Sustainability

Environmental public information. At the beginning of March, 24 countries approved a regional level agreement and mandatory compliance that guarantees the right to access public environmental information. The decision was made after the ninth negotiation meeting held by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), in San José, Costa Rica. From the signing of this agreement, the governments of the region will be obliged to guarantee the participation of civil society organizations in the political decision-making processes related to the environment. The ratification of the agreement is scheduled for September 27th, 2018 during the General Assembly of the United Nations.

The “Escazú Agreement” -name by which the document is also known-was reached after four years of discussion and will be a historic milestone for the ecological democracy of the continent, setting the obligations that each of the countries must respect. The executive secretary of the agency, Alicia Bárcena, said that this treaty is the only one of its kind on a global level and highlighted the fact that it gives people the possibility to intervene in decisions that impact on their environment and their own lives.

This instrument recognizes the right to a healthy and participatory environment that builds a regional environmental democracy for citizenship. The quality standard that it supposes will reach other areas such as exchange and cooperation between nations, placing equality and sustainability at the center of the issue – as the ECLAC official pointed out.

The Costa Rican president, Luis Guillermo Solís, was present as host at the closing ceremony and referred to the good news that the agreement represents in the Latin American struggle against crime, poverty, inequality and hatred. He also pointed out that the declaration represents a clear defense of human rights, in the presence of several of his ministers and in keeping with Bárcena – who attested to the firm and unequivocal commitment of the region in this matter.

Next steps

Based on this agreement, the intention is to achieve a full and effective implementation of it in Latin America and the Caribbean – enabling the population to be a relevant actor in shaping public policies on environmental matters. The countries will have a term of two years to subscribe it and then they must ratify it in their respective national legislations. ECLAC will seek to place the Secretary General of the United Nations as the depository of this agreement and its adoption will be announced at the 37th session, the highest instance of the institution, to be held between May 7th and May 11th, 2018 in La Havana Cuba.