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The Forum of Ministers of Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean

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The Forum of Ministers of the Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean is a body that meets under the United Nations Environment Programme to discuss environmental issues and priorities within the region.[1][2]

It is the most important and high-level space for political dialogue and collaboration on environmental issues in the region and one of the oldest in the world. It was created in 1982 and has been made up of the 33 countries of the region since its inception. The main objective of the Forum is to provide a space for governments to establish priorities for environmental action, and to collaborate in the implementation of programs, projects and approaches to address those priorities in the region. It also serves as the regional coordinating body for the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA). The main meetings are held every two years, while in the interim period, various sessions are held with members of the Forum's Board of Directors or High-Level Officials.

This year, its 23rd edition will be held in Panama from October 24-26. The agenda will include keynotes, expert panels, interactive sessions and networking opportunities, all of which can be followed on the Forum's YouTube channel. Peculiarly, this year it will be held in parallel with the Latin American and Caribbean Climate Week, organized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), of which UNEP is part of its Secretariat.

Organization and participation

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The Forum was formed in 1982 and is part of the United Nations Environment Programme in the Regional Office of Latin America and the Caribbean, with meetings every two years.[3][4] All thirty-three countries within the region are invited to be a part of the Forum, as are other interested parties including NGOs.[5] The official languages of the Forum are Spanish and English.[6]

The Conference of Ministers is preceded by a conference of High-Level Experts who meet ahead of the ministers in order to provide the technical information necessary for the ministers to make decisions.[7] The forum is responsible for meeting to strategize action on themes related to sustainable development and the environment within Latin America and the Caribbean.[5]

Meetings and objectives

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Date Location Goals Main outcomes
1982 Mexico City, Mexico
1983 Buenos Aires, Argentina
1984 Lima, Peru
1985 Cancún, Mexico
1987 Montevideo, Uruguay
March 27–31, 1989 Brasilia, Brazil
October 17–23, 1990 Puerto España, Trinidad and Tobago
March 12–15, 1993 Santiago, Chile
September 21–26, 1995 Havana, Cuba
October 31 – November 2, 1996 Buenos Aires, Argentina
March 10–13, 1998 Lima, Peru
  • Identify regional funding sources
  • Establish common regional positions for larger UNEP conventions
  • Create a regional agenda[9]
March 2–7, 2000 Bridgetown, Barbados
  • Address regional issues of climate change, deforestation, and urban growth
  • Discuss effective simultaneous implementation of several multilateral environmental agreements[10]
October 21–23, 2001 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • Create a Regional Action Plan for 2002–2005
  • Address regional issues of deforestation and vulnerability of urban environments
  • Discuss regional environmental priorities within an international context[11]
November 20–25, 2003 Panama City, Panama
  • Develop implementation strategy for the Latin American and Caribbean Initiative for Sustainable Development (ILAC)[12]
October 31 – November 4, 2005 Caracas, Venezuela
  • Consider and determine priority actions based on the first two years of implementation for ILAC[13]
January 2008 Santo Domingo, The Dominican Republic
  • Evaluate progress after five years of ILAC and identify future focus and implementation
  • Discuss regional issues of climate change, integrated management of ecosystems, and environmental mainstreaming[14]
April 26–30, 2010 Panama City, Panama
January 31 – February 3, 2012 Quito, Ecuador
  • Carry out an assessment of the forum and its effectiveness
  • Prepare for the Rio+20 Conference
  • Address the financial and economic structure of sustainable development initiatives[15]
  • Adoption of the Quito declaration, which among other things: commits to formulating a regional environmental agenda; forwards key messages to Rio+20; and sets out common positions on climate issues, technology transfer and commodity prices, among others
  • Adoption of ten decisions prepared and recommended by a Preparatory Meeting of High-Level Experts regarding: governance; sustainable consumption and production (SCP); environmental indicators; the Regional Financial Strategy (EFIR); air pollution; chemicals, and hazardous and other wastes; landlocked countries; small island developing States (SIDS); environmental education; and the Central American and Caribbean countries[16]
March 11–13, 2014 Los Cabos, Mexico
  • Foster cooperation on climate change, biodiversity, sustainable development, and reduction/management of chemical and solid waste[2][17]
March 28–31, 2016 Cartagena, Colombia
  • Adoption of the Cartagena Declaration, which among other things: calls for the update of the Latin American and the Caribbean Initiative for Sustainable Development (ILAC, champions the enforcement of concepts such as Sustainable consumption and production and Environmental education, and declares the establishment of a Regional Platform on Climate Change and a Regional Plan of Action on Atmospheric Pollution [20]
October 9–12, 2018 Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Pollution mitigation and prevention
  • Decarbonization of the economy
  • Limitation of natural resource extraction and usage
  • Discussion of implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goals
February 1–2, 2021 Online, organized by the government of Barbados*
  • Integration of environmental issues to be placed at the heart of the region’s COVID-19 recovery strategies
  • Opportunities for green recovery
  • Conservation and sustainable use of natural resources
  • Signment of the Bridgetown Declaration [21]
  • Agreement upon eight decisions[22] to be presented at the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly.[23]
24 - 26 October 2023 Panama City, Panama[24]
  • The agenda will include keynotes, expert panels, interactive sessions and networking opportunities, all of which can be followed through the Forum's YouTube channel;
  • This year, it will be held in parallel with the Latin American and Caribbean Climate Week, organized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), of which UNEP is part of its Secretariat.
 To be celebrated

