Climate Change in Latin America - European Commission

Paraguay
International commitments
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change, signed in 1993 and ratified in 1995.
Kyoto Protocol, signed in 1998 and ratified in 1999.
Legal Structure
Secretaria del Ambiente (Environment Secretariat)
(SEAM), created by Law N. 1561/00. The National
Climate Change Programme is under the Directorate
of Strategic Planning, Department of International
and National Relations. The Comisión Nacional
de Cambio Climático (National Climate Change
Commission) (CNCC) is a collegiate body which
forms part of the structure of the National Climate
Change Programme; it consists of 17 institutions from
the public and private sectors. The functions of this
Commission are to define, supervise and evaluate
national policy on Climate Change.
National Coordination
The SEAM cooperates and works with other institutions
of central government in different ambits, e.g.
with the Public Ministry, Environment Inspection for
the inspection and protection of Natural Resources,
with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock for
specific policies and programmes, with the institutions
for phyto-sanitary vigilance, with the Ministry of
Public Health and Social Welfare, with the Secretariat
for National Emergencies, with the National Tourism
Secretariat, with the General Comptroller's Office of
the Republic, with the Ministry of Foreign Relations,
with the Secretariat for Social Action and with Subnational
Government organs such as provincial and
municipal governments.
This coordination is effected through the Consejo
Nacional del Ambiente – CONAM (National Council
for the environment) which is an inter-institutional
collegiate body for deliberation, consultation and
definition of National policy on the environment,
forming part of the National Environmental System.
Human resources
9 staff, 5 of whom are external consultants.
The staff have received training from FMAM, GTZ and
World Bank. Good relations with the private sector.
International Coordination
Paraguay works with Work Group N. 6 of Mercosur.
CDMs - Clean Development Mechanisms
National Strategy on Climate Change
The National Strategy on Climate Change was
prepared by the CNCC and approved by DS. N. 085-
2003. Apart from identifying priority sectors, the
ENCC defines 3 priority regions for vulnerability to
Climate Change.
Approved CDMs
Currently Paraguay is not implementing any CDM
projects. Some are awaiting approval in the biomass
and hydro-electricity sectors.
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