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.
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 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. All thirty-three countries within the region are invited to be a part of the Forum, as are other interested parties including NGOs. The official languages of the Forum are Spanish and English.
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. The forum is responsible for meeting to strategize action on themes related to sustainable development and the environment within Latin America and the Caribbean.
Meetings and objectives +DateLocationGoalsMain outcomes1982Mexico City, Mexico1983Buenos Aires, Argentina1984Lima, Peru1985Cancún, Mexico1987Montevideo, UruguayMarch 27–31, 1989Brasilia, BrazilOctober 17–23, 1990Puerto España, Trinidad and TobagoMarch 12–15, 1993Santiago, Chile Follow up on regional priorities and positions from the Rio Summit in 1992September 21–26, 1995Havana, CubaOctober 31 – November 2, 1996Buenos Aires, ArgentinaMarch 10–13, 1998Lima, Peru Identify regional funding sources Establish common regional positions for larger UNEP conventions Create a regional agendaMarch 2–7, 2000Bridgetown, Barbados Address regional issues of climate change, deforestation, and urban growth Discuss effective simultaneous implementation of several multilateral environmental agreementsOctober 21–23, 2001Rio 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 contextNovember 20–25, 2003Panama City, Panama Develop implementation strategy for the Latin American and Caribbean Initiative for Sustainable Development (ILAC)October 31 – November 4, 2005Caracas, Venezuela Consider and determine priority actions based on the first two years of implementation for ILACJanuary 2008Santo 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 mainstreamingApril 26–30, 2010Panama City, PanamaJanuary 31 – February 3, 2012Quito, 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 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 countriesMarch 11–13, 2014Los Cabos, Mexico Foster cooperation on climate change, biodiversity, sustainable development, and reduction/management of chemical and solid wasteMarch 28–31, 2016Cartagena, Colombia Discussion of sustainable development, health and the environment, biodiversity Implementation of Paris Agreement in the region. 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 October 9–12, 2018Buenos Aires, Argentina Pollution mitigation and prevention Decarbonization of the economy Limitation of natural resource extraction and usage Discussion of implementation of UN Sustainable Development GoalsFebruary 1–2, 2021Online, 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 resourcesSignment of the Bridgetown Declaration Agreement upon eight decisions to be presented at the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly.24 - 26 October 2023Panama City, PanamaThe 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).
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