Tag Archive for: Environment

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We have done observations on the Projects of provincial adhesion to the Yolanda Law

Within the framework of said treatment, the Environment Commission has held a number of open meetings with certain civil society organizations and people dedicated to the defense of the environment, in order to hear their opinion. Although the call to these people was not open to those who wanted to make their opinions known, the truth is that a new mechanism of citizen participation was generated, perhaps limited by the time that the agenda demands.

“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”

This process is a good practice to be carried out. However, today with the entry into force of the Escazú Agreement, such spaces already constitute an obligation of the provincial State and not only the exercise of political good will. Adequate publicity and convocation, as well as the organization and distribution of time, fostering broad participation, must be considered in pursuit of a true environmental democracy.

In the framework of the participatory process, we refer to the Environmental Commission of the provincial Legislature, which we consider are necessary adjustments for a regulation that exceeds the national one. Thus, observations were made regarding the way in which an enforcement authority should be designed in accordance with the objectives of the law, the process of creating and evaluating training programs and content for people who exercise public functions, as well as also the introduction of complaint or claim mechanisms that allow citizens to effectively monitor and control compliance with environmental training.

We believe that a provincial regulation can be surpassed, if it incorporates mechanisms aimed at guaranteeing greater participation both in its gestation stage and in the monitoring and implementation processes.

More information

The Chamber of Deputies approved the Yolanda Law

Contact

Juan Bautista López, juanbautistalopez@fundeps.org

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The day of the animal in Argentina

On April 29, the day of the animal was celebrated in Argentina, in tribute to Ignacio Lucas Albarracin, a lawyer from Córdoba who from the Society for the Protection of Animals, safeguarded their rights and promoted the first Animal Protection Law in the country.

“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 current context of environmental and climate crisis requires animal protection as a fundamental component of the different ecosystems from a comprehensive perspective. The degradation of native forests, rivers, wetlands and other biomes, necessarily affects the different species that inhabit them and that fulfill important ecosystem functions.

In addition to the animal impact caused by environmental degradation, today there are production, consumption and scientific development systems that base their practices on the use of certain non-human species. These apply devious methods that cause great suffering in the animal body. There are also certain practices or traditions that by their very nature are built on animal suffering.

The anthropocentric vision – the human being as the center of all things – seems to be the foundation of such practices, since it has placed the human being at the top of the pyramid of species and the non-human animals subordinate to their own satisfaction. Threat is the model of appropriation of nature that the human species has conceived.

In this regard, there are production and consumption alternatives that promote the adoption of sustainable and non-cruel habits for animals. An example of this is agroecology, whose practices are based on an interrelation aimed at avoiding unnecessary suffering of the species, under the application of certain practices that free the animal from pain, hunger, fear, discomfort and allow it to express its normal behavior.

Finally, some States recognize animals and ecosystems the status of subjects of non-human rights, guaranteeing them a certain degree of legal protection. Legal cases such as that of the Chimpanzee Cecilia in Mendoza or the orangutan Sandra in Buenos Aires, have opened in our country this line of recognition of rights to non-human entities.

Undoubtedly, Animal Day raises awareness about the importance of the respect and care they deserve, of protecting endangered species or promoting learning about their role as part of the environment. It is also an opportunity to generate questions about the way in which society relates to other species, putting in tension given structures and conceptions, in order to guarantee the integrity of those who make up nature as a whole.

Authors

  • Débora Sabrina Neck
  • Quimey Comba
  • Lucrecia Busso

Contact

Juan Bautista López, juanbautistalopez@fundeps.org

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International Day of Peasant Struggle

On April 17, the International Day of Peasant Struggle was celebrated, commemorating the murder of 19 peasants who demanded their access to land and justice in 1966 in El Dorado dos Carajá, Brazil. Crime that still goes unpunished.

“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 land continues to be one of the main conflicts facing the peasantry today. The dispute is based on the struggle for access, control and reconfiguration of the territory that includes soil, water, air, biodiversity, communities, etc. In our region, the main reason that has triggered it is the advance of agribusiness, characterized by being in the hands of a small number of national and transnational companies that are articulated through the sale and appropriation of land, transgenic seeds, pesticides, machinery , until its effective commercialization (in the hands of monopolies).

