Office for Sustainable Development and Environment of the OAS

Environmental Assessment and Capacity Building for Free Trade in the Andean Region: Colombia With support of USAID and USEPA

Bogotá, Colombia, April 27,2006

Background:

The workshop served as a forum to discuss challenges and opportunities related to trade and environment, but mainly for the textile, leather tannery and beef sectors in Colombia in the context of Trade Liberalization. However, the main objective was to peer review with stakeholders from different sectors the preliminary results in the draft "Environmental Assessment of Free Trade in Colombia" conducted by the Department of Sustainable Development (DSD) of the Organization of American States (OAS) with support of the Colombian Institute for Environmental Law (ICDA). This assessment is part of the " Environmental Assessment and Capacity Building for Free Trade in the Andean Region initiative, executed by DSD with support of USAID and USEPA and organizations such as Peruvian Society of Environmental Law (SPDA) and the Ecuadorian Center for Environmental Law (CEDA). Written comments to the draft document (available only in Spanish) posted below can be sent by email until June 1, 2006. Note: All Documents related to this Workshop are available in Spanish only.

Welcome and opening remarks

Claudia de Windt, OAS/DSD.
Luis Fernando Macias, President of ICDA
H.E. Oscar Dario Amaya, Vice minister of Environment,Colombia
H.E. Eduardo Muñoz, Vice minister of Foreign Trade, Colombia

Integration of Trade and Environment Policies

Challenges and Opportunities for Environmental Management in FTAs: Environmental Standards and Public Participation. Claudia S. de Windt, OAS
Integrated Assessments as Public Policy planning tools. Jan Gilbreath, USEPA
Environmental Assessments of Trade, Linkages and Relevance for the Andean Region, Methodology and Scope. Maria Amparo Alban, CEDA.