Tag Archive for: Environment

We support the declaration of Principle 10 and the objectives of sustainable development

The Forum of Latin American and Caribbean Countries for Sustainable Development in Mexico City met for the first time in April. It presented the progress of the negotiation process of the Regional Agreement by Principle 10.

“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”

FUNDEPS together with several civil society organizations signed a declaration that supports the fundamental alliance between sustainable development objectives and principle 10, as we understand that:

“There will be no sustainable development without the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (ODS) nor without the rights of access to information, access to justice and participation on environmental issues, known as access rights.”

Within the framework of the first meeting of the Forum of Latin American and Caribbean Countries for Sustainable Development, it was claimed that there can be no real sustainable development if there is no real access to information and justice, as well as As an authentic participation of the citizens. In this regard, the Vice Minister of Environment of Costa Rica, Patricia Madrigal stressed that “Principle 10 redefines the traditional concept of development for its inclusive, transparent and participatory nature.”

Hence the importance of this Forum, which presents the ideal opportunity for the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, which proposes 17 Sustainable Development Objectives, and the Regional agreement for Principle 10 to be implemented and can be addressed in an integral way to In order to strengthen each other.

FUNDEPS as an organization that promotes the construction of sustainable public policies participates actively in the negotiation process Regional Agreement on Principle 10, as well as publicly supports the Sustainable Development Objectives (ODS) of the United Nations Agenda 2030, recognizing the importance of access rights in the implementation of real sustainable development policies.

More information

Declaration that supports the P10 and the ODS-Signers

First Meeting Forum of the Latin American and Caribbean Countries for Sustainable Development

Author

María Perez Alsina

Contact

Male Martínez Espeche – malemartinez@fundeps.org

Activity Report 2016

The past 2016 was a year of great growth for our foundation, not only for the development of our many agendas of work, but also for the consolidation of our team of volunteers.

We further diversified our work agendas, we were able to increase our social impact, we were able to position ourselves in networks and we increased the collaboration with new partners.

As we did year after year, we continue to conduct research, workshops and events; We participate in national and international meetings with multiple organizations; We carry out activities of monitoring, advocacy and judicial cases to advance in matters of public policies.

We thank all those who participated and trusted in FUNDEPS. We hope that in 2017 we will continue to find and work together in pursuit of our main objective: to continue to grow and influence public policies.

We invite you to read the result of a great year of work, by clicking on our 2016 report at the following link bit.ly/FUNDEPS2016; Or on our website in the “About Fundeps” section.

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Studies show environmental degradation and government neglect in Chacras de la Merced

During the month of December 2016, the Foundation for the Development of Sustainable Policies decided to carry out a survey process in the neighborhood of Chacras de la Merced, in order to obtain accurate information about the state of situation of the community there.

“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 2015, FUNDEPS has been working with the recently mentioned neighborhood of the City of Cordoba, in relation to the problems of the sewage treatment plant (WWTP). The proven malfunction of the plant, located in the area since 1984, has caused numerous problems in the nearby population, as well as in the ecosystem there.

The purpose of this survey process was to be able to discover the perception of the neighbors of the neighborhood with respect to the plant, as well as of other problems that they could identify as an emergency. The instrument used was intended to compile the perception of the community of Chacras de la Merced about the operation of the sewage treatment plant, the environmental situation of the area, the performance of the government authorities towards the neighborhood and its interest Engage in control activities.

In this sense, within the results obtained, below are presented those of greater relevance.

An 83% (44 families) does not feel calm with the environmental situation of the district Chacras de la Merced.

Five issues were mentioned and respondents were asked to prioritize among themselves, establishing from 1 to 5 the urgency with which they believed they should be addressed by government authorities. Of the total families surveyed, 34 (64%) of them gave the number 1 priority and urgency to the pollution caused by the sewage treatment plant.

The respondents were then asked whether or not they knew the work that EDAR does, and 58.8% said they did not know with certainty the work and operation of the WWTP. 50.9% said he was very badly informed about the issues that relate to the operation of the plant. Consistent with this, 79.2% of neighbors said they do not trust the information provided by the municipality of Cordoba on the operation of the plant.