The dominant production model in our country, based on the “green revolution”, is based on a destructive, decontextualized way of producing and not linked to the pre-existing communities, nature and customs of the region where it takes place. Proof of this are the innumerable environmental and social liabilities that it generates through the excessive use of agrochemicals, the indiscriminate felling of trees, the contamination of surface waters and water sources, the immoderate use of fossil fuels, the increasing emission of greenhouse gases. , the impoverishment of soils, the extermination of biodiversity and the consequent production of food lacking in nutrients.

As a result of the serious consequences that it produces both in health and in the environment, over the years, different resistances to this form of production have been developed. An example of this is Ramona Orellano de Bustamante, a symbol of struggle for peasants and peasants, who for more than 15 years has resisted in the north of the province of Cordoba in defense of its territory, facing economic power, agribusiness, and power. judicial system, and the system that has systematically violated it.

Agroecology is thus presented as an alternative to agribusiness, developed by the peasantry, peasant families and indigenous peoples. This other way of producing is not considered only as a method of cultivating healthy food of nutritional quality, but also as a movement with social, cultural and political goals whose principle is respect for Mother Earth. It also revalues ​​the peasant status, helps to build independence from unfavorable markets, favoring local, sustainable and resilient development in the face of climate change.

Despite all the benefits that agroecology presents, and the need to promote family, peasant and indigenous agriculture, and if it is regulated both at the national and provincial level (National Law of Family, Peasant and Indigenous Agriculture and Law of Good Agricultural Practices de Córdoba), there are currently no real public policies that value and promote it. For these reasons, a true political will is necessary to address the urgency of an agrarian reform, which leads us towards a more sustainable agriculture, which produces quality food and with well-paid farmers recognized for their service to society. Undoubtedly, it is a pending debt and there is still a long way to go, so it is important that the fight is vindicated and made visible on April 17.

Authors

  • Ananda Lavayen
  • Maria Laura Carrizo

Contact

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Citizen participation in check

This Friday, April 9, at 12 noon, the public hearing will begin on the Punilla highway. It will be done through a digital platform and will be broadcast live on YouTube.

“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”

Within the framework of the project “ALTERNATIVE ROUTE N ° 38 – VARIANT SECTION COSTA AZUL – LA CUMBRE” -punilla highway-, the environment secretary of the Province convened the corresponding public hearing. This stage is mandatory and prior to obtaining the environmental license.

Beyond the technical-environmental objections that the project deserves regarding its environmental impact, whose evaluation may imply the denial (or not) of the environmental license, the procedure selected by the provincial authority to the holding of the public hearing.

Is that the call itself established that to proceed with the registration, it was necessary to have “LEVEL 2” of Digital Citizen -CIDI- or, where appropriate, obtain it. Then, once this procedure was completed, it was possible to register through the “participation” service of said portal. Each and every one of these previous steps required having access to the internet, a device with a camera and even knowledge of technologies.

To participate in the public hearing – which is scheduled to begin today – you must have a device that allows you to access the corresponding “Google Meet” session. This adds other variables that make access to the procedure difficult, since the person interested in participating must not only have a good internet connection -due to the number of people present in the same session- but also with computer knowledge and a device appropriate technology. In addition, given the possible attendance of many people, the administration must adopt a good room management mechanism, trusting that the platform does not collapse due to the number of online participants.

All these requirements for the exercise of the right to public participation, in addition to finding their justification in the pandemic context, are based on the regulatory framework created by Provincial Law No. 10,618 and its Regulatory Decree No. 750/19 for the modernization of the administration. This regulation is what makes possible, based on Art. 8, the possibility of digital audiences.

The requirements designed by the provincial administration for the enjoyment of the right to citizen participation in environmental matters, generates certain questions regarding the validity of the procedure and the consequent administrative act. Participation must be open, inclusive, guaranteeing favorable conditions so that it can be adapted to the characteristics of the population, taking into special consideration those sectors that for one reason or another are in a situation of vulnerability. The way in which the digital public hearing has been implemented seems to move away from these guidelines, generating restrictions that have a direct impact on the enjoyment of the right of access to public participation in environmental matters, particularly of those people who do not have devices, knowledge and necessary infrastructure.

