{"id":719,"date":"2022-10-12T21:43:15","date_gmt":"2022-10-13T02:43:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quip.legal\/?p=719"},"modified":"2024-03-13T11:52:43","modified_gmt":"2024-03-13T16:52:43","slug":"colombia-ratifica-el-acuerdo-de-escazu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quip.legal\/en\/colombia-ratifica-el-acuerdo-de-escazu\/","title":{"rendered":"Colombia ratify the Escaz\u00fa Agreement"},"content":{"rendered":"

The origin of the Escaz\u00fa Agreement<\/a> goes back to the imperative need for the application of Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Sustainable Development, which states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

El mejor modo de tratar las cuestiones ambientales es con la participaci\u00f3n de todos los ciudadanos interesados, en el nivel que corresponda. En el plano nacional, toda persona deber\u00e1 tener acceso adecuado a la informaci\u00f3n sobre el medio ambiente de que dispongan las autoridades p\u00fablicas, incluida la informaci\u00f3n sobre los materiales y las actividades que encierran peligro en sus comunidades, as\u00ed como la oportunidad de participar en los procesos de adopci\u00f3n de decisiones. Los Estados deber\u00e1n facilitar y fomentar la sensibilizaci\u00f3n y la participaci\u00f3n de la poblaci\u00f3n poniendo la informaci\u00f3n a disposici\u00f3n de todos. Deber\u00e1 proporcionarse acceso efectivo a los procedimientos judiciales y administrativos, entre \u00e9stos el resarcimiento de da\u00f1os y los recursos pertinentes.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development held in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in 2012, ten (10) governments of Latin America and the Caribbean, promoted the Declaration on the Implementation of Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. Therefore, in the period between 2012 and 2014, meetings of the focal points were held through which the signatory countries approved the Santiago Decision, through which they initiated the negotiation of the regional instrument and created the Negotiating Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean - \"Escaz\u00fa Agreement\", was adopted in Escaz\u00fa, Costa Rica, on March 4, 2018 and opened for signature by the 33 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on September 27, 2018 at the United Nations head office in New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the fact that the former President of Colombia, Iv\u00e1n Duque M\u00e1rquez, presented the bill to ratify the Agreement with a message of urgency, its processing stalled in the Congress of the Republic and the initiative had to be shelved. It was presented again so that it would have more space for deliberation, in order to clarify doubts about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After exhausting the constitutional process in both the Senado de la Republica and the C\u00e1mara de Respresentantes, the initiative approving the Escaz\u00fa Agreement was approved last October 10 with a vote of 119 votes in favor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the next step?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The document will be submitted to the Congreso de la Rep\u00fablica for conciliation, meaning that, the participation of both c\u00e1maras legislativas, for subsequent presidential approval to become a Law of the Republic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the tools enshrined in the Agreement and the implementation of the commitments therein, the national government is taking the necessary steps to comply with them through the following actions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n