Efforts are advancing to clarify what access rights should look like in the context of the environment and development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
A committee has developed a list of concepts that should be included as efforts continue to follow up on the application of Principle 10 (environmental democracy) of the 2012 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The outline was developed by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) at the request of the Working Group on Access Rights and the Regional Instrument established in the Plan of Action to 2014 of the Declaration on the application of Principle 10.
The objective is to deepen knowledge on access rights with a view to making a proposal on the nature and contents of the regional instrument.
“Passive transparency” is one element in the proposal, defined as “mechanisms to provide information (such as forms, timelines, specific or special consideration vulnerable groups, assistance in case of not being competent, reasonable costs).
The next category, of “active transparency” covers:
– Active dissemination of environmental information
– Generation of environmental information
– Periodic reports on the state of the environment and environmental performance reviews
– Consideration of specific issues (such as environmental emergencies, public registries on pollutant release and transfer registries).
– Use of new technologies of the communication
– Special consideration of specific or vulnerable groups
Information held by private parties (such as information for consumers, voluntary environmental compliance reports)
The document also covers participation of the public at the project level (public and privates) and in the development of policies, plans, norms, regulations, programmes, projects and strategies.
Participation of the public in international agreements also is covered, with elements being:
– Mechanisms to appeal in cases of refusal of access to information requests and/or participation –
– Mechanisms to report general violations to environmental laws
– Special consideration to specific or vulnerable groups
– Decisions adopted (such as notification, explanation and dissemination)
– Alternative dispute resolution
The document agreed on May 14 also includes a discussion of how countries should go about implementing the recommendations.
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