UN Rapporteurs Urge the World Bank to Recognize Human Rights in its Policies

In response to the proposed modifications to the World Bank’s social and environmental safeguards, a large group of UN human rights rapporteurs launched tough critiques of the proposed changes, requesting via a letter addressed to the President of the World Bank that human rights be properly considered in the guarantees that the financial institution demands.

On December 16th of last year, 28 special rapporteurs for the United Nations Human Rights Council sent a collective letter to World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, severely criticizing the proposed modifications to the Bank. These modifications have been in full discussion and have been an ongoing project for FUNDEPS. According to the human rights rapporteurs, the proposed modifications “appear to move in opposition to progress” considering that they would reduce the amount of social and environmental guarantees that the Bank requires when approving loans, especially in regards to human rights. According to the special rapporteurs,“the document seems to go out of its way to avoid any meaningful references to human rights.”

Philip G. Alston, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, maintains that the principal reason for these modifications appears to be the Bank’s intention to compete with alternative financing initiatives (mainly backed by China, Russia, and India) which do not apply these minimum safeguards. Nevertheless, Alston explained that this is not sufficient reason to reduce the existing safeguards, considering that the World Bank, in their Articles of Agreement, are formally committed to the elimination of extreme poverty and to improving the quality of life for people in developing countries. The pursuit of these goals does not line up logically with the proposed modifications.

The authors of the letter hold that “the international community has already accepted that development and human rights are interdependent and mutually reinforcing.” That is why, in keeping with international law, they maintain that the World Bank should consider the relevance of human rights in its programs’ objectives, as well as incorporate human rights into its policies.

Ultimately, after appending a list of well-founded criticisms to the original letter sent to the President of the institution, the rapporteurs recommend that the Bank only finance projects that satisfy the established requirements. Further, they should withhold support from projects that do not comply with human rights obligations. In the screening process for each project, the Bank should rely not only on the information provided by the loan applicant, but should itself carry out the pertinent investigations, keeping in mind the affected or potentially-affected groups, as well as human rights defense groups and civil organizations. In this context, the rapporteurs pointed out that many vulnerable groups remain unprotected under projects funded by the World Bank, an issue that inspired protests at the Bank’s most recent annual meetings . In the same vein, they maintain that the proposed modifications should utilize stricter language that through clarity and precision would minimize discretionality when approving loans.

Here at FUNDEPS, we will continue participating in these global discussions, and in this way attempt to ensure that the World Bank establishes respectable human rights standards in its operational processes.

More information:

Letter to the President of the World Bank by the human rights rapporteurs-Safeguards-ENGLISH

Contact:

Gonzalo Roza, Area Coordinator of Global Governance
gon.roza@fundeps.org

Translated by: Elizabeth Laudenslager and Julian Novales Flamarique

 

Foundation for the Development of Sustainable Policy (FUNDEPS) submits Amicus Curiae in tobacco-related cases in Argentina and Colombia

The department of human rights submitted two Amicus Curiae briefs, enabling public participation in court cases, in discussions concerning health protection and tobacco control. FUNDEPS seeks to promote legal frameworks and protect the human right to health.

Argentina

In the case of “Inter-American Heart Foundation – Argentina versus the Government of the City of Buenos Aires under the Amparo Action of Protection”, FUNDEPS constituted as a “friend of the Court” in the appeal case presented before Room I of the Appeals Chamber in the Civil and Commercial Court of the City of Buenos Aires.Through Amparo, CIF Argentina, a Non-Profit Organisation working in public politics concerning chronic non-communicable diseases, demanded that the Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires take direct measures to effectively comply with provisions by the Law of Tobacco Control in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires.

In the first instance, Judge Lidia E. Lago rejected the appeal, arguing that the Amparo Action of Protection was intended only for those cases in which constitutional rights are violated in a clearly arbitrary or unlawful manner. The judge accepts that, in this case this requirement was not fulfilled; therefore the Amparo procedure was not relevant, despite non-compliance of regulations causing direct damage to the human right to health of Buenos Aires citizens.

Before the adverse ruling, FIC Argentina appealed the adjudication and FUNDEPS appeared as a “friend of the Court”, supporting the arguments of the appellant. In this manner, FUNDEPS warned against the use of tobacco products and the industry’s focus on young people. Reference was also made to the content and scope of the right to health, the collective face of the right to health, the operating of direct damage prevention within the Argentinean legal system and the role of the judiciary in defending, promoting and protecting human rights.This case still remains unresolved to this day. We at FUNDEPS are hoping for a favourable ruling under this framework and that the right to health be protected, urging the Government of the City of Buenos Aires to respect Human Rights Covenants, the National Constitution, the autonomous city of Buenos Aires Statute and the local legal framework.

