The Comprehensive Gas Infrastructure Program – or the Trunk Gas Pipeline Program – promoted by the government of the Province of Córdoba, came to an end in 2019 with the completion of the works. By 2022, works continue at the municipal level, and the program has already begun its phase of connection to the natural gas network. However, there are still doubts about how citizens will be able to access the service, especially those who are located in vulnerable sectors.
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.
Access to public information and transparency are constituted as a fundamental human right. People have the right to know what will be planned for their communities and based on this, make informed and pertinent decisions about the development processes that will affect their lives.
In the field of public policies, providing and guaranteeing access to public information is the cornerstone of good governance. Transparency is vital to enable individuals and communities to hold their institutions accountable and to foster trust in government and reduce corruption. Ensuring this right results in the generation of opportunities for citizens to learn, grow and make better decisions for themselves and those around them.
Reference to this is relevant when analyzing public policies and programs that aim to contribute to large-scale development. Such is the case of the Comprehensive Gas Infrastructure Program promoted by the Government of the Province of Córdoba. This series of infrastructure works began in 2015 and ended in 2019, with the purpose of “strengthening the natural gas supply to homes, businesses and industries.” According to the Government, 890 million dollars were invested to deploy 2,801 kilometers of pipes that will give the possibility of connecting to the natural gas network to 972,430 Cordovans without service. However, the planning began long before the year of implementation and under sustained skepticism due to the lack of information and transparency regarding its financing, its potential environmental and social impacts, the number of total beneficiaries, among others.
After the end of the project in 2019, there were still doubts about what the connection process would be like for the localities and how citizens would have effective access to the service. Similarly, there were also infrastructure works to be completed at the municipal level. By July 2021, the Government declared that 75 localities already had access to natural gas after the trunk gas pipeline program. Mention was made of the number of inhabitants who will benefit, without regard to information regarding their location and other data that show whether the gaps in inequality in access have begun to close or may be closed as a result of this work. This is of vital importance since the government also spoke about the Bancor credit network for homes and businesses, which would facilitate the connection and obtaining the service. It remained to be seen how those marginalized and vulnerable groups who will find it difficult to access this benefit will be supported, and who therefore will not have access to natural gas -or will be able to do so in the distant future.
Towards 2022 the doubts regarding the scope of this project for the population of Cordoba have not yet dissipated. According to Cordoba news portals, the connection of companies and businesses to the natural gas network is progressing at a much faster pace than the connection of homes. This discrepancy arises more than anything else because connecting to the network is expensive and involves decision-making at the family level. Even when the conditions have been provided to facilitate access – through credits, and the now confirmed support from the provincial government for vulnerable families – not all people are in equal conditions to quickly decide to join the network. In many cases, the connection also requires the structural adaptation of houses and the purchase of household appliances.
Regarding the latter, access to information and transparency play a fundamental role. In the first place, because if the project had been published and socialized correctly with the populations of the affected localities, the families could have decided to plan in advance the connection to the network. Secondly, the role played by government officials when informing and publishing the documentation regarding a project of this caliber is evidenced. This was left in the hands of the municipal level and its mayors, and in many cases their actions to inform the population were deficient -especially considering that works have also been needed at the municipal level to guarantee the connection-.
The practice of publishing information such as the publication of documents does not mean or result in an informed citizenry. Added to the open data and active transparency initiatives are actions aimed at informing the population, such as public consultations. These spaces work -or should work- as opportunities to socialize information about projects and public policies, obtain feedback from citizens and work on a co-creation process. During the beginning of the work of trunk gas pipelines, a good part of the challenges identified had to do with the lack of public consultations -required by law- and the general misinformation of the people about the possible impacts and benefits of the project.
Towards 2022 there is no accurate information on the works carried out in the localities and the public consultations that have been carried out with neighbors. The existence of these instances play a crucial role in citizen decision-making. Especially in these cases when it is a duty to report on the project, warn of the impacts, clarify the benefits and clarify the alternatives that families would have to access the network gas service.
