Sustainability

Regional environmental agreements. Representatives of Latin American governments advanced on an agreement to protect human rights in environmental matters, in the framework of a meeting of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL) that took place between November 27th and December 1st, in Santiago de Chile. The maim issues addressed during the meeting were: access to public environmental information, the guarantee of citizen participation in the definition of environmental public policies and access to justice in environmental matters, among others. The next meeting has not been defined yet, but it was agreed to carry it out during the first quarter of 2018, in San José, Costa Rica.

This is the eight meeting held by the Negotiating Committee of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, a special commission to implement Principle 10 of the Declaration of Río on the Environment and Development.

Throughout the five days of the meeting, the main objective of the Agreement was approved, which seeks to “guarantee the full and effective implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean of the rights of access to environmental information, public participation in the decision-making process and access to justice in environmental matters, as well as the creation and strengthening of capacities and cooperation, contributing to the protection of the right of each person and of present and future generations to live in a healthy environment and to development sustainable”.

To access the text of the agreement with the proposals of modifications made by each country, please click here.

Upon the conclusion of the eight meeting, the date for the next meeting was not decided. However, it was defined that it will be during the first quarter of 2018, in San José, Costa Rica, and that the agenda for the meeting will be focused on articles 11 to 25 of the agreement, referring to cooperation among the member countries of CEPAL in environmental matters.

The meeting was opened on its first day by the Co-chairs of the Negotiation Committee Patricia Madrigal, Vice Minister of Environment of Costa Rica, Marcelo Mena, Minister of the Environment of Chile, and Joseluis Samaniego, Director of the Division of Sustainable Development and Human Settlements of CEPAL. The Executive Secretary of CEPAL, Alicia Bárcena, also delivered her message, stating that “the access rights enshrined in this Principle 10 are at the heart of the 2030 Agenda and are manifested in all the Sustainable Development Goals. This negotiation is a reflection of our region’s commitment to the goals and objectives established in that Agenda.”

Furthermore, Madrigal said that “the aspiration to have a Regional Agreement has allowed us to promote synergies, put the issue on the political agenda and established a formal dialogue with civil society”. “This regional agreement prevents socio-environmental conflict, strengthens the rule of law and restores the balance of the different social and institutional actors,” he added.

To access the agreements reached at the Eight Meeting of the Negotiating Committee of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, click here.

Next steps

The date for the next meeting has not been defined yet, but it was agreed to carry it out during the first quarter of 2018, in San José, Costa Rica. The agenda of the meeting will be focused on articles 11 to 25 of the agreement, referring to cooperation among the member countries of ECLAC in environmental matters.