Colombia

In Colombia there was a request for nullification of two circulars of the Colombian Superintendency of Industry and Commerce (SIC), which regulates the display of tobacco products. The main argument is that articles 14, 15 and 16 of the 2009 Colombian law 1335 impose a general prohibition on the publicity and promotion of tobacco. The display of tobacco products (regulated by the circulars) is a form of this promotion, for which it should be banned. Adding to this domestic regulation, on 9th July 2008 the WHO framework agreement on tobacco control was enforced, incorporating the possibility of international responsibility of Colombia.

Alongside FIC Argentina, FUNDEPS submitted an amicus curiae brief with the objective of supporting this request to nullify the circular letters of the Superintendence of Trade of Colombia, emphasising how the display of tobacco products is used throughout the entire region as a clear form of marketing. References to the impact of these techniques on health are also incorporated within the analysis, particularly concerning the level of initial consumption in children and adolescents as well as the impediment of cessation in adult smokers.The document carried out a study of the international legal framework which implements the highest standards of the right to health and in particular those documents that specifically categorise the display of products as a form of publicity. In the same way, arguments frequently used by the tobacco industry were presented and answered; arguments with the objective of opposing those measures which tend to restrict these market techniques and aim to guarantee better protection of the right to health. Finally, scientific evidence was enclosed, with respect to positive impacts of this policy type.

At FUNDEPS we celebrate the collaborative efforts of civil society organisations, which seek to ensure adequate health protection, in particular against the tobacco epidemic. In this regard, we trust that the circular letters will be declared void by the Council of State and that it serves as a background record so that the region advances in legal frameworks that duly protect the human right to health.

More information:

– Amicus Curiae brief submitted in Argentina

– Amicus Curiae brief submitted in Colombia

Contact:

Juan Miguel Litvachkes
juanlitvachkes@fundeps.org

Gianella Severini
gianeseverini@fundeps.org

Translated by: Samantha Pearton

FUNDEPS participates in the first Latin American Meeting for the Right to Immunisation

As part of the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, FUNDEPS represented Argentina at the first Latin American Meeting for the Right to Immunisation, which took place during 20-21 November 2014 in Lima, Peru.

The meeting, which was called by the America’s Health Foundation along with the non-profit organisation Voces Ciudadanas, included the participation of many representatives from children’s and adolescent organisations, representatives from networks of civil society organisations, as well as the presence of relevant government health authorities from some countries in the region. The core focus over the two days was the debate on how to promote the right to immunisations, recognising them as a human right and a public commodity. It was established that vaccinations are an enforceable right in all countries of the region, to be provided in full and for free as a routine part of the annual allocation of resources, rather than solely provided as a medical service. Education, information, prevention, awareness, participation, training, co-ordination, co-operation, investment, supervision and investigation are all concepts which were discussed, defined and identified as fundamental when dealing with health policies, and in particular, with vaccinations.

The conference was concluded with the signing of the Lima Declaration for the Right to Immunisation, a document which summarised everything discussed by the various participants, and established agreed guidelines which should be considered by all of the American states, in order to guarantee universally available vaccines for children and adolescents, addressing first the inequality, disparity and discrimination present in the different countries of the region.

As part of our work on the human right to health in general, we at FUNDEPS will continue to monitor the right to immunisation as a subcategory of this human right.

Contact:

Agustín Filippi
agustinfilippi@fundeps.org

Translated by: Siobhan Wood

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Funding infrastructure in Latin America- COP20, Lima

The frame of activities for the Conference of Parties in the framework convention on the Lima Climate Change Conference, will discuss how international funding and socio environmental safeguards in infrastructure projects in Latin America have an impact on the Amazon jungle.

This event has been jointly organised by FUNDAR, Centre of Analysis and Investigation (Mexico), Foundation for the Development of Sustainable Policies- FUNDEPS (Argentina) Association for Environment and Society AAS (Colombia) and the Right of the Environment and Natural Resources- DAR (Peru) all constituting as the regional group for Funding and Infrastructure.
The discussion forms part of the Conference of Parties in the framework convention on climate change in Lima. The speakers will tackle the actual state of funding for infrastructure in Latin America from traditional banks like the World Bank Group/ International Finance Corporation and the new bank from the BRIC Countries. A comparative analysis of four projects with external funding has been carried out in Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia and Peru, evaluating the impacts on the Amazon forest and the instruments (safeguards) for the management of social and environmental risks.

