Public environmental policies in Ecuador promoted jointly with Faro Group

(Quito, April 21, 2010).- With the presence of international experts in the framework of the "Regreening public policies" project, Faro Group, through its Environment and Society axes with CAF support, launched five successful experiences of the organizations participating in the "Integrating citizens into environmental policy 2010" initiative whose objective is to make known the lessons learned about the participation and impact of local and national environmental management.

The initiative is being executed in alliance with the Environmental Observatory of the Quito Metropolitan District (DMQ); Environment Secretariat (DMQ), International Conservation (CI-Ecuador); and the Nature Conservancy (TNC-Ecuador).

The event included talks by international experts: Manuel Pulgar-Vidal of the Peruvian Society of Environmental Law; Adriana Ramos of the Socio-Environmental Institute of Brazil; and Ana Cristina Barros, representative of TNC- Brazil.

The organizations which shared their experience were: Consorcio Ciudad – ECOGESTIÓN; Foundation for the Advance of the Reforms and Opportunities, FARO GROUP; Foundation for Responsible Alternative Development of Galapagos, FUNDAR-GALAPAGOS; Ecuadorian Society of Forest and Environmental Law, SEDEFA; and The Nature Conservancy, TNC-Ecuador.

Mauricio Velásquez, CAF principal environment executive, said at the close of the event that CAF considered the participation of public and private actors and civil society as decisive elements in achieving its mission, and consequently promotes and facilitates broad spaces for discussion.

In 2008 CAF and Faro Group signed a non-reimbursable technical cooperation agreement to execute the "Regreening public policies" project, a citizen initiative for environmental policymaking which promotes the sustainable development of Ecuador, stimulating public debate on environmental policies as a means of involving civil society in proposing and making new public policies in favor of the sustainable management of natural resources.

The Faro Group is an independent public policy center which, through research and analysis, recommends, implements and monitors local and national public policies in an effort to create a more efficient, equitable, inclusive and democratic state.