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15 Years of Chile-U.S. Environmental Cooperation

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

This week, international exhibitors and government authorities from Chile and the United States will meet in Santiago to participate in the 15th Year of Chile-U.S. Environmental Cooperation. The initiative is part of the commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the Environmental Cooperation Agreement between the two countries, in which representatives of the public and private sectors of both countries will exchange experiences on good practices, work together, learn from each other and address the common challenges they face.

This event is co-organized by the United States Embassy and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Environment and Agriculture, and includes a broad program of high-level activities.

The Environmental Cooperation Agreement was signed in 2003 as part of the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries, generating a significant impact, resulting in a mutual commitment to move towards sustainable development through environmental protection. As a result of this agreement, more than one hundred activities were carried out, in addition to the training of more than five hundred public officials, representing a total investment of nearly 3 million dollars. This coordinated action by both countries allowed for significant progress and concrete results related to glacier monitoring; the strengthening of wild protected areas, both terrestrial and marine; environmental control; combating wildlife trafficking; air quality; protection of endangered species; and the improvement of the productive processes of extractive industries.

The program began on Monday, September 3 with the Santiago Megacities Partnership international workshop, which aimed to analyze the technologies and instruments available to improve air quality in large cities, promote the exchange of information, the strengthening of skills and collaboration among participating countries. The meeting was attended by national and international specialists from Peru, Mexico and Colombia, from different government agencies, industry and civil society. This activity was organized by the Chilean Ministry of the Environment, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (EPA).

The event also features two meetings of government authorities: the VIII Meeting of the Environmental Affairs Council of the Free Trade Agreement and the VI Meeting of the Joint Commission of the Environmental Cooperation Agreement. Both activities will take place today, Tuesday, September 4, and will allow Chilean and U.S. representatives to review environmental progress and challenges, both in terms of trade and bilateral cooperation.

On Wednesday, September 5, the agenda includes two events that will be aimed at the public. The first, called the Public Information Session, is aimed at representatives of civil society and aims to present the main advances and conclusions reached during the meetings held the previous day. This will be followed by a discussion on 15 Years of Cooperation on Protected Areas between Chile and the United States, in which an account will be made of the achievements made in the protection of parks, reserves, and marine protected areas, and a long-term perspective will be proposed under a framework of public-private collaboration.

The commemoration of fifteen years of Chile-U.S. environmental cooperation aims to strengthen the bonds of friendship in environmental matters between the two countries in order to advance towards common objectives and contribute significantly to the support of a society that is oriented towards common welfare and sustainability.