The sixth meeting of the Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change Round Table continues to take important steps towards the sustainability of the country’s ecosystems.
At this meeting, organized by the Economic and Social Council (CES), the first of the three articles of the “Green Pact for Sustainable Development” was approved.
The meeting held in the Max Henríquez Ureña Hall of the Pedro Henríquez Ureña National University, held a debate in order to approve the first article. It includes the guarantees for the strengthening of the regulatory framework and therefore the effectiveness of the environmental legislation in accordance with the constitution, the General Law on Environment and Natural Resources and the sectorial laws in force.
“Today we have agreed on the foundations and principles, as well as on the harmonization that is necessary to make in all these legislations in order to place ourselves in the 21st century in the Dominican Republic. The land use plan, which is set by the Constitution of the Republic and by the National Development Strategy, as well as the Water Law, and of course the Coastal and Marine Sector Law, are three key and important legislations for the country”, expressed Orlando Jorge Mera.
Another of the points confirmed for the “Green Pact for Sustainable Development” requests the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources to carry out a thorough analysis of Law 64-00, within a period of no more than six months, to determine the level of compliance with the application of the law, identifying what is pending in order to complete the regulations and dispositions which are necessary and which the law mandates.
Likewise, it is proposed to carry out the report on the state of the environment and natural resources, as an indicator, and to guarantee the continuity of its realization every two years, as established in Article 52 of Law 64-00.
Finally, it is proposed to delegate or request the National Council of the Environment and Natural Resources to know, discuss and approve the aforementioned legislation, preserving the institutional authority of the Ministry of the Environment and the previously established guidelines.
The event is carried out with the participation of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, together with representatives of other governmental institutions, civil society, business sector and political parties, reaching results that have to do with the fundamental laws that link the Ministry of Environment with other ministries and that are fundamental for the country.
The next meeting of the thematic round table was scheduled for May 25 at the facilities of the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU), in order to discuss and reach a consensus on points 2 and 3, for the presentation of the “Green Pact for Sustainable Development”.
