Environmental Democracy

We promote the strengthening of institutions and capacities that allow the active exercise of environmental rights, with an intercultural, gender-based and inter-generation approach, so that everyone may participate effectively in decision-making processes.

The year 2022 showed that democracy in Peru is still a fragile institution with much to strengthen and to work for. This is why we are working to consolidate the institutions involved in Peruvian environmental democracy through the strengthening of the normative framework on issues of access to rights, and the design of products that convey the need to escalate towards an inclusive environmental democracy where no one is left behind. We also dedicated our efforts in the consolidation of capacities for public officials, children, and youths for the effective right to access public information on environmental issues, citizen participation, and access to environmental justice. 

Likewise, we contributed to the implementation of better standards on issues related to transparency and access to information, accountability, citizen participation for decision making, and access to environmental justice, as established in the Escazú Agreement, the Open Government Partnership – OGP, and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative – EITI. 

The outcome of our efforts can be found in the following actions and results:

• We had an active role in the first meeting of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, where we submitted policy proposals for the defense of human rights on environmental matters within the framework of the Escazú Agreement.
• We have consolidated the Escazú Peru Platform, where more than 20 civil society organizations take part in order to promote joint and coordinated actions to position the Escazú Agreement in the national agenda.
• At the SPDA we have led negotiations to sign the Escazú Agreement.
• We promoted initiatives such as “Escazú Champions” where we motivate the interest of young people all across Latin America in environmental democracy through the funding of projects.
• We presented reform proposals in order to implement the specialization of environmental justice. 
• We work to strengthen justice workers (prosecutors, attorneys, and judges) on environmental issues seeking the specialization of justice to guarantee duly substantiated sentences and to safeguard environmental rights.
• We provide legal opinions on normative instruments associated with access to information, transparency, and citizen participation.
• We have an active citizen clinic focusing on the support and defense of violations of environmental human rights in Lima, Loreto and Madre de Dios, through decentralized offices.