In this sense, even though the work of the Trunk Gas Pipelines represents a great advance for the Province of Córdoba, and the possibility of closing the inequality gaps in access to natural gas, the serious problems regarding access to public information still stand out, transparency and accountability. A project of this magnitude should have had clear and concise information for the population from the beginning, communication channels with citizens, much more transparent work award processes, etc. The process has not yet finished, and there is an opportunity for the provincial government to make an effort to make transparent what remains to be done.
More information
Author
Agustina Palencia
Contact
Gonzalo Roza, gon.roza@fundeps.org
*Photo taken from losprimeros.tv
Representatives of the public will be elected under the Escazú Agreement
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.
The Rules of Procedure of the Conference of the Parties (COP) approved in the first COP of Escazú during April of this year, establish the need to integrate the institutional devices of Escazú with people representing the public.
Within this framework, the Secretariat of the Agreement summoned interested persons to present their candidacies until August 31 of this year. For such purpose, it elaborated a regulation that establishes the procedure of the election in its totality. Six will be the people representing the public who will divide their roles in the Board of Directors of the Agreement (1 representative), in the Conference of the Parties (two seats) and in the Committee for Support of the Application and Compliance composed of (CAAC).
According to this regulation, those who are interested in presenting a candidacy must:
On the other hand, the elections will be held on November 2 and 3, 2022. To take part in the vote, interested persons must register with the Regional Public Mechanism. The closing of the register will take place 15 business days after August 1, 2022 (date of the call). It is not clear whether these working days will be according to the calendar of the country in which ECLAC has its headquarters, although assuming that there are no holidays in the referred period, the closing of the register would be on August 19, 2022.
The election of the representatives constitutes a valuable and innovative process for the region. We encourage active participation in the voting process and election of candidates, trusting that it constitutes a fundamental opportunity for visibility and demand in the enjoyment of access rights, and in a framework plagued by conflicts and environmental problems.
Documents of interest
Contact
Juan Bautista Lopez, juanbautistalopez@fundeps.org
We renew ourselves: changes of authorities in Fundeps
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.
Since the beginning of this year, we have been in the process of renewing the Board of Directors of Fundeps, the legal authority that supervises the work of the Foundation team.
Juan Carballo, Paula Morales and Alejandra Galván have been members of the Council for the last two years. Now, that space will be made up of Alejandra Galván in her new role as President, accompanied by Emilia Pioletti, Juan Camusso and Mariana Paterlini.
We especially thank Juan Carballo for his years of collaboration. He was one of the people who promoted Fundeps from its beginnings, he was Executive Director from 2012 to 2019 and then served as President. Being a great colleague and an excellent professional, he laid the foundations for what was born as an initiative today to become a consolidated organization made up of a team of approximately 100 people.
With great joy, we welcome the nine directors, we thank them for their commitment and for accepting the challenge of promoting public policies from a human rights perspective.
Meet the nine members of the Council!
Alejandra Galvan is president of Fundeps, and a member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors since 2020. Alejandra is a feminist activist, she has developed in civil society organizations dedicated especially to childbirth, birth, breastfeeding, with a rights perspective. She is currently finishing her Master’s Degree in Consulting and Management of Organizations at UMSA (University of the Argentine Social Museum). She is a member of the Area Council of Liga de La Leche Argentina and the Board of Directors of Awaike Salud y Medio Ambiente. From her Liga de La Leche Argentina, in addition to volunteering since 2001, she currently coordinates the Committee of the International Code of Breast Milk Substitutes; and she is a Communication Skills Facilitator. She was twice President and Area Coordinator. She is a Certified Professional Coach, ACSTH, Doula, in 2017 she finished the course in Introduction to Midwifery in the Tradition. She trained as a Technician in Business Administration at the Brigadier López Institute in Rosario. In her private practice, she is the owner of the 384 Group Litoral franchise.
Juan Martín Camusso is one of the founders of Fundeps in 2009 and has now rejoined the Foundation in his role as Director. Juan is a lawyer from the National University of Córdoba (UNC) and a specialist in International Cooperation for Development (University of San Buenaventura, Colombia) and has always focused his work on the defense of economic, social, cultural and environmental rights. He works in the Office of the General Defender of the Nation.
