The United Nations Environment Assembly,

Considering the document “The future we want”, adopted by the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development and endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution 66/288 of 27 July 2012, in particular paragraph 99, in which Heads of State and Government encouraged action at regional, national, subnational and local levels to promote access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters, as appropriate,

Recognizing that democracy, good governance and the rule of law in national and international programmes are essential to sustainable development,

Underlining that broad participation by the public and access to information and judicial and administrative proceedings contribute to the promotion of sustainable development,

Recalling that the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme in February 2010 adopted the voluntary Guidelines for the Development of National Legislation on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Bali Guidelines),

Recalling also decision 27/2 of the Governing Council as it relates to the active participation of all relevant stakeholders, particularly those from developing countries, drawing on best practices and models from relevant multilateral institutions, and the need to explore new mechanisms to promote transparency and the effective engagement of civil society in its work and that of its subsidiary bodies,

Noting the achievements at the national and regional levels in strengthening rights of access to environmental information and justice and participation in decision-making, as well as outstanding challenges to their implementation and the particular circumstances of each country,

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1. Takes note of the Declaration on the Application of Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, adopted by various countries of the region in the margins of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, which gave rise to a process aimed at strengthening dialogue and cooperation among the countries of the region to explore the feasibility of adopting a regional instrument on rights of access to information, participation and environmental justice;

2. Notes the progress made in that process, coordinated by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in its capacity as technical secretariat;

3. Takes note of Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, acknowledging the importance given to broad public participation and access to information and judicial and administrative proceedings in the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, entitled “The future we want”, and in regional and national regimes and processes;

4. Encourages countries to continue their efforts to strengthen international dialogue and cooperation, technical assistance and capacity-building in support of the implementation of Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, taking into account relevant advances, instruments, experiences and practices since its adoption and to work for the strengthening of environmental rule of law at the international, regional and national levels;

5. Requests the Executive Director to further enhance access to information in future related policies.