Santiago, Chile, Nov 22 – Delegates from 22 Latin American and Caribbean countries under the umbrella of ECLAC are negotiating a regional agreement this week to ensure access to information, participation and environmental justice.
This is the Fifth Meeting of the Negotiating Committee of the Regional Agreement on the subject that will be extended until Friday, under the auspices of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Eclac) and the Government of Chile.
The importance of this meeting is that we can have an effective instrument of environmental democracy as soon as possible, the Chilean president Michelle Bachelet said in a message.
Alicia Bárcena, executive secretary of Eclac, stressed that democracy, good governance and the rule of law are essential for sustainable development.
‘Our region may be the protagonist of an agreement that does not address a specific environmental issue but rather links it to human rights and redefines the traditional links between the state, the private sector and civil society,’ she declared.
The leader also added that in a global scenario of uncertainties and mistrust, ‘today more than ever, the countries of our region must move together in a collaborative way towards sustainable development.’
Furthermore, Chile’s Environment Minister Pablo Badenier stressed the importance of the process, ‘which is demonstrates a new model of good practices in international negotiations.’
‘Greater and better access to information, participation and environmental justice will result in greater legitimacy of the environmental management system in each country, it will also help to anticipate and prevent environmental conflicts’, he concluded.
