sustainable development 20 years on from the ... - José Eli da Veiga

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Box II.1 (concluded)
Union of South American Nations (UNASUR): Established on 23 May <strong>20</strong>08 in Brasilia, UNASUR has included in
its agenda cooperation on natural disasters and protection of natural resources.
Summits of the Americas: Under the auspices of the Organization of American States (OAS), since the very first
summit in Miami in 1994, all summits have discussed the agenda for <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong>.
Ibero-American Summits: Held every year since 1991, they are attended by the Heads of State and Government of
the countries comprising the Ibero-American Community. In the Declaration signed at the XXI Summit held in
Asunción in October <strong>20</strong>11, the countries agreed to implement a land management policy that includes the
<strong>development</strong> of public sector <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong> strategies across the various levels of government and the
participation of local actors and citizens, taking into account geographical, cultural and sociodemographic
conditions. Each country will decide how to implement the decisions taken.
Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC): Comprising the 33 countries of the region,
CELAC was established in Caracas in December <strong>20</strong>11 as the successor to the Rio Group and the Latin American
and Caribbean Summit on Integration and Development. It serves as a mechanism for political coordination,
cooperation and integration among Latin American and Caribbean States. In the Caracas Declaration, the countries
expressed the need to continue joining forces and building capacities to promote <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong> in the
region, focusing efforts on strengthening political, economic, social and cultural integration and cooperation. In the
Caracas Action Plan the countries agreed to convene a meeting of environment ministers before the United Nations
Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+<strong>20</strong>) to follow up on the agreements made under the Caracas
Ministerial Environmental Declaration and contribute to the success of the Conference.
Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)/United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP), The Sustainability of Development in Latin America and the Caribbean: challenges and opportunities, Libros
de la CEPAL series, No. 68 (LC/G.2145/Rev.1-P/I), Santiago, Chile, <strong>20</strong>02. United Nations publication, Sales
No. E.02.II.G.48; R. Quiroga, “Indicadores ambientales y de desarrollo sostenible: avances y perspectivas para
América Latina y el Caribe”, Manuales series, No. 55 (LC/L.2771-P), Santiago, Chile, ECLAC, <strong>20</strong>07; official websites
of the respective organizations and forums.
a
The documents produced in preparation for the regional meetings of the CSD process are available at www.cepal.org/ddsah.
A. LEGISLATION, INSTITUTIONS AND INSTRUMENTS
1. Environmental legislation and institutions
Environmental rights and obligations have now been enshrined in the constitutions of most Latin
American and Caribbean countries. In addition, all countries in the region have enacted general or
framework laws on the environment, some of which have already been reformed. A large body of
supplementary legislation incorporating instruments and principles in the Rio Declaration has
subsequently been added to these general laws (see table II.2). As mentioned in chapter I, some countries
have adopted national environmental strategies, or have incorporated an environmental component into
their national <strong>development</strong> plans. However, environmental institutions are still finding it difficult to
secure that the environment is represented in public budgets (United Nations, <strong>20</strong>10).