It will especially be about the negative example of Brazil and the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES, its acronym in Portuguese). The BNDES, who also funds projects outside of Brazil, has been accused of its lack of transparency, of described social and environmental norms, which have been clearly defined, and the mechanisms guaranteeing the fulfillment of national laws.
It is feared that the recent creation of the BRICS nations bank will neither put enough emphasis on the norms that protect the environment and society in the process of its application. This reality is affecting the policies of traditional banks, such as the World Bank Group or the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). Those countries seeking to attract more investment will also react to the changes in the available international funding. Large infrastructure projects that ignore the environmental concerns, such are the cases of CVIS (Peru), Mocoa Pasto (Colombia), Coca Codo Sinclair (Ecuador) and the TIPNIS (Bolivia), are proof of it.

A panel of experts on climate change, megaprojects and governance (transparency, participation, risk management) will debate the key ideas and any advance of the previously mentioned analysis. The session will also give the public the possibility to participate in the debate.

Key questions:

1.How can banks apply safeguards on project funding in Latin America to prevent social conflicts and environmental disasters?
2.What is the role of the new national and regional banks in the funding of regional infrastructure?
3.How the weakening of standards in funding the region affects the countries system? How can these react in front of new challenges?

More information:

– Details on the logistics of the event
– Panorama on the funding for infrastructure in Latin America
– Guideline for the discussion. Implementation of a Freedom of Information Policy for The Brazilian Development Bank
– Paradigmatic cases of BNDES investment in South America. Need and opportunity to improve internal policies

Contact:

Gonzalo Roza / Coordinator of Global Governance
gon.roza@fundeps.org

Translated by: Gisela Quevedo

FUNDEPS participated in the Presentation of the Special Health Issue of Revista En Letra

The presentation of this special issue dedicated to the human right to health, which was supported by FUNDEPS, took place at the Buenos Aires Law School.

Last Tuesday, Juan Miguel Litvachkes, member of the Human Rights Division of FUNDEPS, was involved in the presentation of the special heath issue of Revista En Letra, which was held in the Blue Hall of the Buenos Aires Law School. In this special issue, FUNDEPS team members contributed two articles: Carolina Tamagnini (member of the Human Rights Division) and Virginia Pedraza (coordinator of the Human Rights Division) respectively authored “Reflections on the Initiative for a Framework Convention on Global Health” and “Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights from a Human Rights Perspective” (the latter was co-authored by Ignacio Pedraza). Juan Miguel Litvachkes also served as general coordinator of the issue and conducted two interviews: he interviewed Oscar Cabrera, Executive Director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health, and Veronica Schoj, Executive Director of the Inter-American Heart Foundation.

At the presentation event, Juan Miguel Litvachkes of FUNDEPS participated in the panel, along with Alejandro Ezequiel Coto, Director of Revista En Letra; Jonathan Brodsky, Deputy Director of Revista En Letra; Luciana Scotti, Professor at the University of Buenos Aires; and Marisa Aizenberg, Director of the Expert Committee on the Human Right to Health at the Buenos Aires Law School.

Revista En Letra is an emerging forum dedicated to the law and built upon the principals of independence, diversity, critical thinking, and academic excellence. It aims to stimulate the production of future generations of legal activists who will contribute to the development of a democratic culture rooted in informed public debate.

FUNDEPS contributed to this special health issue by working with the project coordinators. A space was also offered to allow the staff of FUNDEPS to contribute some of its experience on human right to health topics. “Reflections on the Initiative for a Framework Convention on Global Health,” by Carolina Tamagnini, described the topics on the agenda of academic sectors and civil society organizations dedicated to health law, and analyzed the possibilities and limitations of a framework convention. Virginia and Ignacio Pedraza approached sexual and reproductive health rights from a human rights perspective, examining the relationships and hierarchies of the rights at stake from a perspective linked to public policy. FUNDEPS invites you to download the Human Right to Health Issue (click here), and to reflect on the human right to health in Argentina and Latin America which, in the words of Dr. Aizenberg, is a continuously advancing road to a new paradigm for the service of an ideal: a more just society with better laws.

