CIEL participates in launch of regional negotiations regarding an instrument on access rights

 

January, 2013

In November 2012, at the headquarters of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in Santiago de Chile, CIEL joined in the adoption of a Road Map for the elaboration of a regional instrument on access rights. Access rights embody the procedural dimensions of the right to a healthy environment, and they include access to information, participation and access to justice.

Access rights are reflected in Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and at the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development, the international community reaffirmed its commitment to Principle 10. It is expected that a regional instrument on access rights will reinforce the right to a healthy environment, strengthen the linkages between democracy and sustainable development, and improve the governance structures that enable civil society's meaningful engagement in environmental decision-making.

Additonal information:

• UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
• World Resources Institute's Partnership for Principle 10