Notwithstanding the lack of knowledge, 86% consider that the plant is not functioning properly; And opined in reference to the factor considered to cause malfunction. 37.2% of the respondents said that the plant does not work properly due to lack of municipal controls that verify the correct functioning. Likewise, 46.5% consider that the malfunction of the plant causes the immediate contamination of the river.

He wondered about the confidence that respondents had in certain institutions and organizations. Entrepreneurs, the provincial government, the municipal government, the police, the legislature, the judiciary, political parties, trade unions and the national government receive nothing from the neighbors of Chacras de la Merced. Private and public universities; Environmental organizations, social organizations, religious institutions, and the media are receptive to the trust of neighbors. The neighbors opined, undoubtedly with 77% (41 families), who do not trust EDAR.

It is important to note that 76.9% of the neighbors do not have / had information about the bidding process carried out by the province for the expansion of the sewage treatment plant. Likewise, with regard to the opinion about the expansion of the plant, it is surprising that despite the declared distrust of the authorities and the information they provide; 58.5% of the residents are confident that the work will improve the quality of life of the community.

88.7% of the respondents believe that they should (people from the neighborhood with civil society organizations) participate in monitoring spaces to the actions of the state in the area of ​​environmental control. It was also consulted about the inclination towards participation in monitoring spaces of the actions of the municipality and the province in the process of construction of the new plant. 56.6% expressed that they would be willing to participate in these spaces if they arose.

The survey also aimed to know about the health history of the neighbors, consulting about symptoms and diseases they have had, their frequency, the diagnosis provided and the treatment indicated. In this regard, 69% said they had suffered from one of the listed symptoms.

The results of the survey process show that the community of Chacras de la Merced is in a serious situation of vulnerability due to the confluence of numerous factors that lead to the violation of their most basic rights. Álida Weht, director of the Las Omas grassroots organization whose objective is to improve the quality of life of the neighbors, has stated that: “the results constitute the visibility of a pollution situation that dates back several decades and a community Which has been immersed in an immediacy of problems for the same time.

In the context of the recent events related to the overturning of the Suquía River, both from company waste and from raw sewage, it is necessary to highlight the emergency in which the Chacras de la Merced neighborhood is located.

Full survey report

More information

Contact

Agustina Palencia – agustinapalencia@fundeps.org

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We participated in the public hearing for the installation of Cantera Colombo in Chacras de la Merced

Concerned about the situation of vulnerability in the community of Chacras de la Merced, we participated in the public hearing with a legal technical report that gives an account of the irregularities of the project to install a new quarry.

“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 Wednesday, April 12, the Secretary of Environment and Climate Change convened a public hearing to discuss the installation project “Cantera Colombo” in the vicinity of the neighborhood Chacra de la Merced. The Cantera Colombo project would be located to the east of the city of Cordova, outside the urban ejido of the city, in the place known as Heart of Maria, being the population center affected by the work the locality of Chacra de la Merced. This is an open pit dry quarry, where the extraction of aggregates without the use of explosives would be carried out, and then transferred the material to the classification plant owned by the owner named Canteras Ruiz, located at Camino Chacra de La Merced, Km.

Among the main considerations that we made in the Report on the environmental impact study “Cantera Colombo” it should be mentioned that it did not take into account the special situation of vulnerability in which the community of Chacra de la Merced is located due to the accumulated impact that affects Progressive and negative in the right to health, life and a healthy environment. Among the main causes that explain the transformation of what was the “Green Belt of the city of Cordoba” we find: the installation of real estate ventures, quarrying, installation and omission in the controls on tanneries, malfunctions and The supersaturation of the sewage treatment plant (EDAR Bajo Grande), lagoons generated by the old quarries. Also within the irregularities that emerged from the analysis of the environmental impact study we find that:

-The integrality of the project will have significant and mostly negative and irreversible impacts on the environment, especially on the quality of water, soil, air, health and quality of life.

– Does not comply with the minimum content detailed in art. 19 of the law 10,208 (baseline in health taking into account that it will be located 300 meters from a school and 150 meters from the river Suquía, public services affected as public transport).