More information:

Contact:

Juan Miguel Litvachkes
juanlitvachkes@fundeps.org

Translated by: Heather Walker

The Role of International Financial Institutions in the Management of Sustainable Forestry Resources in Argentina

In recent years, our country received and continues to receive various funds from international financial institutions in order to manage existing forest resources.  How are theseplanned, executed and decided? 

In this context, it is worthwhile for civil society to question the principles and governing rules that are taken as the starting point to apply the funds and if these areactually implemented. For this reason, FUNDEPS has decided to monitor the management of the funds that our country has received and match the conditions to the “AR Sustainable Natural Resources Management”, provided by the World Bank and the “AR – L 1067: Forest Sustainability and Competitiveness Program” provided by the Inter-American Development Bank. These standards are applied in several Argentinian provinces and will impact much of the country, but the goal is the same: improve forestry production sustainably.

The management of our forestry resources has historically been marked by the excessive encroachment on agricultural land, the constant deforestation of native forests and human rights violations of indigenous farming communities as well as the absence of transparent and participative decision-making processes. As such, we sent out numerous requests soliciting information linked tothese projects and we contacted a number of persons responsible for implementing the funds.

Although in our final report will include all the relevant conclusions, we find it necessary to bring forward that after the specified deadlines for responses to the information requests sent to the provinces had expired, only a handful responded. Of the responses received, the majority did not provide relevant information about the application of the projects. It is extremely complex to access the information needed to evaluate the areas where forestry projects are implemented and the breakdown of the state organizations is overwhelming.
Although we found much information about the rules that are applied, benchmarks and accountability, and technical criteria on the objectives of the funds, we believe that this reading is complex, the information is over-abundant, which, in practical terms, makes it inaccessibleand, in some cases, it is in another language.

For more information:

– Informacion_sistematizada_-_Proyectos_gestion_de_bosques – Banco Mundial – BID

Contact:

info@fundeps.org

Translated by D. Phillips

Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2): An important step towards the eradication of malnutrition in the world?

Inadequate nutrition (along with with tobacco consumption and insufficient physical activity) is one of the principal causes of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). These diseases (which include cardio and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and respiratory diseases, among others) cause the deaths of 35 million people around the world each year.

Eighty percent of these deaths occur in countries with low to moderate income levels.During the Second International Conference on Nutrition, more than 170 countries adopted a series of concrete commitments, as well as the Rome Declaration on Nutrition and the Framework for Action, which establish recommendations regarding policies and programs which would address nutrition issues across multiple sectors.

● The Rome Declaration establishes the right of each individual to have access to sufficient quantities of food that is safe and nutritious, and it commits governments to preventing malnutrition in all its forms, including hunger, micronutrient deficiencies, and obesity.

● The Framework for Action recognizes that it is the role and principal responsibility of governments to address the problems and challenges of nutrition, in dialogue with a broad range of stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, and affected communities. It establishes sixty recommended actions that governments can incorporate into their national plans for nutrition, health, agriculture, education, development, and investment, and which they should consider when negotiating international agreements to secure better nutrition for all.

The Rome Declaration and the Framework for Action “are the starting point of our renewed efforts to improve nutrition for all, but they are not the finishing line. Our responsibility is to transform the commitment into concrete results” observed José Graziano da Silva. Director-General of the FAO.

Within the framework of the conference, an open letter asking for a binding treaty confronting malnutrition has been sent to the highest leaders of WHO and the FAO, written in cooperation with Consumers International, the World Obesity Federation, the UK Health Forum, and consumer organizations in Fiji and Mexico, with the support of more than 300 individuals and organizations. The letter urges that major actions be taken to protect and promote healthy diets using similar methods to those employed by the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which has demonstrated its efficiency in reducing tobacco consumption. The letter is addressed to the Director-General of WHO, Margaret Chan, and the Director-General of the FAO, José Graziano da Silva, ahead of the International Conference on Nutrition. The letter asserts that “the governance of food production and distribution cannot be left to economic interests alone”, and it insists that governments take regulatory measures to:

● reduce children’s exposure to marketing,

● impose limits on the amount of saturated fats, added sugars, and sodium content in foods,

● put fiscal measures in place that would discourage the consumption of foods with low nutritional value, and

● require that all trade and investment policies be evaluated for their possible impact on health. Here at FUNDEPS, we believe that the Rome Declaration and the Framework for Action represent a good first step in making important recommendations regarding policies to promote healthy diets.