Emilia Pioletti has been part of Fundeps since 2017, working on issues related to media violence in the Gender and Diversity Area, and now she joins the Board of Directors. She is a Social Communicator from the National University of Córdoba (UNC) and has focused her work on the intersection between feminist militancy and communication. He has completed his postgraduate degree in Political Communication and Public Opinion at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO), the Diploma in People-Centered Experience Design at the National University of San Martín (UNSAM) and is currently studying the Diploma in Governance and Public Innovation dictated by the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) together with the Catholic University of Córdoba (UCC). She works in parliamentary communication in the Honorable Senate of the Nation (HSN) and has been an advisor to several Senators. She also works as a journalist writing in community and self-managed media and is a radio columnist.
Mariana Paterlini is a feminist activist and her work has focused on human rights, international cooperation and development, framed in feminist economics. She is currently completing her Masters in International Development at the University of Warwick under the Chevening Scholarship 2021/22l programme. She completed a Master’s Degree in International Cooperation (UNSAM), has a Bachelor of Arts (UNT) and a Diploma in Civil Society Organizations and Public Policies (UNGS). She trained in Political Science and Sociology of Culture at the National University of Tucumán, and in Anthropology and Ethnography at the University of Gothenburg. She is a researcher and institutional coordinator at LatFem – Feminist Journalism. She was institutional director at Lawyers of the Argentine Northwest in Human Rights and Social Studies (2018-2021), where she was also previously institutional coordinator and coordinator of the Gender and Human Rights area (2011-2018). She joined Cruzadas, a lesbian activism organization (2009-2012 and 2017).
Trunk gas pipelines: What will happen to the most vulnerable population?
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.
Access to public information and transparency are constituted as a fundamental human right. People have the right to know what will be planned for their communities and based on this, make informed and pertinent decisions about the development processes that will affect their lives.
In the field of public policies, providing and guaranteeing access to public information is the cornerstone of good governance. Transparency is vital to enable individuals and communities to hold their institutions accountable and to foster trust in government and reduce corruption. Ensuring this right results in the generation of opportunities for citizens to learn, grow and make better decisions for themselves and those around them.
Reference to this is relevant when analyzing public policies and programs that aim to contribute to large-scale development. Such is the case of the Comprehensive Gas Infrastructure Program promoted by the Government of the Province of Córdoba. This series of infrastructure works began in 2015 and ended in 2019, with the purpose of “strengthening the natural gas supply to homes, businesses and industries.” According to the Government, 890 million dollars were invested to deploy 2,801 kilometers of pipes that will give the possibility of connecting to the natural gas network to 972,430 Cordovans without service. However, the planning began long before the year of implementation and under sustained skepticism due to the lack of information and transparency regarding its financing, its potential environmental and social impacts, the number of total beneficiaries, among others.
After the end of the project in 2019, there were still doubts about what the connection process would be like for the localities and how citizens would have effective access to the service. Similarly, there were also infrastructure works to be completed at the municipal level. By July 2021, the Government declared that 75 localities already had access to natural gas after the trunk gas pipeline program. Mention was made of the number of inhabitants who will benefit, without regard to information regarding their location and other data that show whether the gaps in inequality in access have begun to close or may be closed as a result of this work. This is of vital importance since the government also spoke about the Bancor credit network for homes and businesses, which would facilitate the connection and obtaining the service. It remained to be seen how those marginalized and vulnerable groups who will find it difficult to access this benefit will be supported, and who therefore will not have access to natural gas -or will be able to do so in the distant future.
Towards 2022 the doubts regarding the scope of this project for the population of Cordoba have not yet dissipated. According to Cordoba news portals, the connection of companies and businesses to the natural gas network is progressing at a much faster pace than the connection of homes. This discrepancy arises more than anything else because connecting to the network is expensive and involves decision-making at the family level. Even when the conditions have been provided to facilitate access – through credits, and the now confirmed support from the provincial government for vulnerable families – not all people are in equal conditions to quickly decide to join the network. In many cases, the connection also requires the structural adaptation of houses and the purchase of household appliances.
