10 September 2014: Representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries discussed implementation of Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development during two events organized by the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). Principle 10 recognizes the importance of access to information, participation and justice in environmental matters.

At the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), LAC countries committed to exploring the feasibility of adopting a regional instrument on Principle 10 in the Declaration on the Implementation of Principle 10 (A/CONF.216/13). As part of this process, countries have approved a road map, a Plan of Action to 2014, and a common view to move towards a regional convention. Both of the recent ECLAC events aimed to contribute to this process.

Costa Rica’s Vice Minister of Environment, Patricia Madrigal, said applying Principle 10 in the region would help build a culture of tolerance and help prevent socio-environmental conflicts, which have created social strain in some countries in the region, in her remarks at the ‘Capacity-building and good practices workshop on the implementation of Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development.’ Madrigal expressed hope that countries could endorse a regional convention in November, at a scheduled meeting of focal points.

Access rights on the environment will be fundamental in implementing and monitoring the post-2015 development agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said Carlos de Miguel, ECLAC. He said structural changes are necessary to ensure thorough integration of the environmental pillar into the development agenda, and recommended, inter alia, strengthening environmental statistics.

The seventh meeting of the Working Group focused on capacity building and cooperation, and access rights and a regional instrument. Participants discussed, inter alia: how to incorporate capacity building and cooperation into the proposed regional instrument; the content and nature of the proposed instrument, including its objective, principles and provisions; and means of implementation (MOI).

Since 2012, 18 LAC countries have signed the Declaration: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.

Both events took place in San José, Costa Rica, from 9-11 September 2014. [ECLAC Press Release] [A/CONF.216/13] [Programme] [RoadMap] [Plan of Action to 2014] [Common View]