The Access Initiative

Topics: Environmental Democracy

La Plataforma Virtual para la Democracia y la Sostenibilidad ya está disponible. Lee el Manifiesto y únete!

By Daniel Barragan (Posted: March 20, 2013)

La democracia y la sostenibilidad son conceptos inseparables. Uno precisa del otro. El nuevo Manifiesto por la Democracia y la Sostenibilidad fue creado con el propósito de fomentar las medidas necesarias para transformar la democracia en un motor de la sostenibilidad. En seis principios y un conjunto de compromisos puntuales, el Manifiesto pone en evidencia el vínculo entre la democracia y la sostenibilidad y propone una agenda para el cambio.

El Manifiesto es el núcleo central de la Plataforma Virtual para la Democracia y la Sostenibilidad. La Plataforma es un espacio en línea para compartir ideas y acciones destinadas a lograr que la democracia genere un ambiente saludable con justicia social, para todos ahora y en el futuro,www.democracyandsustainability.org.

Si apoyas este ideal, lee el Manifiesto por la Democracia y la Sostenibilidad. A través de nuestros videos y de los relatos que aparecen en la Plataforma, entérate de lo que ciudadanos en diferentes partes del mundo están haciendo en pos de la democracia y la sostenibilidad. Si tienes ideas de actividades o iniciativas, compártelas con otros añadiéndola a la Plataforma. Si quieres involucrarte más activamente, adhiérete al manifiesto y únete a la Plataforma.

Podemos desentendernos de este urgente llamado y permitir que la democracia naufrague – o incluso que fracase – frente a los enormes cambios ambientales y sociales que atravesamos. O podemos optar por colaborar con otros para crear sistemas de toma de decisiones democráticos que marquen el camino hacia la sostenibilidad.

¡Únete a la plataforma! www.democracyandsustainability.org

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Improving Participation in International Environmental Governance         

Published: 2011

UNEP Perspectives Series

This discussion paper 1) briefly explores the rationale and principles for “public participation” in IEG; 2) reviews exemplary practice and options of intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) with regard to implementing these principles and suggests a number of changes to IEG that could enable more transparent, participatory, and accountable governance; and 3) suggests that Rio +20 provides an opportunity to improve the quality of civil society participation by enabling civil society organizations not merely to observe, but also to inform, shape, and engage decisionmaking processes by securing an equal footing with states in some aspects of the IEG policy-making process; performing key governance functions that governments cannot or will not perform themselves; and amplifying the voices of people and of interests that governments may not represent adequately. In order to frame these observations in the context of Rio +20’s mandate to review progress toward sustainable development, this paper concludes by summarizing proposals across the three pillars of Principle 10 of the 1992 Rio Declaration (access to information, public participation, and access to justice).

Rio +20: The 5Q Campaign         

Published: 2011

Twelve Responding Governments

Attached you will find a full write-up of the responses from the responding governments.

Governments who responded:

  • Argentina
  • Bolivia
  • Cameroon
  • Costa Rica
  • Ecuador
  • El Salvador
  • Gabon
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Latvia
  • Madagascar
  • Mexico
  • Peru
  • Thailand
  • Venezuela

Governments contacted, no response:

  • Benin
  • Chile
  • Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
  • India
  • Jamaica
  • Macedonia
  • Malawi
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka

The Access Initiative Third Global Gathering: Access Rights, Poverty, and Environment Democracy Worldwide – Report Proceedings

Every two years The Access Initiative organizes a Global Gathering which brings together representatives of partner organizations to discuss ways of ensuring that citizens have the right and ability to influence decisions about the environment and natural resources that sustain their communities. The third gathering  took place at Lake Victoria Serena Resort in Kampala, Uganda between 28th and 30th October 2010. The event was organized around the theme “Access Rights, Poverty and Environmental Democracy Worldwide”. It was a call for civil society organizations to increase their advocacy and outreach work in four areas which had been identified by the network as having significant implications for environmental sustainability and democracy in the 21st Century. The areas include;

  • Climate change governance,
  • Environmental justice and poverty,
  • Extractive industries with particular emphasis on oil governance and
  • Renewing the call for environmental democracy: The Rio Principles at 20.

Access Improvements from 2005 to 2010

Published: 2010
Changes in Laws for 29 TAI partners

 

Attached, is a database of improvements in over 30 TAI Partner Countries. This database highlights changes in national laws towards access improvements from 2005 to 2010. The database highlights areas of change based on Access Pillars: Access to Information (A2I), Access to Justice (A2J), Public Participation(PP) and Capacity Building. Within the database, one can click on the link country tab to find the laws changes within each country.

Access Improvements from 2008 to 2010

Published: 2010

Attached, is a matrix of stories that have been written by TAI partners from October 2008 to July 2010 on access changes within their respective countries. The chart highlights the areas of change based on Access Pillars:Access to Information (A2I), Access to Justice (A2J), Public Participation (PP) and Capacity Building.

Within the chart, one can click on the link provided. This goes directly to a story or short blog post on this website explaining. The post provides first hand information from TAI partners working within that pillar of access.

