In the context of Rio +20 Latin America and the Caribbean explore the feasibility of moving towards a regional instrument for the application of Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration of 1992 At the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20) in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean signed a declaration on the application of principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. In the Declaration, the signatories agreed to develop and implement an action plan 2012-2014, with the support of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) as technical secretariat to enhance the implementation of a regional agreement or other instrument. "Environmental issues are best handled with participation of all concerned citizens, at the relevant level. At the national level, each individual shall have appropriate access to information concerning the environment that is held by public authorities, including information on hazardous materials and activities in their communities, and the opportunity to participate in decision-making processes. States shall facilitate and encourage public awareness and participation by making information widely available. Effective access to judicial and administrative proceedings, including redress and remedy, shall be provided." (Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, 1992). Signatory Countries 
The first meeting of the focal points designated by the governments of the countries that signed the declaration on the application of principle 10 was held in the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago, November 6-7, 2012. This meeting brought together the focal points designated by the signatory governments to advance: the implementation of the Declaration, share experiences, a regional diagnostic and international initiatives and jointly define the action plan for the coming years. Contact: principio10.lac cepal.org | 