-Takes outdated baselines (affected population, census 2008).

“He does not cite reliable sources.”

– Does not detail the measures of recomposition and mitigation of the impacts.

Therefore, from FUNDEPS we recommend an in-depth evaluation by the Ministry of Environment as the controlling body of this project, taking into account the considerations made, and having the necessary mechanisms in order to comply with the expected legal and environmental parameters In order to protect the fundamental rights of the residents of Chacra de la Merced.

More information

Report of FUNDEPS by installation Cantera Colombo

Video situation Chacras de la Merced

Authors

María Pérez Alsina, Virginia Corradi y Male Martínez Espeche.

Contact

Male Martínez Espeche / Environment Team Coordinator

malemartinez@fundeps.org

The Nation questions the updating of the forest regulations

In the context of the discussion on how to update the provincial legal framework to protect the native forests of Cordoba, the National Forest Direction states that more information is needed, including a map and technical reports. At the same time, the National Direction affirms that the provincial process must assure mechanisms for substantive participation.

“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 Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of the Nation, through the Directorate of Forests, made known its considerations in relation to the process of updating the territorial order of native forests that faces the province of Cordoba, in response to a request made Córdoba Environmental Forum, by means of note dated 01/27/2017.

– Expressed its concern about the failure of the province of Cordoba to comply with the deadlines set for the update. In this regard, he recalled that he had already requested the delivery of progress regarding the upgrade process. In the communications with the provincial government, he communicated the guidelines and the vision to take into account the adjustment procedures and the accreditation of the updating of the OTBN (according to notes sent on 2/23/16 and 4/6/2016).

– Reported that in August 2016, the local enforcement authority shared informally a first update project. The National Directorate detected significant changes to the first provincial OTBN plan, and highlighted two points: “an increase in the area of ​​declared forest and an important passage from native forests from Category I (red) to Category II (yellow)”.

– Checked the exchange of progress on the updating and existence of opposing positions of various actors, according to their participation in the meetings of the inter-institutional table of dialogue convened by the General Secretariat of the Gov. From Cordoba, the Sec. Of Environment and the Sec. Of Agriculture. In this instance does not refer to any process to try to approach antagonistic positions.

– Observed, among others, that the OTBN bill does not allow to know the areas of native forests by conservation category, which is essential for its accreditation.

In summary, he stressed that for the purpose of carrying out the analysis for the accreditation of OTBN of the province of Cordoba, it is necessary:

1. Have the complete bill (it does not contain the map with the location of the forests and their conservation categories of the OTBN update)

2. To have the technical document with the methodology used for the evaluation of the criteria of environmental sustainability and the resulting surface.

3. Know the participatory process that would accompany this proposal.

So far, the discussion on updating the framework for protection of native forests in Córdoba has not complied with national regulations, has not allowed open participation, has hidden information and shared it with only a few specific sectors.

From FUNDEPS, we demand that the process be transparent, participatory, comply with the requirements demanded from the Nation and be respectful of minimum environmental budgets, in order to avoid the repetition of conflictive situations in relation to the territorial order of native forests of Cordova.

More information

Contact

Male Martínez – Environmental Equity Coordinator

malemartinez@fundeps.org

We reject pressures on artists and demand open and technical discussion about our forests

In recent weeks there have been repeated pressures to advance against the few remaining native forests in the province of Cordoba. We defend freedom of political and artistic expression and we demand a participatory and technical discussion that assures an adequate protection of our forests.

“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”

By the end of 2016, and thanks to the mobilization of communities and civil society organizations, it was possible to extend the treatment of a forest law project that was intended to be approved without adequate discussion. That project would have meant a clear weakening of the protection to native forests in our province.

From FUNDEPS, we developed a document with numerous legal and environmental critiques of the bill. The criticisms marked the clear weakening of the environmental protection of the forests as well as the existence of a process non-transparent and non-participatory. Both points violate the National Law of Minimum Budgets for the Protection of Native Forests

Some of these criticisms had already been raised in a joint document between the Environmental Forum, FUNDEPS and other institutions that rose to the government in response to the position of CARTEZ entitled “Producing conserving and conserving produce”. Neither CARTEZ nor legislators who presented the project responded to the technical questions that were posed to that position.