We believe that these policies should be employed from a human rights perspective that will allow all people to live healthier lives. In this way, States must comply with their obligation to protect human rights to health and food from third parties, such as industry, which can affect them. In this sense, the option of a binding treaty on this theme could facilitate the development of regulation standards, and at FUNDEPS we are studying this possibility, hoping to work toward eliminating malnutrition.

Information:

– The Rome Declaration

– The Framework for Action – Rome Conference

– Letter from civil society organizations requesting a binding treaty to promote healthy diets

Contact:

info@fundeps.org

Translated by: Elizabeth Laudenslager

Presentation of the Declaration by Academia within the framework of Cartagena +30

The “Declaration by Academia within the framework of Cartagena +30” was presented this past Friday, October 31st, at one of Brazil’s universities, Universidad Católica de Santos. The document puts forward the position of Latin American academics with regards to shelter, forced migration and the region’s migration, in general. FUNDEPS actively participated in drafting the document, aside from producing the Spanish translation.

Thirty years ago, the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees was drafted (see: Fundeps takes part Cartagena +30). The Declaration by Academia was created within the framework of the Cartagena Declaration’s 30th anniversary, and will conclude at a Ministerial Meeting in Brasilia, on December 2nd. Cartagena +30 is a process of review and reflection on the refugee policies and 3rd and documents of Latin America and the Caribbean.

It is inspired by the 1984 Declaration, which set out to adapt the current, international legislation of the time, to the needs of the regional context.The Declaration by Academia was created following the initiative led by Liliana Jubilut, Chair at UNISANTOS, together with the contribution of 40 institutions from different countries as well as 119 professors and researchers.

The purpose of this declaration is to put forth the academia’s position regarding the issues faced by forced migrants and refugees in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as their recommendations on how to improve on such issues. The document also focuses on prioritizing human rights over security plans of States, while creating a humanitarian space in the region.At the 30th anniversary meeting for the Cartagena Declaration on Refugees and Forced Migrants, the declaration was read and was subsequently presented to Andrés Ramirez, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Brazil, and to Virginius José Lianza da França, the general coordinator of Brazil’s National Committee for Refugees (CONARE).

We at FUNDEPS have contributed ideas such as gender mainstreaming to the declaration, so that the diversity of those who seek shelter and are forced to migrate is taken into account. Moreover, suggestions were made to include environmental issues when granting shelter, in order to incorporate natural disasters and the consequences of human activity. Other points established include non-refoulement to be understood as jus cogens, and the creation of joint workplaces between the Academia and civil society, with regards to these matters.

Source:

http://www.unisantos.br/portal/noticias/catedra-sergio-vieira-de-mello-lanca-declaracao-sobre-protecao-integral-a-migrantes-forcados/

Translated by: Josie Cuntrera

Extraordinary agreement reached between the Ministry of Health of Mendoza and major cigarette manufacturers Nobleza Picardo and Massalin Particulares

On 15 October 2014, the Health Minister of the province of Mendoza announced a campaign launched in collaboration with major tobacco transnationals Massalin Particulares and Nobleza Piccardo.

Nobleza Picardo, Massalin Particulares y la provincia de Mendoza, a través de su Ministro de Salud, el Sr. Matías Roby, firmaron un acuerdo para la puesta en marcha de una campaña para prevenir la venta de cigarrillos a menores de edad.

La Fundación para el Desarrollo de Políticas Sustentables (FUNDEPS) se suma a las diversas organizaciones de la sociedad civil que han denunciado que el acuerdo suscripto deja en evidencia la existencia de otros objetivos detrás de la supuesta intención de prevenir el consumo de tabaco en jóvenes. La Fundación Interamericana del Corazón (FIC) ha señalado que la verdadera razón del acuerdo es evitar el aumento del impuesto al cigarrillo.

Por su parte, el Ministro de Salud de Mendoza, Matías Roby, ha expresado que esta campaña encuentra su base en que los kiosqueros y los padres son los responsables indirectamente de incentivar a los menores de 18 años al consumo de tabaco. Lamentamos los dichos del Ministro y le recordamos que numerosos estudios científicos demuestran sin lugar a hesitaciones que los menores ingresan al tabaquismo no por sus padres o los kiosqueros, sino por las campañas publicitarias dirigidas a menores de edad confeccionadas por las tabacaleras. En esta línea, son también las tabacaleras que con su poderío económico buscan aliarse con gobiernos para interferir en cualquier tipo de medida que pueda perjudicar las ventas de cigarrillos.