Regarding the latter, access to information and transparency play a fundamental role. In the first place, because if the project had been published and socialized correctly with the populations of the affected localities, the families could have decided to plan in advance the connection to the network. Secondly, the role played by government officials when informing and publishing the documentation regarding a project of this caliber is evidenced. This was left in the hands of the municipal level and its mayors, and in many cases their actions to inform the population were deficient -especially considering that works have also been needed at the municipal level to guarantee the connection-.
The practice of publishing information such as the publication of documents does not mean or result in an informed citizenry. Added to the open data and active transparency initiatives are actions aimed at informing the population, such as public consultations. These spaces work -or should work- as opportunities to socialize information about projects and public policies, obtain feedback from citizens and work on a co-creation process. During the beginning of the work of trunk gas pipelines, a good part of the challenges identified had to do with the lack of public consultations -required by law- and the general misinformation of the people about the possible impacts and benefits of the project.
Towards 2022 there is no accurate information on the works carried out in the localities and the public consultations that have been carried out with neighbors. The existence of these instances play a crucial role in citizen decision-making. Especially in these cases when it is a duty to report on the project, warn of the impacts, clarify the benefits and clarify the alternatives that families would have to access the network gas service.
In this sense, even though the work of the Trunk Gas Pipelines represents a great advance for the Province of Córdoba, and the possibility of closing the inequality gaps in access to natural gas, the serious problems regarding access to public information still stand out, transparency and accountability. A project of this magnitude should have had clear and concise information for the population from the beginning, communication channels with citizens, much more transparent work award processes, etc. The process has not yet finished, and there is an opportunity for the provincial government to make an effort to make transparent what remains to be done.
More information
Author
Agustina Palencia
Contact
Gonzalo Roza, gon.roza@fundeps.org
*Photo taken from losprimeros.tv
Projects financed by the IDB during the pandemic in Latin America: risks and benefits for whom?
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.
It is widely known that the Multilateral Development Banks have a fundamental role in the response and recovery to COVID – 19, this is due to their ability to rapidly mobilize financing to support and help countries respond to the impacts it has generated. this unforeseen situation. Within Latin America, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) plays a key role in this regard, since, in 2020, it approved 7.9 billion dollars and, as of June 2021, it had approved 597.6 billion dollars.
There is a tendency on the part of the Multilateral Development Banks to consider projects related to health issues, as having a lower risk of environmental and social damage, so the application of safeguards to these projects tends to be less rigorous. Added to this is the fact that many of the projects were approved with a rapid disbursement or fast track modality, that is, with shorter preparation times and environmental and social due diligence.
However, the findings of the presented report show that the implementation of this type of health projects and others in the context of the pandemic, have a significant risk of harm, especially when the groups most susceptible to contracting COVID-19 are excluded. of access to the benefits of the project. The context of crisis is worrying due to the tendency of the Multilateral Development Banks to make environmental and social parameters more flexible in pursuit of rapid responses.
The document presents six recommendations resulting from the analysis of the post-pandemic Latin American situation. They emphasize the importance of taking into account marginalized groups, such as those most likely to be affected and relegated in a crisis situation, and highlight the need for transparency and risk assessment to prevent extraordinary measures that restrict space from being perpetuated. public.
Within this framework, the webinar aimed to generate a space for discussion on the main findings in relation to the social and environmental due diligence processes of IDB investments, approved during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At Fundeps we promote the application of socio-environmental regulatory frameworks, accountability mechanisms and access to information in projects linked to financing for development, even (and even more so) when they occur in an extraordinary context of pandemic.
View Report
More Information
Authors
Contact
Gonzalo Roza – gon.roza@fundeps.org
Civil society organizations call for public policies free from interference from the tobacco industry
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.
From civil society organizations, through the signing of a declaration, we request the non-intervention of the tobacco industry in the design and execution of public health policies -among them the advance with the complete prohibition of promotion, advertising and sponsorship of tobacco products-and the ratification of the FCTC, understanding that said treaty grants the States key tools in the fight against smoking.
There is a fundamental and irreconcilable conflict between the interests of the tobacco industry and the interests of public health; because it produces and promotes products whose harmful consequences have been amply demonstrated by scientific evidence.