Instead of taking advantage of the extension of the discussion period to generate a participatory space or to respond to the legal and technical questions that were made to the project, from the agricultural sector is pressed to get a rapid approval of the bill. It is accused of setting positions without scientific basis when from that sector could never answer the questions that were sent. Likewise, artists such as José Luis Serrano and Raly Barrionuevo are especially under pressure to mobilize against the few remaining native forests in our province. In a statement, CARTEZ strongly criticized Doña Jovita and Raly Barrionuevo for accusing them of “generating confusion” and defending “extreme ideologies”. As a reply, José Luis Serrano challenged the ruralist entity to answer with “scientific arguments” the doubts raised by the Environmental Forum.

In that line and in a surprising twist, journalist Andrés Carpio de Cadena 3 intimately informs José Luis Serrano for his comments regarding the journalist’s description of the March 28 march. The journalist made a strongly negative description of the march describing it in a number much lower than the estimates of the organizers. He also suggested that those who marched did not know well why they did so to the extent that there was already a decision to postpone the treatment of the bill. It seems that in the journalist’s position, the defense of native forests and the visibility of a popular demand are not enough reasons to publicly manifest in a peaceful way.

In that context, the artist José Luis Serrano personifying his character “Doña Jovita” marks his surprise for the inaccurate description of the demonstration against the forest law project. It does so through his character, in an artistic expression and criticism of an inadequate description of a popular mobilization.

We defend the right to free expression and artistic expression with connections to rights and social demands. We are opposed to pressures against public demonstrations. We also strongly reject the use of legal mechanisms to limit the critical positions of public figures.

Contact

Juan Carballo, Director Ejecutivo

juanmcarballo@fundeps.org

Critical Observations on the Native Forest Bill

We present to the Legislature critical comments on the native forest law project in the province of Córdoba, with a lot of irregularities in the participation process and several questionable points in the wording of its text, which would imply a decline in the protection of native forests.

“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 2007, the National State passed National Law No. 26,331 of Minimum Budgets for Environmental Protection of Native Forests, as a base legislation, with equal protection for all inhabitants of the country. According to the constitutional mandate, the provinces are responsible for legislating either by equalizing or maximizing protection and include matters that they make to the specific or specific matters of each of them. Likewise, it establishes the national legislation and its Regulatory Decree No. 91/2009, each province must carry out its Natural Forest Management and update it every five years, through a participatory process and according to criteria of environmental sustainability established in its Articles and Annex .

The province of Cordoba sanctioned the Provincial Law of Territorial Ordering of Native Forests No. 9814 on August 5, 2010, in a process in which the participatory instance guaranteed by the national law was not respected. That legislation established a deadline for updating it that expired on August 5, 2015.

In apparent compliance with these regulations, at the end of September 2016, the provincial government decided to open a “dialogue table” in order to complete with the corresponding updating of the territorial planning of the native forests of Cordoba, seeking to overcome the irregularities of the process Made five years ago. However, the violation of the necessary conditions for the development of a sustainable participatory process was noticed. These shortcomings do not comply with the “Methodological guidelines for the updating of territorial regulations of native forests” approved by Resolution N 236 of COFEMA.

Recently, in the month of December 2016, the bill on the territorial organization of native forests was presented to the Legislature. That proposal is disconnected from the dialogue table insofar as it does not reflect the debates, contributions and discussions that were generated in the same.

From FUNDEPS we have prepared a document, “Draft Law on the Regulation of Native Forests and Regulation of Exotic Forests of the Province of Córdoba (Expte. 20811 / L / 16)“, as it does not conform to the minimum environmental protection budgets enshrined in our National Constitution and in the laws Environmental aspects that refer to this matter, both procedural aspects and substantive aspects.

We synthesize the main recommendations to the bill:

• Need to conserve the native forest existing in the province of Córdoba according to the map of law 9814 and only exceptionally allow the changes of land zoning, according to resolution 236/12 of COFEMA.