Estas estrategias han sido utilizadas desde los años ’80 aseguran los investigadores Anne Landman, Pamela M. Ling y Stanton A. Glantz quienes describen que la industria comenzó con este tipo de programas en los Estados Unidos en la década del ’80 para prevenir legislación que restringiría actividades de la misma industria tabacalera. Los programas de la industria muestran que el consumo de tabaco para los adultos es una elección, pero omite aclarar como la publicidad de tabaco promueve su consumo, omitiendo también los riesgos que ésta tiene para la salud. La industria ha utilizado estos programas para combatir aumento de impuestos, leyes de ambientes libres de humo y las restricciones de publicidad en el mundo entero. Por último indican los autores que no hay evidencia de que estos programas hagan decrecer el consumo de tabaco entre los jóvenes. Esto lleva a una sola conclusión: los programas llevados adelante por la industria tabacalera para prevenir el consumo entre jóvenes solo han producido más daño a los fines del control en el consumo de tabaco. En sus recomendaciones finales, los estudiosos sugieren que la industria tabacalera debería tener prohibido llevar acabo directa o indirectamente (a través del patrocinio) programas que apunten a la prevención del consumo de tabaco en los jóvenes1.

Es oportuno recordar que el tabaquismo es una adicción que, en Argentina, afecta a casi 9.000.000 de personas y produce más de 40.000 muertes por año. Veronica Schoj, Directora Ejecutiva de FIC Argentina aseguró “Si las autoridades de Mendoza quisieran reducir significativamente el consumo de tabaco, en lugar de establecer acuerdos con la industria tabacalera deberían hacer cumplir la ley vigente en la provincia y avanzar con políticas de probada eficacia, como las medidas fiscales – que reducen la asequibilidad de los cigarrillos- y la prohibición completa de la publicidad de tabaco, incluida la exhibición de los productos en los puntos de venta. Cuando un gobierno admite la influencia de la industria tabacalera está protegiendo las ganancias de las transnacionales del tabaco a costa de la vida y la salud de la población.”

FUNDEPS, miembro de la Alianza Libre de Humo Argentina (ALIAR) solicita al Ministro Roby que dé marcha atrás en el acuerdo celebrado el 15 de octubre de 2014 con Nobleza Picardo y Massalin Particualres, y que proteja el derecho a la salud de todos los habitantes de la provincia de Mendoza.

Más información

Contacto: Juan Miguel Litvachkes, juanlitvachkes@fundeps.org

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1 Landman, A., Ling, P. M., & Glantz, S. A. (2002). Tobacco industry youth smoking prevention programs: protecting the industry and hurting tobacco control. American journal of public health, 92(6), 917-930.

Right of access in environmental matters. Towards a Latin American regional convention. Fourth meeting on focal points: negotiations begin.

The process towards international environmental governance has its origin in 1972 in the Stockholm Conference, and developed through various conferences and summits.

The process towards international environmental governance has its origin in 1972 in the Stockholm Conference, and developed through various conferences and summits. In the 1992 Rio Summit, the “Rio Declaration on Environment and Development” adopted principle 10, which refers to the rights of access in environmental matters: right to information, participation to decision-making and access to justice. This declaration, of global scope, isn’t binding on the countries, so that its operativity is needed.

For this reason, in 1998 in Europe the Aarhusen Convention was dictated, serving as an instrument that regulates and operationalize these three pillars of environmental democracy being binding on countries in Europe, Central Asia and the European Community.

Regional Convention for Latin America

In terms of Latin America, we hope that within 2015-2016 a Regional Convention operationalizing principle 10 and effectively reflecting the highest standards of access to information, participation and environmental justice will be dictated.

Many conferences and meetings have been held to advance this process, with ECLAC as Technical Secretariat. In the last four meetings on Focal Points of the signatory countries of the Declaration on the application of Principle 10 there has been a clear advance, and committed participation by the signatory countries towards the realization of this regional instrument. The first meeting was held on November 6th and 7th in Santiago de Chile, where delegates of the signatory countries agreed on a Roadmap for the full implementation of the regional convention.

The second one took place in 2013 on April 18th in Guadalajara (Mexico), and here was approved an Action Plan up to 2014 to strengthen the rights of access in environmental matters. The third one was conducted in 2013 on October 30th and 31st in Lima (Peru), and members agreed on a series of lines of action for 2014 on the empowering of capacities and cooperation.