Memoria: Taller regional de las Coaliciones de Acceso de Centroamérica

San José, Costa Rica. 2009

Last April 29th and 30th, representatives from TAI Coalitions from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica gathered in regional workshop to create a common Action Plan to strengthen their work on the implementation of Principle 10.

The Action Plan has three sections:

A) Challenges and commitments of the leader organizations in each coalition: This point is related with the strengthening of the following aspects: 1) National coalitions to promote the Access Rights. 2) Information channels within the coalitions and between the coalitions. 3) Fundraising for national coalitions projects. 4) the inclusion of the Dominican Republic and Panama in the regional process. 5) Establishing a regional partnership that consolidates common work strategies and get funding for regional projects. 6) Political context challenges in each country. B) Regional Agenda: This point refers to issues related with: 1) access to information and communications between governments and civil society, 2) Legal framework on access rights. 3) Proceedings and institutional structures of public participation. 4) Education and training on access rights. 5) Funding for public participation and access to information. C) Building a regional partnership: It contains the actions defined to create a regional partnership of TAI Coalitions in Central America.

As part of the program, the meeting had two spaces to tend other topics: Daniel Barragán, from TAI Ecuador, presented the hemispheric strategic plan of Latin America Access Coalitions. Aldo Palacios and Diego Cooper from PP10Secretariat presented the components and the work of the Partnership for Principle 10.

This workshop is an activity of the project “Partnership 10 Central America” which is funded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and executed by Foundation for Peace and Democracy(FUNPADEM).

Further information please contact Luis Diego Segura from Foundation for Peace and Democracy, FUNPADEM. Email sociedadcivil@funpadem.org or +506 2283 9435.

La Inciativa de Acceso en Centro America

San José, Costa Rica. 2009

Last April 29th and 30th, representatives from TAI Coalitions from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica gathered in regional workshop to create a common Action Plan to strengthen their work on the implementation of Principle 10.

The Action Plan has three sections:

A) Challenges and commitments of the leader organizations in each coalition: This point is related with the strengthening of the following aspects: 1) National coalitions to promote the Access Rights. 2) Information channels within the coalitions and between the coalitions. 3) Fundraising for national coalitions projects. 4) the inclusion of the Dominican Republic and Panama in the regional process. 5) Establishing a regional partnership that consolidates common work strategies and get funding for regional projects. 6) Political context challenges in each country. B) Regional Agenda: This point refers to issues related with: 1) access to information and communications between governments and civil society, 2) Legal framework on access rights. 3) Proceedings and institutional structures of public participation. 4) Education and training on access rights. 5) Funding for public participation and access to information. C) Building a regional partnership: It contains the actions defined to create a regional partnership of TAI Coalitions in Central America.

As part of the program, the meeting had two spaces to tend other topics: Daniel Barragán, from TAI Ecuador, presented the hemispheric strategic plan of Latin America Access Coalitions. Aldo Palacios and Diego Cooper from PP10 Secretariat presented the components and the work of the Partnership for Principle 10.

This workshop is an activity of the project “Partnership 10 Central America” which is funded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and executed by Foundation for Peace and Democracy(FUNPADEM).

Further information please contact Luis Diego Segura from Foundation for Peace and Democracy, FUNPADEM. Email sociedadcivil@funpadem.org or +506 2283 9435.

El Principio 10 en Costa Rica: Situación y desafíos

San José, Costa Rica. 2009

Last April 29th and 30th, representatives from TAI Coalitions from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica gathered in regional workshop to create a common Action Plan to strengthen their work on the implementation of Principle 10.

The Action Plan has three sections:

A) Challenges and commitments of the leader organizations in each coalition: This point is related with the strengthening of the following aspects: 1) National coalitions to promote the Access Rights. 2) Information channels within the coalitions and between the coalitions. 3) Fundraising for national coalitions projects. 4) the inclusion of the Dominican Republic and Panama in the regional process. 5) Establishing a regional partnership that consolidates common work strategies and get funding for regional projects. 6) Political context challenges in each country. B) Regional Agenda: This point refers to issues related with: 1) access to information and communications between governments and civil society, 2) Legal framework on access rights. 3) Proceedings and institutional structures of public participation. 4) Education and training on access rights. 5) Funding for public participation and access to information. C) Building a regional partnership: It contains the actions defined to create a regional partnership of TAI Coalitions in Central America.

As part of the program, the meeting had two spaces to tend other topics: Daniel Barragán, from TAI Ecuador, presented the hemispheric strategic plan of Latin America Access Coalitions. Aldo Palacios and Diego Cooper from PP10 Secretariat presented the components and the work of the Partnership for Principle 10.

This workshop is an activity of the project “Partnership 10 Central America” which is funded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and executed by Foundation for Peace and Democracy(FUNPADEM).

Further information please contact Luis Diego Segura from Foundation for Peace and Democracy, FUNPADEM. Email sociedadcivil@funpadem.org or +506 2283 9435.