After four years of intense negotiations, 24 Latin American countries adopted last March a legally binding instrument to implement Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration in Latin America and the Caribbean. Principle 10 guarantees the rights of access to environmental information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters. It also protects of the right of each person of present and future generations to live in a healthy environment.
This is the first legally binding instrument on human rights and the environment in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the first legally binding instrument to protect environmental human rights defenders. The legal instrument will be open for signature on 27 September 2018 during the General Assembly, where it will be subject to the ratification, acceptance or approval of the States that have signed it.
UN Environment, together with other stakeholders, including the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, stand ready to support governmental and non-governmental stakeholders of those countries seeking to ratify the agreement through capacity-building and training for implementation.
Read more information on Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on the UN Environment.
For more information, please contact: Andrea.Brusco[at]un.org or Nimah.Brannigan[at] un.org.