More information

Contact

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Statement for the appointment of the Attorney General of Córdoba

A group of more than 30 organizations in Córdoba prepared a letter expressing our concern over the eventual appointment of Juan Manuel Delgado as Attorney General of the province of Córdoba.

“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”

Today the Legislature of Córdoba is voting for the nomination of Juan Manuel Delgado to the position of Attorney General of the province of Córdoba. The position, by Constitutional mandate, is proposed by the provincial executive and must have the agreement of the Legislature.

Last Thursday, March 11, we attended the Public Hearing that was held and presented observations on some aspects that we consider critical. In this sense, we highlight the lack of independence that we consider to exist when nominating a person who is currently serving in the executive branch, as well as the lack of training and experience in criminal matters, human rights, gender and diversities and environmental problems.

Today, more than 30 organizations made public our concerns regarding the appointment of the proposed Prosecutor. Although they take up some of the points raised at the Hearing, this open letter places special emphasis on the threat that we warn regarding the validity of the sexual and (non) reproductive rights that have been achieved, given the candidate’s previous connections and his statements in the Commission. of Constitutional Affairs.

Contact

Nina Sibilla, ninasibilla@fundeps.org

Mayca Balaguer, maycabalaguer@fundeps.org

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Public Hearing for the position of Attorney General of the Province of Córdoba

This Thursday we participated in the Public Hearing to discuss the application of the lawyer Juan Manuel Delgado to the position of Attorney General of the Province of Córdoba, convened on 03/04/2021 through the Official Gazette.

“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 was carried out after Governor Juan Schiaretti sent to the Unicameral Legislature of Córdoba, through file No. 32245 / P / 21, the formal proposal for the purpose of requesting agreement for the appointment of Juan Manuel Delgado as Attorney General of the province.

Juan Manuel Delgado, is a lawyer, and currently works as Procurator of the Treasury of the Province of Córdoba (since May 2019). In addition, he was Secretary of the Arbitration Court of the Cordoba Stock Exchange (2012/2018), Member of the Board of Directors of the Cordoba Stock Exchange (2019), Secretary of the Stock Exchange (2018), and Director of the Institute of Legal and Business Investigations of the Córdoba Stock Exchange (2017-2019).

On this occasion, we leave raised the following aspects, which we consider extremely worrying: 1) First, the serious impact on the institutional quality of the province with the application to occupy the highest position of the Public Ministry to a person who has just practiced as a lawyer within the executive power, precisely as a Procurator of the Treasury of the Province of Córdoba, which depends on the State Prosecutor’s Office of the province. This strongly undermines the constitutional mandate of independence among the powers of the State; 2) Secondly, and according to the only information available about the applicant’s career, there is an obvious lack of knowledge and experience in criminal matters, the area of ​​main activity of the Attorney General of the province. In addition to this, there is no evidence in the applicant of training and / or background in human rights, environmental law and in the perspective of gender and diversity.

Finally, we leave it exposed that, beyond the training, experience and trajectory in these topics, which we consider of great relevance, we are interested in the applicant showing a commitment to active work in these matters. The Attorney General’s Work Plan, which defines the priorities of criminal policy, must be public to all citizens and must incorporate these issues.

Contact

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We appeal the rejection of participation as third parties the cause of Potrerillo de Larreta

Together with the group Todos Por Nuestro Arroyos de Alta Gracia, we filed an appeal challenging the decision that rejected participation as interested third parties.

“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”

During 2018, together with the group Todos Por Nuestro Arroyos, we requested participation as third parties in the cause of Country el Potrerillo de Larreta. Recall that in this debate the legality of the enclosure of the Los Paredones stream by the country, in the city of Alta Gracia.

During the year 2020, the main cause obtained a sentence by the Chamber of Appeals in Civil and Commercial Matters of the Ninth Nomination of the city of Córdoba, allowing the enclosure of the stream. In December of the same year, after a long time without obtaining a resolution, the Civil and Commercial Court of 2nd appointment of Alta Gracia decided to reject the required participation.