For more than 80 years, the industry has been deploying its strategies to interfere in the establishment and application of tobacco control policies. These tactics, which seek to promote tobacco use, are targeting increasingly younger populations, and existing regulations are often ineffective in dealing with them.
All of this occurs within a framework that seeks to incorporate new tobacco and nicotine products into the market, in order to position them as part of the solution to an epidemic that the industry itself generates and that claims the lives of almost 8 millions of people around the world. Thus, these products come to position themselves as one more strategy that seeks to undermine the policies achieved in terms of tobacco control.
Likewise, Argentina is one of the few countries in the world that has not yet ratified the first public health treaty on tobacco control, a key tool in guaranteeing transparency and the non-intervention of the tobacco industry in health policies. But why is the ratification of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) important to guarantee non-interference by the industry?
The FCTC is the first global public health treaty, which came to give a global response to the tobacco epidemic. The treaty provides for various strategies aimed at reducing the supply, demand, and harm caused by tobacco products, including a complete ban on tobacco marketing, increased tobacco taxes, and other measures. But it also expressly establishes the protection of public policies and tobacco control against commercial interests and others created by the tobacco industry.
Contact
Agustina Mozzoni, agustinamozzoni@fundeps.org
Digital strategies of the tobacco industry: how it is convincing us to buy its new products
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.
NEW PRODUCTS ON SOCIAL NETWORKS
When it comes to tobacco companies, renovation and reinvention are never lacking to maximize their profits, sell new products and attract more and more consumers, mainly children and young people. Faced with this, it is essential to be able to identify the main platforms for disseminating these products and the misleading and false advertising messages.
Based on a survey we carried out on social networks – a great platform for disseminating new tobacco and nicotine products – we identified different techniques and strategies to convince consumers that the new products are attractive and even healthy.
First of all, the tobacco companies try to sell their new products, such as the electronic cigarette, as something innovative, different and even better than the traditional cigarette. Through the use of hashtags such as #Vapearsalvavidas and #Vapearnoesfumar, the tobacco industry seeks to “wash” its traditional image of an unhealthy industry. In this way, the vape is presented as non-toxic or harmful to health, and the World Health Organization and various studies have shown that this is far from being the case.
PUBLICATION POSITIONING THE VAPE AS DAMAGE REDUCED
PUBLICATION RELATED TO FOODS TO IDENTIFY THE FLAVORS
On the other hand, tobacco companies take advantage of the image of famous people and influencers to promote their products and increase the level of their sales. What is the goal of this strategy? Associate the use of electronic cigarettes with success and with hegemonic lifestyles, to convince us that if we buy these products, we can also access a life full of leisure and luxury.
PUBLICATION WITH IMAGES OF CELEBRITIES
Other strategies to strengthen your advertising presence on social networks consist of the use of memes and the launch of promos and raffles. Through these tools, tobacco companies carry out fun and attractive marketing campaigns for social network users, using a familiar, visual and eye-catching language to sell their products.
PUBLICATIONS OF PROMOS AND SWEEPSTAKES
It is urgent that this type of strategies, campaigns and misleading advertising be unmasked, so as not to create or spread the consumption of products made with tobacco and nicotine, which are harmful to health, and which put youth and children at particular risk.
THE NEW PRODUCTS IN GRAPHIC MEDIA AND TV
Although without a doubt the main means of dissemination of these new products are social networks, TV and graphic media escape our clutches. The following graphs, obtained from our survey, show their presence on these platforms.
Percentage of news connotations found in television media coverage.
Percentage of news connotations found in graphic media coverage.
Distribution of news in graphic media according to the provinces where they were published.
Media coverage between 2019 – 2022 found with the selected keywords, by province. The national average is represented by the orange horizontal line (national average= 11).
Evolution over time of the graphic media coverage found with the selected keywords, depending on whether it is national or provincial media.
Evolution over time of television media coverage found with the selected keywords.
More Information
Author
Sofía Armando
Contact
Agustina Mozzoni, agustinamozzoni@fundeps.org
This content is financially supported by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) on behalf of STOP, a global tobacco industry monitoring initiative. The content is completely independent from an editorial point of view.