• Must observe the minimum legal parameters at the time of updating the OTBN, especially a real and effective access to the right to citizen participation.

• Extension of the restrictive definition of native forests.

• Reconsideration of the Ministry of Science and Technology as enforcement authority.

• Duty to expressly prohibit mining activity in high conservation categories.

• Duty to explicitly prohibit chemical dismantling and rolling practice in more conservative categories.

• Updating the OTBN map with technical – legal fundamentals.

• Limitation to sowing with exotic postures and reconsideration of environmental damage remediation with implanted species.

For these reasons we urge to generate an open and participatory process for the discussion on the updating of the forest law of the province of Córdoba and we suggest to adapt the project with the highest environmental legislation and to ensure at least the same level of environmental protection to our Native forests

Contact

Male Martínez, malemartinez@fundeps.org

Climate Change and Open Government at the Global TAI Meeting

The 6th Global Meeting of The Access Initiative (TAI) was held in Paris on 5 and 6 December, in which representatives of civil society from around the world met to discuss the importance of open government in relation to The challenges of climate change.

“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 view of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Summit, which takes place from 7 to 9 December in Paris, the TAI Network held its Global Meeting to explore the linkages between two agendas: climate change and open government. TO

During two days, experiences, opinions and ideas were exchanged between experts and experts on both issues, to strengthen the capacities of civil society to influence these issues. Among the issues that have emerged from this is the link between transparency, open data and participation with climate finance, Nationally Determined Projected Contributions (INDC) under the Paris Agreement, among others. In this context, issues that were transversal to the agendas of civil society, such as human rights, gender, environmental advocates, were also addressed.

The results of this meeting are expected to be reflected in the OGP Summit, which this year focuses on climate change. The priority is then to achieve the synergy between these two agendas, in order to be able to advocate for transversal public policies.

Contact

Carolina Tamagnini – carotamagnini@fundeps.org

Participating in the ESCR-Net’s Global Strategy Meeting

On 15-19 November, 2016, over 100 social movements, civil society organizations and advocates will come together across more than 40 countries to confront global systems that perpetuate inequality, impoverishment and dispossession, explore alternatives that ensure collective well-being and build a global movement to make human rights and social justice a reality for all.

“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”

Human rights provide a vital source of political, moral and legal legitimacy for the pursuit of justice, self-determination and shared well-being. This framework unites ESCR-Net members in over 75 countries, where they work together to ensure accountability of governments and private actors, articulate alternative development models, promote substantive equality for women, advocate for rights Relating to land and natural resources, to strengthen litigation and implementation guided by affected communities, as well as to facilitate access and strategic use of information to promote ESCR.

Throughout this week, the different working groups of the network will discuss the challenges that the global context presents for the guarantee of ESCR. The growing impoverishment of citizenship, corporate capture of the state, growing inequality, degradation of ecosystems and repression of human rights activists; Are the faces of a system that still has a debt to human rights. The program gives an account of the variety of actions carried out by the network in the many countries in which it works.

On Tuesday, 15 November, the ESCR-Net opened its Global Strategy Meeting with more than 150 participants from more than 40 countries. The day highlighted the great responsibility of those who make up the ESCR-Net, in light of the common global conditions that pose a serious threat to human dignity and the potential of collective action throughout the world. Prior to defining the overall objectives of the Network for the next five years, participants assessed the collective work of the three previous ones through brief reports from the Corporate Accountability, Economic Policy, Monitoring, Strategic Litigation, and Women and ESCR, as well as the Solidarity System.

From FUNDEPS we participate in this meeting, seeking to coordinate our actions and strategies with those of the global network, aware that only a coordinated and collective effort will be able to face the great challenges of human rights, especially economic, social and cultural rights.

More information

– Website of the ESCR-Net Global Strategy Meeting

– Program of the ESCR-Net Global Strategy Meeting

– Participants of the ESCR-Net Global Strategy Meeting

Contact

Agustina Palencia – agustinapalencia@fundeps.org

Carolina Tamagnini – carotamagnini@fundeps.org

Agustina Mozzoni – agustinamozzoni@fundeps.org

New 2015 Annual Report

We are pleased to introduce our 2015 Annual Report, a brief summary of our activities and achievements of the past year.