Recently, from the 4th to the 6th of November 2014, the forth meeting of Focal Points was held in Santiago de Chile, where the representatives of the 19 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean that signed the Declaration of Principle 10 approved to start the negotiations for the creation of a regional convention in this area. From 2012 to date, the Declaration has been signed by Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay. In the fourth meeting also participated as observers Antigua and Barbuda, Nicaragua and Saint Lucia.

Attendees welcomed the recent incorporation of Bolivia and El Salvador, and reminded that the process is open to all countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. During this last meeting, Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of ECLAC, highlighted that the instrument should not be merely declaratory, but must be ambitious and set clear and specific legal obligations to ensure effectively the three pillars of right of acces in environmental matters: information, participation and justice. These negotiations, will have to be based on the minimum contents of San José de Costa Rica.

Through FUNDEPS will be supported the work of other NGOs in the region towards the effective implementation of the rights of access and to cooperate with governments through recommendations and/or exchanges of ideas to move towards a regional instrument support. More information: – Comunicado de prensa de la reunión de la CEPAL – Propuesta de naturaleza y contenidos del instrumento regional de principios de acceso en materia.

Contacts:

info@fundeps.org

Translated by: Arianna Tamanini

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FUNDEPS participates in the Annual Meeting of the World Bank and the IMF, dominated by the review of the World Bank’s environmental and social safeguards

In addition to participating in the discussions and demonstrations that took place regarding the process of reviewing the World Bank’s environmental and social safeguards, FUNDEPS met with staff from the IDB and MICI; and it was part of a discussion panel where a publication about the current funding landscape for infrastructure in Latin America, prepared by the Regional Group on Finance and Infrastructure, was presented.

During the course of this last week, FUNDEPS was involved in the 2014 Annual Meetings of the World Bank and IMF in Washington DC (USA).

En el transcurso de la semana pasada, FUNDEPS estuvo participando de las Reuniones Anuales 2014 del Banco Mundial y el FMI en la ciudad de Washington D.C. (Estados Unidos). Si bien la agenda predominante durante estas Reuniones Anuales fue el proceso de revisión y actualización de las Salvaguardias ambientales y sociales del Banco Mundial, la visita a Washington sirvió también para trabajar en una serie de agendas adicionales en las que FUNDEPS está involucrado, tales como el proceso de revisión del MICI del BID; la presentación de una publicación sobre Financiamiento para Infraestructura en América Latina, realizada con el Grupo Regional sobre Financiamiento e Infraestructura; e incluso tener una serie de reuniones estratégicas y de planificación con diversas organizaciones de la región y del mundo.

Sin dudas, la agenda prioritaria actualmente respecto al Banco Mundial es el futuro de las salvaguardias de la Institución, cuyo proceso de revisión tiende a un preocupante debilitamiento y dilución de los estándares ambientales y sociales a cumplir cuando el Banco financia un proyecto en uno de sus países miembros (Ver Comunicado “El Banco Mundial busca debilitar los estándares socio-ambientales en sus proyectos. Respuestas de Organizaciones de la Sociedad Civil”). El borrador del nuevo régimen de salvaguardias recientemente publicado por el Banco confirma en gran medida esa tendencia y fue fuertemente criticado y rechazado por gran parte de la sociedad civil alrededor del mundo. Justamente, a principios de Octubre fue enviada al Banco una Declaración con la suscripción de más de 130 organizaciones alrededor del mundo, rechazando el borrador y destacando cuáles son los principales retrocesos que plantea. (Ver Declaración enviada al Banco).

A tal punto llegó la inconformidad de la sociedad civil respecto al proceso de revisión de las salvaguardias, que en el transcurso de la consulta pública planificada por el Banco para el pasado sábado 11 de octubre, la mayoría de los participantes, tras cuestionar tanto las reformas que plantea el Banco como el proceso de consulta en general, decidieron abandonar la sala (Ver Videos sobre la Consulta) y realizar una movilización fuera del Banco, que contó con una amplia participación de diversos actores descontentos no sólo con el proceso de revisión de las salvaguardias sino también con el modelo de gobernanza y financiamiento que plantea la Institución. (Para ver fotos de la movilización acceder Aquí)

En el transcurso de las Reuniones Anuales se confirmaron, también, los lugares en donde se desarrollarán las próximas consultas regionales para brindar comentarios acerca del proceso de revisión siendo Brasil, Paraguay, Perú y Bolivia los países latinoamericanos donde se estarán desarrollando las consultas presenciales en el transcurso del próximo mes.

