Ensuring that all social spheres participate and are consulted on environmental decisions is now a reality in Amapá, Brazil, with the implementation of the Socio-Environmental Safeguards—a set of principles of rights and criteria that should guide public policies, programs and projects.
One of the highlights of the Safeguards implementation is the widely guaranteed social participation, as highlighted by the State Secretary of Environment, Robério Nobre.
“The participation of indigenous people, quilombolas and riverside dwellers is of paramount importance. As collaborators, they will have a voice, the right to show what they want. But all society must participate in this process” said Nobre.
The implementation of environmental safeguards was guaranteed by Window A financing, which made it possible to elaborate jurisdictional strategies and investment plans to reduce deforestation and advance states’ commitments to low-emissions development. The partnership took place between the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force, Conservation International (CI-Brazil), the Norwegian Development Agency (Norad) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
“The GCF Task Force has contributed to the debate on Socio-Environmental Safeguards, especially with the creation of the Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities Committee, in addition to supporting this process through the Forest for the Climate project in partnership with CI-Brazil and UNDP,” highlighted the coordinator for Climate and Environmental Services of Amapá, Mariane Nardi.
Communicating safeguards
One of the highlights of this process is the attention devoted to the elements of communication so that everyone involved can understand the dimension and objectives of the Safeguards.
“There are some complexities that we cannot transmit without a communication strategy. We needed to do something with an inclusive language, so that everyone could feel part of it. Especially the forest communities, but also the rest of the Amapá population,” said Mariane Nardi.
Within the pool of elaborated communicative strategies, the first was an institutional video on Socio-Environmental Safeguards, which demonstrates the principles of rights and criteria that should guide policies, public programs and projects.