General Meeting in Bishkek emphasized the crucial role played by the procuratorial authorities of member states in implementing these initiatives.
It said that the prosecutorial authorities of SCO member states actively participated in supervising and enforcing environmental legislation, investigating environmental crimes, and holding offenders accountable. Their efforts ensured the enforcement of environmental protection standards, contributing to the preservation of ecosystems and natural resources.
In addition, procuratorial authorities were involved in developing and implementing environmental education projects aimed at raising public awareness of the environment and promoting sustainable lifestyles, it said.
