English - Programa de Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente

UNEP/LAC-IG.XVII/6Page 1Background1. Seven years have elapsed since the adoption of the Latin American andCaribbean Initiative for Sustainable Development (ILAC in Spanish), as part of theImplementation Plan of the World Summit on Sustainable Development(Johannesburg, South Africa; September-October 2002).2. In the past seven years, Latin American and Caribbean countries havecontinued to make extensive efforts to reverse trends of environmentaldegradation, to raise the standard of living of their populations and to promote thegrowth of their economies. The progress made by countries in the region in theseareas can be seen in the indicators and reports issued concerning the fulfillment ofthe goals set in the ILAC and in relation to achieving the Millennium DevelopmentGoals.3. However, there are still major challenges in the region that have beenidentified in recent reports prepared by various agencies. The report "MillenniumDevelopment Goals: Advances in the Environmental Sustainability Development inLatin America and the Caribbean" 1 , presented in February, 2010, said that theregion has made considerable progress in environmental issues, such as the rise inprotected areas rich in biodiversity, between 1990 and 2008, and the designation ofmaritime and terrestrial protected areas which has more than doubled. However,the region faces major challenges such as deforestation (the region lost 7% of itsforest cover between 1990 and 2005).4. Additionally, the Environment Outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean(GEO-LAC 2009, forthcoming) 2 , emphasizes that the region has one of the highestrates of habitat loss. The environmental diversity of the region is one of its essentialcharacteristics. This report emphasizes that one of the main risks associated to theloss of biodiversity lies in changing land use, with a consequent reduction,fragmentation, and even loss of habitats.5. It also highlights the pressure that the economic growth generates in mostcountries of the region on natural resources and the undertaking of infrastructureprojects promoted by various productive and service sectors. Challenges like thesemake more relevant the need to promote environmental sustainability, as wasestablished in the Millennium Development Goals.6. At global level, the Seventeenth Meeting of the Forum is held during theInternational Year of Biodiversity, heading for the Tenth Conference of Parties tothe Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Sixteenth Conference of theParties to the United Nations Climate Change Framework Convention (COP16), andamid a global crisis of great social and economic impact with repercussions on thesustainability of the region and the world. Hence, it is appropriate for the Forum of1 United Nations, 2010 “Millennium Development Goals: Advances in the Environmental Sustainability Developmentin Latin America and the Caribbean”, Santiago, Chile.2UNEP, 2010. “Environment Outlook of Latin America and the Caribbean (GEO LAC 2009)”, forthcoming.