Inter-American Environmental Program

V. Information Exchange & Dialogue

ELI often functions as a forum for the public and private sector to exchange views on sustainable development policies. ELI staff also reach out to national and international leaders to engage in a dialogue promoting private sector participation in environmental governance. The following are examples of these outreach activities.

A. Inter-American Development Bank

ELI has been working with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to identify ways to replicate the Mexico Environmental Management Strategy training in other parts of Mexico and Latin America. In September 2002, Susan Bass, then Director of the Inter-American Program, spoke at an international IDB workshop on the Mexico EMS project.

B. Chile Free Trade Agreement Workshop

In March 2003, ELI and the D.C. Bar Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Section co-hosted a workshop entitled “Reconciling Trade and Environment: The Approach of the U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement” to discuss this historic agreement. The workshop began with a keynote address by Andrés Bianchi, (Ambassador of Chile to the United States), and the panel included John O'Leary, (President, The Chilean American Chamber of Commerce and Former Ambassador of the United States to Chile), Jake Caldwell (Program Director Trade and Environment, National Wildlife Federation) and Regina Vargo (Assistant United States Trade Representative for the Americas). Issues discussed included innovative measures in the agreement for protecting the environment as well as related provisions on enforcement and dispute resolution.

C. ABA Workshop

In January 2004 ELI President Leslie Carothers spoke on the topic, “Beyond the U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement: CAFTA, Sub-Regional Agreements, and the Free Trade Area of the Americas” at an American Bar Association workshop in Santiago, Chile.

Inter-American Program Outline

Introduction

1. Land and Biodiversity
2. Advancing An Agenda for Pollution Prevention
3. Capacity-Building Initiatives
4. Promoting Public Participation
5. Information Exchange & Dialogue
6. Visiting Scholar Program
7. Related Publications