Grenada announced their Government’s decision to join the Latin American and Caribbean Declaration on the application of Principle 10. Foreign Service Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Grenada, Mrs. Roxie Hutchinson presented an official statement at the Opening Ceremony of the 3rd Meeting of the Negotiating Committee of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean. The negotiations being coordinated by the Technical Secretariat for the process, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN ECLAC) and the Government of Uruguay is taking place in Montevideo from April 5-8, 2016 (follow the live stream at http://negociacionp10.cepal.org/3/en).

To date, the process which seeks to set higher standards for environmental governance has 21 signatory countries with only 6 from the Caribbean (Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, the Dominican Republic, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda and now Grenada).

Saint Lucia, who is attending the meeting as an Observer, announced the government’s commitment to the process and that the matter will be brought before the Cabinet of Ministers for approval soon as they hope to be the 22nd signatory to the Declaration. Additionally, Saint Lucia’s representative announced that Cabinet has approved the signature of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, when it opens for signature on International Earth Day on April 22nd.

Other highlights of the opening ceremony included a statement by Ms. Alicia Bárcena, the Executive Secretary of the ECLAC on Principle 10. She indicated it is an expression of equality which allows everyone to participate in environmental matters that will affect their lives.

One of the Main Elected Representatives of the Public, Mrs. Danielle Andrade-Goffe from Jamaica delivered an inspiring speech, “A binding instrument on access rights will allow the region to advance the implementation of the Post-2015 Agenda and the socio-environmental conflicts in the region undermine social peace and good governance. Conflicts can arise from lack of information or complete, timely, understandable and culturally relevant information and from the lack of open forums for dialogue, and spaces for participation about infrastructure projects”. (Her speech can be seen in its entirety at http://www.accessinitiative.org/blog/2016/04/public-representative-submits-statements-lac-p10- process).

Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development endeavours to ensure that every person has access to information, participates in decision-making and can access justice in environmental matters, in order to guarantee the right to a healthy and sustainable environment for present and future generations.