Latin America and the Caribbean: environmental priorities in a region of contrasts

Latin America and the Caribbean:environmental priorities in a

region of contrasts

XIX Meeting of the Forum of Ministers of Environmentof Latin America and the Caribbean

11-14 March 2014, Los Cabos, Mexico

Latin American and Caribbean Initiative for Sustainable Development (ILAC)

• Adopted in 2002 by the Forum of Ministers of Environment of Latin American and the Caribbean (in the margins of Earth Summit)

• Framework of 7 priority areas, specific activities, guiding goals and indicators

• Implemented by activities of governments through the Regional Action Plan (RAP) a biennial-cycle matrix

• Inter-Agency Technical Committee offers technical and operational guidance and facilitates mobilization of funding—currently UNEP (Secretariat of Forum), IDB, UNDP, World Bank, ECLAC

ILAC areas and RAP priorities at a glance

Why look at subregional organizations?

• Ensure ILAC priorities resonate in diverse subregions

• Build on and scale up work based on subregional priorities and strategy documents

• Support regional synergies and cooperation between subregions

• Take into account that many actors participate at the regional and subregional level (Forums of Environment Ministers)

Subregional and regional entities

Latin America and the Caribbean (regional)

Community of Latin America and Caribbean States (CELAC)

• All 33 countries in region• Incorporates Montego Bay Action Plan• Specialized ministerial meetings on a number of themes

Organization of American States (OAS)

• 35 States of Americas, 67 other observers• Declaration and Plan of Action on Sustainable Development of Americas•Inter-American Meetings of Ministers and High-level Authorities on Sustainable Development

ALBA Group

• Eight countries from Latin America and Caribbean• Joint Declaration of 2004 (12 principles and priorities)• Joint statements on environment and climate change issues•Committee for Nature Protection• Grannational projectsDevelopment Banks

• Latin American Development Bank (CAF)—Environmental Strategy• Inter-American Development Bank—Sustainability Report and annual lending target on climate change, renewable energy and environmental sustainability

Ibero-American Forum of Ministers of Environment

Central America

Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD)

• Organ of the Central American Integration System (SICA)• Environmental Plan of the Central American Region (PARCA)• PARCA III 2010-2014 focuses on environmental governance, strengthening of institutions, management of natural heritage and priority ecosystems, climate change• Regional Strategy for Climate Change• Many other thematic protocols and strategies

Meso-American Strategy for Environmental Sustainability (EMSA)

•Based on a process of consensus among Ministers in the region• Council of Ministers and Technical Committees on priority themes• Strategy and Plan of Action 2013-2016 focused on three priority areas—biodiversity and forests; climate change; sustainable competitiveness

Caribbean

Caribbean Community (CARICOM)

• Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas—move to Single Market and Economy—various environmental protection provisions• Port of Spain Accord (1989)• CARICOM Environment and Natural Resources Policy Framework under development

Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)

• Nine small island members and associate members in eastern Caribbean• St George´s Declaration of Principles for Environmental Sustainability in the OECS (21 principles)—framework for monitoring and regional indicators

Association of Caribbean States (ACS)

• 25 member States in wider Caribbean region• Priorities include sustainable tourism, disaster risk reduction, preservation and conservation of the Caribbean Sea—Caribbean Sea Commission

Cartagena Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment in the

Wider Caribbean Region

• Ratified by 25 UN Members in Wider Caribbean• Three thematic protocols—oil spills; specially protected areas and wildlife; pollution from land-based sources

South America

Andean Community

• Currently Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru• Andean Council of Ministers of Environmental and Sustainable Development Affairs• Andean Environmental Agenda 2012-2016 (priorities on biodiversity, climate change, water resources)

Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization

• Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Surinam, Venezuela• Amazon Strategic Cooperation Agenda (8 priority topics, including “Conservation, protection and sustainable use of renewable natural resources”)

Gran Chaco Americano

• Subregional Programme of Action includes Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay• Focus includes socio-economic development and preventing land degradation

Mercosur

• Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela• Environmental protection covered in the Asunción Treaty• Framework Agreement on the Environment of Mercosur (14 priority actions)• A number of other protocols, agreements, policies• Meetings of Environment Ministers and Working Group on Environment

Union of South American Nations (UNASUR)

• 12 South American countries• 2012 UNASUR Conference on Natural Resources and Integrated Development of the Region

Priorities in nearly every subregion

Climate change

Biodiversity, natural resources, ecosystems, protected areas

Water resource management

Priorities in many subregions (over half studied)

Education and awareness

Energy efficiency & renewable energy

Governance and institutions

Science, technology, innovation

Other selected subregional priorities

• Air pollution• Chemicals and wastes• Desertification and drought• Fisheries• Food security• Forests• Health and disease• Indigenous peoples• Land use planning• Marine and coastal management• Natural disasters• Noise• Poverty eradication• Social policies• Sustainable cities• Sustainable tourism

Cross-cutting priorities• Information and indicators

• Financing

• South-South and regional cooperation

Lessons learned

• There are many subregional and regional strategies on sustainable development and environment in Latin America and the Caribbean

• Developed by institutions with a diversity of focus—regional integration, foreign relations, trade, sustainable development, technical cooperation

• Some strategies are quite focused on a few issues of transboundary concern, whereas others cover a broad range of issues

• Many involve periodic meetings of environment ministers

• Secretariat and financial resources are key in translating strategies to implementation

Next steps and possible discussion questions

• Are the ILAC priorities still relevant?

• Which are the highest priority “emerging issues”, including those reflected in the priorities and strategies of different subregional and regional bodies?

• Which of these emerging issues are best “scaled up” and reflected in a regional strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean?

• How can we strengthen the regional partnership to support more effective implementation regional and subregional strategies?

Thank you!