4° meeting of experts on scp for latin america and the caribbean

B. Work group session

66. The participants divided themselves in 4 groups, aiming to agree on the key elements for the Latin America and the Caribbean region, which must be reflected in the 10YFP, and identifying technical, economic, financial and institutional needs, along with the key actors’ cooperation and commitment. The four groups were formed by the corresponding government delegates to the sub regions, the NGO’s and industry representatives, according with their regions, affinity and other contingent criteria.

67. The groups worked using a guide of six orientation questions for the discussion which were presented at the plenary session (See Annex IV). The following chart offers a summary of the exposed outcomes by each group.

C. Programme proposals for the region

68. The following chart shows the outcomes of the work group where the main programmes for Latin America and the Caribbean are proposed. These should be implemented in the framework of the 10YFP.

Chart II. Programme Proposal for the Latin American and the Caribbean region⁴

Common programmes /New proposals	Outcomes Group 1 The Caribbean	Outcomes Grupo 2 Mesoamérica	Outcomes Grupo 4 Cono Sur
Common programmes	Programme for development of the action plans on SCP at a national level	Action Plan son SCP at a national level, or the inclusion of SCP in the current strategies, Such as those of Sustainable Development	Programme for the development of actions plans on SCP at national level
	Programme to support sustainable public parchases	Programme to support sustainable public parchases	Programme to support sustainable public purchases
	Programme about supply and sustainable product chains and market niche	Programme about supply and sustainable product chains	Programme about supply and sustainable product chains
	Information about policies, tools, etc.	Information about sustainable products	Information about sustainable products
	Education and sustainable life styles	Education and sustainable life styles	Education and sustainable life styles
New proposals	Sustainable Constructions and prevention of natural disasters	Support for instrumentation of a legal framework on SCP	Small and Medium Enterprises
	Support to Small and Medium Enterprises	Support for the development for economic and financial instruments on SCP
	Waste management	To foster the development of credit bodies of the community (Example: Costa Rica Case)
	Energy efficiency and renewable energy
	Efficient water management

D. Programme Proposal from the
Work Group of the Andes sub region

69. The group made a chart based on the one they presented in the preparatory document for the meeting⁵, emphasizing the necessity to produce actions that could put together the needs and the abilities on SCP. Evidently, they are many, but rather unknown. The group highlighted the role played by the United Nations Agencies (UNEP – UNDESA, etc.) to organize this information system.

70. As needed programmes for the region, the group pointed out the areas of Training, Technical Assistance and Information, put together in the first group, which concentrates abilities (supply) in UNO Agencies, the international work groups, experts and enterprises. The second group of programmes refers to Technology Transfer and Financial Sources.

Graphic I: Programme proposal for the 10-year framework programme of The Andes Group

VIII. Conclusions

71. After two days of intense discussion, work groups and search for consensus, it can be said that the objectives of the meeting were fulfilled. The main results were:

a) The Fourth Meeting of Government Experts on SCP for Latin America and the Caribbean was developed with the active involvement of the participants. It must be highlighted the valuable input of the representation of NGOs, companies, labor unions, cleaner production centers and cooperation agencies, who came to the Council meeting for the first time.

b) 70% of the participation of the regional governments confirms the implicit commitment in search of a change toward sustainable consumption and production patterns. At the same time, the dynamics and interest shown from the NGOs, and the industry in the topic is an invitation to go deeper in the actions of dialogue and cooperation among the areas, at the national and sub regional levels.

c) Each of the sub regions (the Caribbean, Mesoamerica, The Andes, and the Southern Tip) designed and approved its own Action Plan on SCP, identifying priorities areas, outcomes, activities and cooperation needs. In this way, the region has gone forward to an important step toward the implementation of the Regional Strategy on SCP, approved by the Ministers of the Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean.

d) Proposals for the strengthening of the Regional Council of Government Experts on SCP were made. And the new members of the Executive Committee were elected:

i) The new Executive Committee was integrated as follows:

• 
  The Caribbean and Trinidad and Tobago sub region ( Ad referendum)
  
• 
  Mesoamerica sub region: Panama as the head and Dominican Republic as substitute
  
• 
  The Andes sub region: Ecuador
  
• 
  The Southern Tip sub region: Brazil
  

ii) Extended meetings of the Council of Government Experts on SCP were held every two years, including NGOs , academia, companies, labor unions, and the Cleaner production Center network and government representatives. The calling to more frequent sub region meetings will be patronized.

iii) The Fifth Meeting of the Council will be held in 2009, previous to the meeting of the Forum of Ministers of the Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean.

iv) The Executive Committee will meet, at least, once a year, and must identify new connection mechanisms to guarantee a more fluid relationship among the sub regions, such as the use of video conferences and virtual meetings.

72. Proposals were made to incorporate the priority programs of the region in the program framework on SCP up to 10 years. Priority areas common to the 4 sub regions from the governmental proposals and the other interested parties, are the following:

a) To develop National Dialogue Tables, open and participative to all society sectors;

b) To focus actions exclusively for Small and Medium Enterprises.

c) To execute programmes for sustainable public purchases

d) To develop national policies and strategies on SCP

e) To put into practice the Information Regional Network on SCP.

73. At the same time, the participants showed their interest in getting involved in the International Work Groups of the Marrakech Process, and particularly outlined the need to take again the proposal made by the region at the 2^nd International meeting on SCP which took place in Costa Rica (2005) which dealt with the creation of a new work group on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

74. Finally, they discussed and approved in the plenary session the Recommendation from the Fourth Meeting of the Experts Council to the Forum of Ministers of the Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean to be presented at the Sixteenth Meeting meeting of the Forum from 11 to 14 of November 2007 in Dominican Republic.