During 2015, FUNDEPS has grown both internally and externally. Our volunteers have been doubled and our activities have been diversified. We hopefully expect this year, in order to keep growing up and developing politic incidence.

To access to the Report click here: informe2015.fundeps.org, or you can find it on our website in the “About Fundeps” Section.

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The problem of solid urban waste in Córdoba

Fundeps prepares a working document that deals with the problem of MSW (Urban Solid Waste) in our city. The objective is to contribute and influence public policies at the local level that guarantee the right to health and a healthy and balanced environment adopted by international standards.

“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 problem of urban solid waste (MSW) begins with the development of the modern society in which they live, and has its origin in causes of another nature: from rapid population growth, the use of material goods of rapid deterioration or without degradability , even more complex causes that are due to an inefficient integral waste management accompanied by strong political and economic interests.

According to the statistical data provided by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, each inhabitant generates one kilo of garbage per day, which is deposited in one of the 130 end-of-end properties, in the worst case, in the hundreds of garbage dumps. open sky that were formed in the country. The city of Córdoba generates approximately 1200 tons per day of urban and similar solid waste that, until 2010, were deposited in the south of the city, in the Bouwer property, located on Route 36 and currently, temporarily, son disposed in the Sanitary Landfill of Piedras Blancas. This dynamic generates multiple situations of environmental degradation and violation of the right to a healthy environment and the right to health, among others.

This global and local problem has been addressed and regulated in different international and national instruments in order to minimize the harmful effects and adapt laws with sustainable public policies and according to the specific realities of each country / province.

From FUNDEPS we are working on this important issue and we have prepared as a first working document the following report “First Approaches: Current legal framework and real problem of solid urban resources in Córdoba”, which expects an approach to the problem.

We want to move forward starting from the study of the environmental institutionality in the matter of MSW (Urban Solid Waste), the funds that are destined to the GIRSU (budget item), the current situation of the bidding of the service, the environmental liabilities pending remediation (property ) Potrero del Estado, Bouwer), the real and legal situation of the foundations, the open sky and the adaptation of the practices and the management of RSU in Córdoba with the adopted international and national standards.

The purpose of this work proposal is to contribute and influence public policies at the local level that guarantee the right to health and a healthy and balanced environment adopted by international standards.

Contact:

Malena Martinez – Human Rights Area

malemartinez@fundeps.org

Let’s all engage in the elaboration of the regional agreement on environmental matters

Our foundation is participating actively in the monitoring of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation, and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, in accordance with Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration. By means of this letter we invite you to participate in the elaboration of the Guidance Document for Negotiations, providing comments and suggestions.

THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE POLICIES (FUNDEPS), as a TAI member (The Access Initiative) is participating actively in the monitoring of the Regional Agreement on Access to information, public participation, and access to justice in environmental matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, in accordante with Principle 10 of the Rio declaration For that purpose we cordially invite you to comment the Guidance Document for Negotiation, prepared by ELAC and attached to this email.

Our working team is responsible for coordinating and systemizing the commentaries of the document’s preamble and articles : 1 (objectives), 2 (definitions), 3 (principles), 4 (scope of application), 5 (general obligations) and 8 (public participation in environmental decision-making). We may also receive or forward commentaries on the entire text.

Being aware of your expertise and influence in this field, and so as to obtain ideas, commentaries, objections and suggestions on how to improve the text in preparation of the negotiation phase, and so that a wide participation becomes effective, we communicate this invitation to participate in the commentaries.

The commentaries will be received and processed until July 10th of this year. The commentaries can also be sent to the ELAC secretary until August 31st of of this year. Please do not hesitate in contacting us if you have any doubt or inquiry. We look forward to your input in the effective implementation of Principle 10 of the Rio declaration!

Best regards,

Juan Carballo, Executive Director

Yamile Najle, Coordinator of the Human Right Area

Additional information is available at : http://www.cepal.org/rio20/principio10/.