In such a situation, we file an appeal requesting that participation in the process be reviewed and admitted. The grounds on which the rejection is based are based on a vision that restricts and contradicts certain rules present in the national legal system, and that at the same time, sets a regressive precedent in terms of access to justice.

Contact

Juan Bautista Lopez, juanbautistalopez@fundeps.org

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They reject our request for intervention as third parties interested in the case of Potrerillo de Larreta

Together with the social group Todos por Nuestro Arroyos (TxNA) we express our disagreement with the decision of the Civil, Commercial and Family Court of 2nd Nomination of Alta Gracia. Said resolution, notified hours before the start of the judicial fair, denied participation as interested third parties that we requested together with neighbors of the city, in the trial that Potrerillo de Larreta S.A. It started against the province of Córdoba for the removal of the wires, which illegally prevented the passage in the Los Paredones stream.

“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 regrettable that our participation has been considered irrelevant, and among the arguments the idea has been taken that we have no reason to feel legitimated to participate in the trial. This case mobilized all of Alta Gracia, who understood that there cannot be more wires in the spaces that belong to all of us, “said Fabiana Marbián, a member of TxNA and a resident of the city.

“It gets worse when the Judiciary took more than two years to respond to neighbors who, with no interest other than protecting the resources that belong to all Altagracians, ask for participation in a trial that involves all of us,” he emphasized. Marbián, while adding: “It is not to believe, but the years continue to pass and from the private neighborhood they continue to achieve their objective, which is to wire a public watercourse.”

From Fundeps we will appeal to the judicial decision, because the rejection seriously affects fundamental rights of citizenship. One of the most affected rights is the denial of the participation of neighbors in a controversy in which access to a stream (subject to the public domain) and the enjoyment of its environmental services are at stake, which goes against the guarantee of access to justice, the right to enjoy effective judicial protection, as well as the enjoyment of the right to the environment.

This rejection not only affects the participation of the institution in this specific case, but also sets a regressive judicial precedent for the entire province in terms of access to justice by civil society. The participation of civil society in this type of process is key to improving judicial activity in matters of public interest and to democratizing judicial debate.

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What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the Sustainable Development Goals?

We present a document analyzing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

“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 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted in 2015 by the UN Member States, with the purpose of ending poverty, protecting the planet and guaranteeing peace and prosperity for all people by the year 2030. The SDGs There are 17 integrated objectives in which the actions or impacts on one will affect another / s.

The situation generated by the pandemic is not at all encouraging, since pre-existing unfavorable issues such as increasing poverty and hunger, increasing inequalities, rising unemployment, the health and sanitation crisis, the economic recession, restricted access to education, the setback regarding gender equality, among other aspects.

Thus, the document “Impact of COVID-19 on the Sustainable Development Goals“, prepared in a collaborative way, analyzes and reflects on the impact of COVID-19 on the SDGs, the positive and negative consequences of the global pandemic on each of the 17 objectives.

The current context has posed challenges for States and international organizations in decision-making, and in the establishment of truly effective actions to prevent this type of situation from recurring. In this way, the current context made us have to rethink whether the current system is effective or whether we should build another model for the future, one that is more equitable, inclusive, fair and sustainable. Therefore, the situation that the world is going through may mean an opportunity to rethink what future we want to build from now on.

More information

Contact

Gonzalo Roza, gon.roza@fundeps.org

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Impact of COVID-19 on the Sustainable Development Goals

(ONLY SPANISH) The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented global impact in the modern era. Many countries are in a health, economic and social emergency due to the negative consequences of the fight against the new coronavirus.

Undoubtedly, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established for the United Nations 2030 Agenda will be affected. In this paper we analyze some of the positive and negative impacts on the SDGs, although we anticipate that in general the outlook is negative, especially if we focus on the effects it will have on community health and the increase in inequalities due to the economic slowdown. world.

