First United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) adopts resolution on Principle 10 and recognizes regional process in Latin America and the Caribbean

In the first ever United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) held in Nairobi (Kenya) between 23 and 27 June 2014, delegates and representatives from 163 Member States of the United Nations adopted resolution UNEP/EA.1/L.13 on the “Implementation of Principle 10 in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development”.

The resolution, proposed by the Presiding Officers of the process on Principle 10 in Latin America and the Caribbean (Chile, Mexico and the Dominican Republic), was one of the 16 resolutions adopted at the first meeting of UNEA.

In the same, the States took note of the Declaration on the Application of Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, adopted by various countries of the region in the margins of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), which gave rise to a process aimed at strengthening dialogue and cooperation among the countries of the region to explore the feasibility of adopting a regional instrument on rights of access to information, participation and environmental justice.

In addition, they noted the progress made in that process, coordinated by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in its capacity as technical secretariat, and encouraged countries to continue their efforts to strengthen international dialogue and cooperation, technical assistance and capacity-building in support of the implementation of Principle10.

Since 2013, UNEA is the governing body of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). In its framework, the 193 United Nations Member States and Observer States participate in discussions and decision-making on issues that affect the state of the environment and global sustainability.