*The event would normally have happened in 2020, however due to the pandemic the event was held in a virtual format for the first time, co-hosted by the Government of Barbados, which was where the event was supposed to take place in the previous year).


References

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  1. ^ "XXI Forum of Ministers of Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean". UN Environment. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  2. ^ a b "Latin America's Environment Ministers meet to formulate regional climate change strategy". Eye On Latin America. 2014-03-18. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  3. ^ Mwangi, Patrick. "About UNEP/ROLAC | UN Environment". United Nations Environment Programme. Retrieved 2018-09-29.
  4. ^ "Barbados minister new Vice President of UN Environment Assembly | Caribbean360". Caribbean360. 2016-05-31. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  5. ^ a b "Final Report of the Fourteenth Meeting" (PDF).
  6. ^ "Informational Note for Participants". XX Reunión del Foro de Ministros de Medio Ambiente de América Latina y el Caribe. 2016. Retrieved 2018-09-29.
  7. ^ "Final Report of the Preparatory Meeting of Experts" (PDF).
  8. ^ "Follow-Up to the VIII Ministerial Meeting on the Environment in Latin America and the Caribbean" (PDF).
  9. ^ "Final Report on the Eleventh Meeting" (PDF).
  10. ^ "Final Report, Ministerial Segment, Barbados" (PDF).
  11. ^ "Informe Final XIII Reunion" (PDF).
  12. ^ "Final Report, Panama 2003" (PDF).
  13. ^ "Final Report Fifteenth Meeting" (PDF).
  14. ^ "Final Report 16th Meeting" (PDF).
  15. ^ "Final Report 18th Meeting" (PDF).
  16. ^ "18th Forum of LAC Environment Ministers Adopts Quito Declaration | News | SDG Knowledge Hub | IISD".
  17. ^ "Final Report 19th Meeting".
  18. ^ "Latin American Environment Ministers meet to define regional approach to UN Environment Assembly – Climate Action". www.climateaction.org. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  19. ^ "Final Report, 20th meeting" (PDF).
  20. ^ "XX Meeting of the Forum of the Ministers of the Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean ANNEX II Decisions" (PDF). United Nations Environment Programme. 31 March 2016.
  21. ^ "XXII Meeting of the Forum of Ministers of Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean" (PDF). United Nations Environment Programme. 2 February 2021.
  22. ^ "Latin American, Caribbean ministers commit to build back better and greener". UN Environment. February 2, 2021.
  23. ^ "Fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly | Environment Assembly". United Nations Environment Programme. 13 December 2023.
  24. ^ "XXIII Meeting of the Forum of Ministers of Latin America and the Caribbean".
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