En cuanto al proceso de revisión del MICI, FUNDEPS aprovechó su presencia en Washington para mantener reuniones presenciales con Victoria Márquez-Mees, Directora Ejecutiva del MICI; y con Flavia Milano, especialista de Sociedad Civil del BID. Más allá de obtener una actualización acerca del estado de la revisión del Mecanismo, las reuniones sirvieron para trasladar al Banco y al equipo del MICI la gran preocupación existente en relación al retroceso en materia de Accesibilidad, Independencia y Efectividad que representa el Borrador de Política Revisada que el Banco ha sometido a consulta. (Ver comunicado “Preocupa el potencial debilitamiento del MICI en el proceso de revisión que está llevando adelante el BID”)

A su vez, con Flavia Milano pudieron tocarse temas de la relación entre el BID y la Sociedad Civil, tales como la situación de los Grupos Consultivos de la Sociedad Civil (ConSOCs); el estado de implementación de la Política de Acceso a la Información, la misma revisión del MICI e incluso las reformas institucionales que está planificando el Banco, como la reforma de la Corporación Interamericana de Inversiones (CII) con el objetivo de darle mayor relevancia al financiamiento de carácter privado (Ver comunicado “En una reunión en la que se excluyó a la sociedad civil, el BID realiza cambios en su estructura”); e incluso el probable inicio de una revisión de las salvaguardias sociales ambientales del Banco, siguiendo los pasos del Banco Mundial.

Finalmente, cabe destacar que en el marco del Policy Forum de la Sociedad Civil de las Reuniones Anuales del Banco Mundial/FMI, se realizó la presentación del documento “Panorama del Financiamiento para Infraestructura en América Latina”, elaborado por el Grupo Regional sobre Financiamiento e Infraestructura, del cual FUNDEPS forma parte junto con otras tres organizaciones de la región: Derecho, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (DAR) de Perú; Asociación Ambiente y Sociedad (AAS) de Colombia; y Fundar, Centro de Análisis e Investigación, de México.

Más información

– Panorama del financiamiento para infraestructura en América Latina

Contacto:

Gonzalo Roza

Coordinador del Programa de Gobernabilidad Global

gon.roza@fundeps.org

Amicus Curiae submitted to the Constitutional Court of Colombia

FUNDEPS was called by the University of Medellín to take part in an Amicus Curiae presented to the Constitutional Court of Colombia. The case is about adoption by homosexual couples and supports an appeal made by the Legal Clinic of General Theory of Law in Colombia.

Convinced that decisions made by the Constitutional Court of Colombia transcend borders, FUNDEPS carried out this citizen intervention because the case was considered to be hugely relevant to the fundamental right of children and adolescents to have a family, and to ensuring the principle of equality and non-discrimination is respected.

The position taken was primarily based on the guiding principle of the best interests of the child, laid out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Widely acknowledged is the right of the child to grow up in a family, from which it receives stability, protection, assistance, happiness, love and understanding. It is the state’s responsibility to ensure this right is fulfilled, and when necessary provide adoption.

As family patterns established in the middle of the last century have changed and evolved alongside society, a proper understanding of the current reality before us is required. We are witnesses to a time in which the whole of society has become a complex and diverse entity, and this brings with it different family make-ups which deserve equal treatment, consideration and respect without any sort of distinction.

FUNDEPS made reference to numerous studies that show there are no differences between the upraising of children by homosexual or heterosexual couples. The only characteristic that differentiates them is that children show a greater tolerance towards sexual choices and a greater flexibility regarding gender roles in household chores. Also, examples were taken from Argentinian case law which shows that, prior to the 2010 legislative reform on marriage, there are precedents of adoptions without prejudice against the gender or sexual orientation of the adoptive parent.

In short, it was important to note that when the preamble of the CRC says the child should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding, for the full and harmonious development of its personality, it refers to any family, not solely one made up of a heterosexual marriage. The physical, mental, intellectual and emotional development of a child is not conditioned by composition of its family, but by the qualities and ability of those who fulfil the role of parents.

More information:

– FUNDEPS – Intervención cuidadana – Corte Constitucional de Colombia

Contact:

info@fundeps.org

Translation by Rachel Neal