Agua Negra International Tunnel: Benefits and concerns of a strategic work in the integration between Argentina and Chile
This report aims to carry out a comprehensive and in-depth approach to the Agua Negra International Tunnel (TIAN) project between Argentina and Chile, including its technical, strategic, political, economic, social and environmental dimensions.
Industry interference in the regulation of tobacco and nicotine products
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.
Although there is evidence about how harmful tobacco is, there is still a lot of work to be done regarding its regulation. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), it is known that tobacco kills up to half of the people who consume it, and each year more than 8 million people die from it. More than 7 million of these deaths are due to direct consumption and about 1.2 million are due to the exposure of non-smokers to second-hand smoke.
One of the causes of these statistics is that tobacco companies use various interference actions. What does this mean? Who use a wide range of tactics and strategies (direct or indirect) that interfere with the establishment and application of tobacco control policies. Many times they are clear and easy to identify, but in most cases, they are not. That is why in this note, we tell you what are some of the interference strategies that can be observed in our country so that you do not believe it…
How does the industry interfere in our country?
Following the criteria of the Regional Interference Index, (a global survey that was supported by STOP and in which more than 20 Latin American NGOs participated), and reviewing national public databases, the following interference strategies were listed by part of the tobacco industry:
Through the analysis of the databases of audience records, it can be seen that the representation of the two main tobacco companies operating in Argentina (British American Tobacco and Philip Morris International) doubled in recent years (2004 to date ); and from 2017 to date alone, 34 formal meetings were held between industry representatives and national government officials. In addition, these meetings were held more and more frequently: as of 2016, the time between meetings was shortened: from meeting every 7 and a half months; lobbyists and officials began to meet every 4 months.
At the provincial level there are no open records on the officials’ agendas.
56% of the hearings held between September 2016 and March 2022 in official offices to deal with issues related to tobacco, were motivated by the claim for marketing taxes or production subsidies.
In this sense, in Argentina “alliances have been created to combat the illicit trade of tobacco products” and in this framework a public entity has emerged that has explicit links with the tobacco industries: the Civil Association of Anti-Piracy. This association assumed the spokesperson for the tobacco companies by raising before national authorities the “scourge of piracy” and “evasion in the cigarette sector and the taxability of new products”; allowing them to maintain interactions that we can classify as “unnecessary”.
What conclusions can we draw?
The data collected exposes the power that the tobacco industry has in our country, and how they can exert pressure so that tobacco control policies are slow in coming or ineffective. In addition, it must be added that all this is taking place in a context of pressure to be able to incorporate new tobacco and nicotine products into the market.
Although advertising plays a crucial role in the generation and maintenance of the smoking habit, and progress has been made in its regulation, only three Argentine provinces have a total ban. We need to be able to clearly identify how the tobacco industry interferes, preventing advances in regulations on the subject.
It is essential, for example, that Argentina ratify the Framework Agreement for Tobacco Control; since it proposes comprehensive strategies that allow working on health policies that make it possible to reduce the consumption of tobacco and nicotine. Implementing the measures of the Framework Convention and giving them time to produce results is the most effective approach to address this epidemic.
More Information
Author
Lourdes Aparicio
Contact
Agustina Mozzoni, agustinamozzoni@fundeps.org
This content is financially supported by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) on behalf of STOP, a global tobacco industry monitoring initiative. The content is completely independent from an editorial point of view.
We adhere to the statement against the aggression against environmental defenders at the UNC
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.
On June 15 at the UNC, an event was held in which representatives of the Andean Development Corporation (CAF), a multilateral financial institution that finances the Punilla highway project, were present. In this context, the environmental defenders demanded that the CAF authorities violate the environmental safeguard systems, and the impact on the environment that the project implies.
Faced with this intervention, the current rector of the National University of Córdoba, Hugo Juri, who represented the institution at the conference, publicly offended environmental defenders by associating their actions with the financing of institutions linked to the Nazi genocide, among other sayings.