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We request intervention of the Ombudsmen of the People and of children and adolescents of the Province

Due to the fires that occurred throughout the territory of the Province of Córdoba during this year, we asked the Provincial Ombudsman’s Office and the Ombudsman’s Office for Girls, Boys and Adolescents to intervene in order to urge compliance with the duties that weigh at the head of the provincial authorities.

“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 catastrophic fires that occurred in Córdoba during this year involved serious damage to local forest ecosystems, affecting an area of ​​350,000 hectares. These consequences not only had a full impact on the meager area of ​​remaining native forest in the provincial territory, but also seriously affected fundamental rights. In particular, of those people or groups who are in a marked situation of vulnerability or who maintain a close relationship with native forests for one reason or another. In addition, they affected a serious mitigation component to the climate change phenomenon, the native forest.

The scope and magnitude of the fire undoubtedly revealed certain deficiencies in the fire management system by the authorities. The ordinance foresees specific duties in matters of prevention, budgeting, mitigation and restoration, which seek to avoid or at least mitigate these types of phenomena in the magnitude and manner in which they occurred, even more so if it is considered that the territory presented a high risk of fires due to severe drought and weather conditions.

Although the arrival of the summer rains alleviated the fire, the truth is that the future situation is still critical. The province currently has a tiny percentage of native forest, with a high risk of fire due to factors such as drought and other phenomena (intentional fires). For this reason, unfulfilled duties must be taken “seriously” and completed in order to avoid catastrophes such as those experienced. On the other hand, it is essential to comply with the duty to investigate, punish and restore the affected areas in a responsible way, guaranteeing citizen participation in plans and access to information for proper management.

Likewise, it is a priority that the citizenship and the State carry out inspection and control tasks of the affected areas, to avoid authorizations in the changes of land use or of protected categories, as ordered by Laws 26,815 of Management of Fire and 26,331 of Native Forests.

To guarantee compliance with these duties, we ask the Córdoba Ombudsman’s Office and the Office of the Ombudsman for Girls, Boys and Adolescents, to intervene within the scope of their respective competencies. We believe that both institutions play a fundamental role in guaranteeing and demanding respect for the fundamental rights of those who inhabit the soil of Cordoba.

Contact

Juan Bautista López, juanbautistalopez@fundeps.org

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La Pampa passed a new legislation on agrochemicals

On November 30, the Legislature of the Province of La Pampa approved by majority the so-called “Comprehensive Pesticide Management Law” No. 3288, at the proposal of the Provincial Executive Power. This initiative is part of the attention through public policies of situations of social conflict, such as the application of agrochemicals so present in our province.

“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 regulations, applicable to the entire provincial territory, establishes protection zones, setting distances for agrochemical applications (pesticides according to the law) of 500 meters for land applications (environmental protection zone) and 3,000 meters for applications areas. Likewise, it provides for the prohibition of application on any establishment located in rural areas.

It should be noted that the new regulation establishes one of the greatest protective distances for aerial application, doubling that in force in the province of Córdoba. These are consistent with jurisprudential trends based mainly on the application of the so-called precautionary principle.

It should be noted that the new regulation establishes one of the greatest protective distances for aerial application, doubling that in force in the province of Córdoba. The rules of the Pampean law are consistent with jurisprudential trends based mainly on the application of the so-called precautionary principle.

Likewise, the Law provides for a complete comprehensive management regime for agrochemicals, since it implements a unique traceability system. This allows the “tracing” of the product in the production, marketing, use and application phases, including the differentiated management of the resulting empty containers.

The objectives that guide the system are based mainly on the preservation of human health, on guaranteeing food quality, preventing environmental impacts, as well as contributing to the responsible and sustainable development of agricultural activity.

A relevant point of the law consists in the creation of an interdisciplinary Council, made up of the portfolio of environment, health, university and research institutions, as well as specific technical institutions and councils.

The application of agrochemicals constitutes one of the main causes of social conflict, which calls for adequate regulation that guarantees the fundamental rights of those who, for one reason or another, are affected on a daily basis. We celebrate that the provinces advance, through their regulatory systems and public management, in the fulfillment of the constitutional mandate to guarantee fundamental rights such as the environment and health of the population.

Contacto

Juan Bautista Lopez, juanbautistalopez@fundeps.org