CAN countries agree to prepare Andean Environmental Charter

This Andean Community release was published using machine translation.

The countries of the Andean Community: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru agreed today to prepare an Andean Environmental Charter, an instrument that will establish the key principles, thematic axes and goals that allow strengthening the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, combat climate change and its effects, as well as safeguarding ecosystems and promoting the rational use of the region's biodiversity, for the well-being of our populations and the planet.

The Decision adopted in the framework of the XX Extraordinary Meeting of the Andean Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, determines to create a Working Group that will be made up of the Foreign Ministries, the Ministries of Environment and the technical support of the General Secretariat, which in 120 days you must deliver the draft Environmental Charter.

In this regard, the Secretary General of the Andean Community, Jorge Hernando Pedraza, highlighted the approval of this Decision, which complies with the Andean Presidential Declaration of July 8, an issue promoted by President Iván Duque within the framework of the Plan of Work of the Pro Tempore Presidency in charge of Colombia.

Likewise, the countries approved a norm referring to the process of strengthening the Simón Bolívar Andean University, which aims to make viable the necessary reforms to redirect the institutional framework and operation of this educational institution that belongs to the Andean Integration System.

At the meeting, Colombia, as Pro Tempore Presidency, announced that on behalf of the Andean Community it will make a contribution to the Pan American Health Organization for a value of 500 thousand dollars, with the aim of contributing to access to vaccines and supplies against the COVID19, for the benefit of vulnerable communities and invited Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru to join this great initiative.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Claudia Blum; the Foreign Minister of Bolivia; Karen Longaric, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador; Luis Gallegos and the Minister of Foreign Relations of Peru; Mario Lopez.

The ministers renewed their commitment to the Andean integration process, to the CAN and to the current administration led by Secretary Jorge Hernando Pedraza. In addition, they highlighted the strategy of the Andean Community in the face of the current pandemic.

Camre expanded

Subsequently, the XLVII Meeting of the Extended Andean Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers was held with the Representatives of the Andean Commission, which was joined by the Colombian Trade Ministers, José Manuel Restrepo; the Vice Minister of Commerce of Bolivia, Claribel Aparicio; the Minister of Production of Ecuador, Iván Ontaneda and the Vice Minister of Commerce of Peru, Sayuri Bayona.

The meeting featured a segment in which the Presiding Magistrate in charge of the Andean Community Court of Justice, Hugo Gómez, made a presentation about the financial situation of this SAI body.

For this reason, and given the importance of guaranteeing the normal functioning of the Court, the ministers approved a Decision to solve the current financial situation of this body, through a transfer to be made by the General Secretariat of the Andean Community. This norm was promoted by Secretary Jorge Hernando Pedraza, who highlighted that the TJCAN is the jurisdictional body of this integration mechanism, instituted to preserve the legality in the application of community law and ensure its uniform application and interpretation in all Member Countries.

Another point of this meeting was the presentation by the Development Bank of Latin America -CAF- of a proposal on the Fund for the Financing of Physical and Digital Infrastructure projects, in order to generate investment in infrastructure, as a driver of post-pandemic reactivation; that will be studied by the ministers.