ENVIRONMENT

Environmental public information. Delegates from governments of Latin America and the Caribbean and representatives of international organizations will meet on February 28th in San Jose, Costa Rica to continue preparing a regional document that establishes guidelines on access to public environmental information in all Latin America. The meeting is convened by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

This will be the ninth meeting convened by ECLAC to continue working on the legal instrument that allows the development of better quality regional environmental policies. During the eighth meeting, which took place last December in Santiago, Chile, new definitions for “environmental justice” were worked on.

Participants from the countries of Chile, Argentina and Colombia proposed that the concept of “environmental justice” be understood as the possibility that a conflict of this nature has an expeditious solution by the jurisdictional bodies that contribute to the protection of the environment and the sustainable development of the countries.

The document seeks to ensure a safe environment for individuals, groups and organizations that promote and defend human rights in environmental matters. The objective is that these individuals and organizations can act without threats, restrictions and insecurity.

The text also suggests the preparation of reports on the environmental status of countries, bearing in mind the use and conservation of natural resources, and lists of waste by type, volume, location and year. In addition it also considers training in environmental matters for authorities and public officials.

On January 10th, ECLAC celebrated its 70th anniversary in its headquarters in Santiago, Chile. During the celebration, the Executive Secretary of the organization, Alicia Bárcena, ratified the commitment to work for development with equality and environmental sustainability in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“The environmental objectives and challenges represent a great opportunity for a technological and productive transformation that is the basis for the generation of quality jobs, of greater growth and more equality, and that provides a great boost to the economies,” he said.

Next steps:

The next meeting will be from February 28th to March 4th, 2018 in San José, Costa Rica. The objective is to advance in the construction of the regional agreement on “Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean.” The other meetings are not yet scheduled, but it is expected that there will be new meetings this year to finalize the writing of the document.