The Principle 10 regional process is presented at the Second United Nations Environment Assembly

In its capacity as technical secretariat for the regional process on Principle 10 in Latin America and the Caribbean, ECLAC participated in two events in the framework of the Second Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly which took place between 23 and 27 May 2016, in Nairobi (Kenya).

On 23 May the event “Regional efforts to improve the application of Principle 10 for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development” took place, organized jointly by ECLAC, the Government of Chile, UNEP and other stakeholders. The event allowed for the exchange of information, experiences and reflections regarding the role of transparency, public participation and access to justice in environmental affairs as a means of reaching the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the international community.

During the event, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment of Panama, Mr. Félix Wing; the Ambassador of Chile to Kenya, Mr. Konrad Paulsen; and Valeria Torres, Economic Affairs Officer of ECLAC, shared with participants the background of the negotiation process, currently on course towards a regional agreement on access to information, public participation and access to justice in environmental affairs in Latin America and the Caribbean.

During his intervention, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment of Panama stated that civil society has been instrumental for countries of the region in prioritizing the negotiation of a regional agreement on Principle 10 and that the future instrument will support all countries of the region, all of which are in different stages of implementing access rights.

The Chilean Ambassador to Kenya, Mr. Konrad Paulsen, raised on his behalf that they were convinced that the full application of access rights was not only necessary to respond to legitimate demands of society, but also to strengthen confidence, social cohesion and the protection of the environment.

The representative of the technical secretariat for the regional process affirmed that the regional process was an example of how the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean can, with a focus on collaboration and capacity building, tackle common challenges and reinforce regional environmental governance, contributing to social and economic progress, as well as to environmental sustainability.

The event “Right to a healthy environment: Principle 10 in practice” was carried out on 27 May, organised together with the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) and the World Resources Institute (WRI). During this opportunity, ECLAC explained the negotiation and path towards a regional agreement on access to information, public participation and access to justice in environmental affairs in Latin America and the Caribbean.