This undoubtedly constitutes an act of violence and intimidation that seriously affects the guarantees incorporated in the Escazú Agreement. It is that the art. 9th of the treaty protects environmental defenders, guaranteeing them a safe and conducive environment for the exercise of their rights to protest, opinion and freedom of expression. In addition, it obliges the authorities to adopt measures to prevent and punish attacks, threats or intimidation.
In repudiation of the actions of the rector Juri, we adhere to the statement made by the teachers and researchers of the UNC, requesting the retraction and request for an apology towards environmental defenders, and we demand the adoption of measures that protect their fundamental rights.
More Information
Contact
Juan Bautista Lopez, juanbautistalopez@fundeps.org
*Photo taken from the Museum of Anthropology website
We participate in the Environment and Education Commission of the Provincial Legislature
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.
The purpose of the meeting was to present the Circular Economy Summit and discuss the bill for provincial adherence to the National Law on Comprehensive Environmental Education. The project aims to incorporate the tools and guidelines to implement Comprehensive Environmental Education into the framework of local environmental policies.
The opening of the meeting to people and organizations that work on environmental issues at the local level is part of a good practice that the Commission has been implementing for certain initiatives, such as adherence to the Yolanda Law. A valuable space in which those who were part of it were able to offer their opinions on the relevance of Comprehensive Environmental Education and make suggestions for the project. This strengthening of instances of participatory democracy is undoubtedly in accordance with the commitments assumed in the Escazú Agreement.
In relation to the project, although it is an adhesion, it constitutes an important starting point to design strategies that allow modifying the cultural and ethical bases of the current production, commercialization and consumption systems in society. The comprehensive education proposed by the law has the virtue of addressing both formal and informal educational contexts, media and public policies in a transversal way.
Although the project plans to incorporate into the provincial regulations the same text as that provided for in the national law, through adherence, we believe that some institutions should expressly provide for it in the local version. From Fundeps we explained the reasons why we believe that the law should provide for the following items:
Basic guidelines for the construction of the Comprehensive Environmental Education Jurisdictional Strategy (EJEAI)
The EJEAI is the instrument of permanent and concerted strategic planning, with scope in formal and non-formal areas of education, information technology and communication media, with a participatory, territorialized basis.
It is outlined as a fundamental and main instrument to develop Comprehensive Environmental Education at the provincial level. At this point we believe that the law should expressly mention the basic guidelines for its configuration, such as: anchoring in the socio-environmental problems and conflicts of the Province, empowerment in the exercise of access and environmental rights, public participation devices, among others.
Executive Coordination of the Jurisdictional Strategy
We maintain that the law should expressly incorporate the creation of the Executive Coordination of the strategy, determining -just like the national law- the method of conformation of the body, to carry out the management and administration of the strategy.
Local Advisory Council
We recommend that the local law expressly incorporate the creation of a local Consultative Council made up of diverse actors, in charge of providing support and feedback to the Coordination for the implementation and monitoring of the Jurisdictional Strategy.
Beyond the fact that we consider that the recommendations provided would generate a superior project, we recognize the importance of adhesion and we celebrate the parliamentary work on this path, especially when it is implemented based on the participation of civil society.
More Information
Contact
Juan Bautista López, juanbautistalopez@fundeps.org
* Photo taken from the Diario Comercio y Justicia
Active Transparency: discussion on good practices and challenges
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.
The discussion took place in virtual mode and is the first activity to be carried out within the framework of the Debate Cycle on Transparency 2022, promoted by the group, with the aim of proposing conversations with officials in charge of the transparency agendas of different provinces and localities of the country. The proposal aims to generate an environment conducive to debate and exchange of experiences that contribute to strengthening the practices of active and passive transparency of all public powers and the effective exercise of these rights by citizens.
On this occasion, we spoke with Diego Seoane, Deputy Director of Access to Public Information (AIP) at the Office of Administrative Investigations and Public Ethics of Mendoza, with María Gracia Andía, Head of the guarantor body for Access to Public Information, and with Fernanda Araujo, Information Architecture Manager, both from CABA.
