Buenos Aires Will Host New Round of Negotiations for Regional Agreement on Rights of Access in Environmental Matters

The Latin American and Caribbean countries that adhere to the regional initiative for the effective application of Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development in the region – which refers to access to environmental information, participation and justice – will meet next week in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to continue negotiations toward a regional agreement on these matters.

Authorities, government officials, representatives of civil society and experts from international bodies will gather from 31 July to 4 August in the Seventh Meeting of the Negotiating Committee of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Principle 10), organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the government of Argentina.

The meeting will be inaugurated on Monday, 31 July at 09.30 Buenos Aires time (-3 UTC/GMT) by Sergio Bergman, Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development of Argentina; Danielle Andrade and Andrés Nápoli, representatives of the public; Marcelo Mena, Minister of the Environment of Chile; Germán Garavano, Minister of Justice and Human Rights of Argentina; Patricia Madrigal, Vice-Minister of the Environment of Costa Rica; Joseluis Samaniego, Chief of the Sustainable Development and Human Settlements Division ECLAC; and Jorge Faurie, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship of Argentina.

At the event, negotiations on the regional agreement’s pending aspects will continue on the basis of the sixth version of the text compiled by the Presiding Officers of the process – the Technical Secretariat of which is held by ECLAC – which incorporates the proposals put forth by countries during the Sixth meeting of the Negotiating Committee, which was held in Brasilia, Brazil, on March 2017.

The meeting will include a high level special session on capacity-building for the implementation of the future agreement, which will be held on Monday 31 July. John Konx, United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment, will participate as main guest, among other personalities.

Members of the media are invited to attend this meeting. Journalists must have their media credentials or their identity documents with them to gain access.

The gathering will be broadcast live via the Internet. More information, including the complete program, is available at this link.

What: Seventh meeting of the Negotiating Committee of the Regional Agreement on Principle 10.

Who:

• Authorities and government officials from 23 Latin American and Caribbean countries, international experts and representatives of civil society.

Inauguration (Monday, July 31, 09.30 Buenos Aires time, -3 UTC/GMT) by:

• Sergio Bergman, Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development of Argentina
• Danielle Andrade and Andrés Nápoli, representatives of the public
• Marcelo Mena, Minister of the Environment of Chile
• Germán Garavano, Minister of Justice and Human Rights of Argentina
• Patricia Madrigal, Vice-Minister of the Environment of Costa Rica
• Joseluis Samaniego, Chief of the Sustainable Development and Human Settlements Division ECLAC
• Jorge Faurie, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship of Argentina.

When: Monday, 31 July to Friday, 4 August 2017.

Where: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Argentina. Esmeralda 1212, Buenos Aires, Argentina.