The Access Initiative

Topics: Principle 10

Citizen Enforcements of Procedural Rights in the Environmental Impact Assessment Process in Belize and Jamaica         

Published: 2011

The inclusion of procedural rights of access to information, public participationand access to justice in environmental decision-making are recognized in international treaties and soft law agreements as central to the sustainable development agenda. Since the 1990s, a number of Caribbean countries have enacted environmental legislation requiring the preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) prior to permitting significant developments . The extent to which procedural rights have been included within EIA provisions however is varied. There has been little analysis of the impact of the use by citizens of procedural rights in these EIA processes.

This paper examines the legislative framework for EIAs and citizen enforcement of procedural rights in the decision-making process for proposed developments in Jamaica and Belize. The legislative frameworks adopted by Belize and Jamaica are significantly different; with the former enacting comparatively comprehensive regulations to guide the EIA process and the latter dependent on internal guidelines. In both countries there has been documented failure in law and practice to deliver effective procedural rights. A review of recent court decisions in Belize and Jamaica illustrates the value of citizen enforcement as a means of safeguarding procedural rights in the conduct and review of EIAs as well as demonstrating the failure in compliance.

The Way Forward: Progress and Challenges in the Implementation of Principle 10 from Around the World

TAI has been in existence for 10 years and has documented numerous case studies on the establishment and strengthening of the right to information, public participation and justice. Our partner’s and other advocates experiences speak to the continued struggle for attainment of the promise of environmental democracy. These case studies reflect the most recent information we have collected on progress in the implementation of principle 10 of the Rio Declaration but also current challenges and opportunities for change. The Rio 2012 Summit process is an opportunity to recognize the progress that has been made but also to address the continuing gaps in accountability, and the lack of foresight of a number of governments which have failed to establish access rights for their citizens. The case studies also highlight the critical need for building capacity and strengthening the gap between policy, law and practice. Years of struggle by environmental advocates and their work to save the environment from harm, to push for transparency and accountability and seek justice in the public interest need to be recognized at RIO 2012. For a discussion on “renewing the political commitment for sustainable development” and “assessing the progress to date and remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits” to be credible it must address environmental governance, accountability and transparency.

Advocacy Toolkit – TAI         

Published: 2010

Advocacy, for the TAI Network means turning our research into meaningful change on the ground. It is actively convincing others that our goal of widening access is worth implementing and ensuring that implementation is done well.

The Access Initiative (TAI) Advocacy Toolkit is a set of tools developed to help TAI partners strategically achieve reform and policy practice around access to information, public participation, and access to justice. Partners in Latin America contributed directly to the development of the toolkit in the regional meeting from 2009. Partners from Asia and Africa and attendees of the 2nd TAI Global Gathering contributed to the review of the tools over the course of their development. Partners used the toolkit successfully in Cameroon (FEDEV), Chile (PARTICIPA), India (LIFE), Ecuador (CEDA) Zimbabwe (ZELA). Partners from the 3rd Global Gathering in Uganda in 2010 have helped to refine and finalise proposals for this tool kit.

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.

Propuesta de Objetivos y Acciones Estratégicas para la Gestión y Acceso a la Información Ambiental Nacional

Published: 2009

El Centro Ecuatoriano de Derecho Ambiental inició la construcción de una propuesta de objetivos y acciones estratégicas que permitan mejorar los procesos de gestión de la IA y su acceso.

Esta construcción se basó en el levantamiento de información sobre los principales problemas y debilidades en cuanto a la gestión de la IA, a través de un proceso que incluyó la investigación sobre los sistemas o redes de información existentes, la situación institucional y normativa para la gestión y acceso a la información ambiental y la realización de encuestas cuali-cuantitativas a generadores, gestores y usuarios de la IA para conocer su percepción sobre los principales problemas que se generan en toda la cadena de producción y socialización de información ambiental.

A partir de esta investigación, se identificaron problemas recurrentes en la gestión y socialización de la IA, así como fortalezas y oportunidades que manejan las distintas instituciones públicas y privadas. Esta información ha permitido plantear lineamientos estratégicos para mejorar la gestión y el acceso de la IA, que serán entregados a la autoridad ambiental a fin de apoyar las políticas y acciones para una mayor y mejor generación y socialización de la información en el Ecuador, promovidas por la Secretaría Nacional de Planificación y Desarrollo (SENPLADES) y, en el caso de la Información Ambiental, por el Ministerio del Ambiente.

Environmental Governance Indicators Toolkit (TAI Citizen’s Toolkit)

Published: 2008

The Access Initiative (TAI) Thailand, an environmental governance coalition has conducted three national assessments on environmental governance in Thailand in order to find ways to improve its environmental accountability. Having proposed by friends in the non-governmental organizations that a citizen’s toolkit of environmental governance should be made available for the interested public to be used as guidelines in considering the governance performance of projects conducted in their local areas, TAI Thailand then produced this toolkit.

This toolkit is therefore designed for the public to use as guidelines in considering the levels of good governance for projects (or planning or policy making) only. It is not meant for the public or any organizations to use to assess good governance, because the number of indicators gathered in this toolkit is only half of the indicators of the full version. Moreover, in conducting a complete assessment, it would have to follow procedures and involve many analysts/researchers. This toolkit can also be used by the government agencies as guidelines to enhance good governance in conducting the work of your agency.

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.