The first part of the meeting was dedicated to the institutional design of each jurisdiction and how they comply with the obligations of active transparency, that is, in what these levels of government must publish ex officio, given that both have laws that oblige them in this regard. . In this sense, Diego Seoane commented that in Mendoza, by Law No. 9070 of 2018, a single enforcement authority was established, which is the Office of Administrative Investigations and Public Ethics. It governs all the powers of the State and has jurisdiction over other laws such as the Public Ethics and Clean File. Within this Office, the Sub-Directorate for Access to Public Information, which is made up of two people, is the enforcement authority in everything related to AIP, it is the body for appealing requests for information and, in turn, has the function of control compliance with the active transparency of all regulated entities. The role of the Sub-Directorate is complemented by that of “Guarantor Officials” in each of the regulated entities, who are in charge of both the obligation to respond to requests for information and the active publication of information that provides Mendoza’s law.
Desde las expositoras de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, consulte que la ley N° 104 de 2016 estableció una estructura de dos niveles, compuesta por Órganos Garantes y Autoridades de Aplicación en cada uno de los poderes de la ciudad (Ejecutivo, Legislativo y Judicial). Las funciones de estas autoridades se complementan, los Órganos Garantes tienen la función general de promover este derecho, generar informes, elaborar convenios, realizar auditorías de oficio y actuar en caso de denuncias por incumplimiento de la ley en el poder del que depende. Por su parte las Autoridades de Aplicación gestionan los pedidos de información pública, cumplen con las obligaciones de transparencia activa, orientan a la ciudadanía en el ejercicio de este derecho, capacitan a los sujetos obligados dentro del poder correspondiente, entre otros. A su vez cuentan con las figuras de Enlaces para el cumplimiento de la transparencia pasiva, y de Referentes Institucionales y Operativos, para las obligaciones de transparencia activa en cada sujeto obligado.
In a second, they consulted on a practical practice of each dependency and the main challenges they noticed in the exercise of their functions. From Mendoza, the systematic monitoring that was done in the passive transparency process was highlighted as a good practice, that is, the requests for information that were made, which directly impacted the improvement of the active transparency process. He cited, for example, that from 130 requests made to the Housing Institute, they dropped to 30 once the information was made available and their website was improved. He also highlighted the fact of having a direct transparency button in each obligated subject and locating there everything that the law stipulates. He stated that this was a great advance because in the early stages, the information was recorded but it was disordered and even redundant. From CABA, the Transparency Portal appeared, which concentrates the active transparency obligations of the city government and the Active Transparency Index, which is a tool created to monitor transparency policies and access information therein. They also shared some experiences of focused transparency, that is, of specific interest for a certain group or group of people, such as a Guide that was prepared with synthesized information for Heads of Single-Parent Families.
In relation to the challenges, from Mendoza, although they affirm that the institutional design given by the law is correct, they consider that with a better organizational structure they could fulfill their functions more efficiently. Then, a challenge shared by both jurisdictions, although each one has different designs and tools, had to do with the constant improvement in the implementation of transparency and access to public information laws. As well as other citizen demands. Emphasis was also placed on improvement in terms of accessibility, clear language, access for people with different abilities, among others.
Finally, and in coincidence with the audience and the civil society organizations organizing the event, the need to make sustained progress on transparency and access to public information by all branches of government, that is, the Legislative Branches, was considered. and Judicial.
Contact
Nina Sibilla, ninasibilla@fundeps.org
What is the progress of the Yolanda Law in Córdoba one year after its sanction?
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.
In May 2021, the Provincial Legislature passed Law No. 10758 of the Province’s adherence to National Law No. 27592. This provides for mandatory training on the subject of the environment, with a perspective of sustainable development and with special emphasis on climate change. for all people who perform public functions at all levels.
Although the regulations cover the three powers of the State, to date only the beginning of the training in the field of the Executive Power has transpired. Due to this situation, and given the importance of generating this type of training for those who design and implement public policies or resolve environmental conflicts, monitoring its implementation is essential.
For this reason, we ask the three powers of the State for public information on the degree and progress in the implementation of the law. The request for access to public information becomes an important tool when the data is not available to citizens, as long as there is a response from the authorities.
More information
Contact
Juan Bautista López, juanbautistalopez@fundeps.org